Tipperary Tidy Towns group appalled by state of local river

Refresh Thurles Tidy Towns has spoken out against the current state of the River Suir in Thurles.

The statement comes following a social media post by Cllr Jim Ryan that sparked controversy in the local community, as a life buoy was thrown into the river.

Spokesperson for the group, Tommy Barrett, said: “Refresh Thurles Tidy Towns are concerned about the continued poor condition of the River Suir in Thurles.

“We carry out litter picks along the River Suir walk on a regular basis, recently collecting 8 bags of litter. Most of these bags contained alcohol bottles and cans. We have also planted shrubs and trees along the walk. Last year we installed nature boards along the walk. We also welcome the addition of the beautiful hanging baskets installed this summer at both sides of Barry’s Bridge. Also the flowers at Pheasant Island look fantastic as always and make a great impression.

“However we are very concerned about the growth in the river and the lack of maintenance along the River Suir walk. There has been no maintenance to the trees along the walk with branches hanging into the River Suir. Life Buoys have been removed from their stands along the river walk which is a serious safety risk if they are needed at any stage.

“From aggressive seasonal green algae to heavy overgrowth, the Suir is showing signs of distress that we can no longer afford to ignore. The overgrowth is so bad along the river walk that you can barely see the river. Raw sewage and untreated wastewater are being discharged directly into the River Suir.

“This pollution frequently spotted from Barry’s Bridge down to the Slievenamon Road river walk destroys wildlife habitats and causes foul odours. We understand that the Local Authority Waters Programme is currently compiling a joint action plan.

“This must have concrete commitments from Tipperary County Council, the Office of Public Works, and Inland Fisheries Ireland. This plan cannot simply be a document on a shelf. It must come with transparently published, binding delivery dates and full government funding.

“Minister Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran, recently conducted an inspection of the River Suir alongside Michael Lowry TD to see the condition of the River Suir first hand and we understand from Deputy Lowry that the government will support the upcoming local authority funding application to carry out essential work on the River Suir.

“Refresh Thurles volunteers will always be there to pick up bottles, cans, and discarded plastics on the riverbanks. We need to stop using ‘protecting nature’ as an excuse for doing nothing. The smelly, grey water and ugly green slime we see in the River Suir today is not healthy.

“Taking care of the river doesn’t mean destroying wildlife habitats. If we stop raw sewage from pumping into the water, we stop the green slime from growing and choking out life. We don’t have to choose between a river that looks beautiful and one that helps wildlife; when a river is clean and clear, everyone wins. We call on our local council to start the real work on maintaining our river.

“The people of Thurles are watching and our river cannot wait any longer.”