Protecting Tipperary's precious River Suir

Few counties with a river flowing through it can rival the majestic Suir as it meanders through Tipperary.

But it’s vital that such a priceless resource is maintained for this and future generations.

Thankfully there are individuals and groups in Clonmel and Tipperary that are fully committed to this task.

Last September’s  hugely popular Applefest in Clonmel placed a special focus on water and the River Suir. 

The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) shared an interactive stand with Suircan and Clonmel Repair Café. 

Providing information on the water quality status on the Suir and Ireland’s River Basin Management Plan is important if people are to have a meaningful input to the management and protection of the precious water resources in Clonmel and Tipperary. 

Dr. Fran Igoe was at the stand to answer questions on the river, the aquatic life and what we can do to protect it. 

People were particularly interested in dealing with invasive species, which impact on the river, and a map was available inviting people to submit records. 

“We aim to map the locations of the three most invasive plant species in the Suir River catchment with the assistance of the public and build on the work by volunteers from Suircan, visiting students on the EIL programme and the County Council to control and prevent their spread along the Suir Blueway”, Dr. Igoe said. 

Interest from the public was very encouraging and visitors from Dublin also wanted to know how they could get involved in improving water quality in their own county. 

Visitors to the information stand from the UK, Spain and Poland also joined in the discussions. 

A competition was held, with prizes presented to those who could correctly answer questions about wildlife found on the Suir. 

Dr. Igoe also introduced the film Artifishal, which gave an outline of the damage that humans can do, even with well-intentioned acts, if we try to control nature. 

A robust discussion followed, including the importance of looking after the important natural resources on our doorstep, the need to protect our native crayfish from the crayfish plague disease and ensuring that our land management practices don’t damage the fragile web of life in the River Suir and the important fisheries it supports.