Galway Bay fm newsroom – Canadian company MOAG – which holds prospecting licenses in Connemara – has had one of those licenses revoked.

It’s after the firm failed to respond to several Government requests for information when the license was up for renewal.

The now-revoked license was held since 2006 and allowed for exploratory drilling in areas such as Ballinahinch, Callow, Murvey and Dolan.

However, Galway West Deputy and Gaeltacht Minister Sean Kyne says MOAG still holds a valid license for the Carna area.

Meanwhile, another firm, BTU Metals Corp is still seeking a prospecting licence from the government.

Local campaigners are in fierce opposition to the granting of any such licenses and have held a series of public meetings and demonstrations in recent weeks.

However, Minister Kyne believes even if prospecting yielded any results, it would be extremely unlikely that actual mining would be permitted – to hear the minister, tune in to Galway Bay fm news on the hour…