Project reducing pollution entering River Suir in Tipperary was shortlisted for national award

A project that created a series of nature based measures at the Bog Field in Carrick-on-Suir to remove pollutants from run-off surface water before it enters the River Suir, was shortlisted for a national award.

The nature-based solutions project at the riverside amenity area at Carrickbeg, Carrick was a national finalist in the Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative Project of the Year category at the 2025 Business Post National Property Awards.

The awards were presented at a gala ceremony in the InterContinental Hotel in Dublin last Thursday. They celebrate and champion individuals and organisations from across the property industry through nominated categories. 

The Bog Field project was delivered by Tipperary County Council and the local community, and is one of the first of its kind in the country. It involved constructing vegetated swales, which are broad shallow channels with dense vegetation, and interceptor water treatment ponds to channel and filter surface  water to clean it naturally before it enters the River Suir. 

“By incorporating nature-based solutions such as swales and ponds, the project filters out pollutants from the adjacent road on the Waterford side of the town,” explained Dr Fran Igoe, Regional Coordinator of the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO)

“The new Water Action Plan for Ireland strongly supports the use of nature-based solutions to protect water quality, biodiversity and provide greater resilience in the face of climate change challenges such as increased flood risk. 

“To do this and, at the same time, provide an attractive amenity supported by Tirlán is a credit to all involved. This area is adjacent to the River Suir which is a Special Area of Conservation with rare fish such as the twaite shad and European smelt spawning locally in Carrick-on-Suir,” he added.

The project delivered by Tipperary County Council and supported by LAWPRO and the Department of Housing Local Government and Heritage, is community-based working with Carrick-on-Suir Lions Club, Carrick-on-Suir Municipal District and Tirlán. 

Fintan Towey, Assistant Secretary at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage said the Department was delighted to support the project.

Carrick-on-Suir Cllr David Dunne , who attended the awards ceremony, said the Bog Field in Carrickbeg had previously been unused and derelict and also became a location for anti-social behaviour with individuals lighting bonfires at the site,” he recalled.

“The completion of the nature-based solutions at the Bog Field has created an amenity and biodiversity area that can potentially be utilised by the community in Carrick now and long into the future,” he said.

READ MORE: Public's views sought on changes to proposed Carrick-on-Suir development plan

Carrick Municipal District’s Director of Services Brian Beck said the Bog Field project provides measures to not only improve water quality but also manage water quantity during storms.

“This project will benefit the local community and contribute towards the actions set out in Tipperary County Council’s Climate Action Plan 2024-2029. I commend the Municipal District staff for the delivery of this worthwhile project,” he added.  

Inland Fisheries Ireland’s South Eastern Regional Director Lynda Connor said the River Suir is an important Special Area of Conservation for twaite shad, salmon, and lamprey species and IFI welcomes any improvements that protect and benefit fish and their habitats.

Pictured at the National Property Awards were Eamonn O’Connell of LAWPRO, Cllr David Dunne, Ben O’Keeffe, Tipperary County Council; Tom Brennan and Margaret Keegan of LAWPRO, Fintan Towey of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Dr Fran Igoe, LAWPRO.