What better way to spend the May bank holiday weekend than celebrating the rivers of Ennistymon, Co. Clare.
This free, family-friendly, 3-day festival, over the May Bank Holiday weekend, is bringing together locals, volunteers, visitors and environmental champions to celebrate the positive steps being taken to protect, restore and enhance the rivers that make the Ennistymon area of North Clare so special.
The Ennistymon Rivers Festival is being held, exactly two years on from a devastating fish kill on the Ballymacraven River, which occurred in May 2023. This tragic event, which killed well over 2,000 fish, including Atlantic salmon, brown trout and eels of all age-classes, on a 2.6km stretch of the Ballymacraven River, served as a reminder of the fragility of our natural environment.
But it also sparked a collective response by the local community to protect and restore this river for future generations. Two years on, the Ennistymon Rivers Festival, offers an opportunity to celebrate the enormous amount of positive work that has been undertaken by local volunteers on the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers, reflecting the importance the local community places on our natural environment.
Mr. Kevin Nunan, Chairperson of the Restore Ballymacraven River Association, noted “the Ennistymon Rivers Festival is really a celebration of the progress we’ve made in bringing the community together, and to map out the work still to be done over the next number of years. We’re very proud of the commitment of the local community to restore the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers, and the work completed to date to protect local biodiversity and natural habitats within, and along, these local rivers. We are working to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The Ennistymon Rivers Festival promises to engage the entire family with highlights including expert talks and workshops on many aspects of river restoration from Salmon conservation to the vital role trees play in river bank conservation and learning about river ecosystems. Also included in the week-end is a guided bat-walk, guided kayaking tours and a major river restoration workshop for community groups and angling clubs. Those who attend will have the chance to learn how they can get involved in local conservation efforts and make a difference. All activities are free and family friendly. They are aimed at fostering community involvement in river restoration, biodiversity enhancement and local awareness.
Mr. Ruairí Ó Conchúir, Senior Community Water Officer, with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), and local to the area, noted “that the Ennistymon Rivers Festival offers an excellent example of a local community group stepping up to the mark and providing local leadership in river restoration and water quality awareness work. The work of LAWPRO is fully supportive of community groups playing such an active role in the local communities.”
The Restore Ballymacraven River Association invites everyone to join us in celebrating the Ennistymon Rivers Festival. All events are free, but booking is required, as numbers are limited for several events, including river kayaking. The Festival kicks off Friday afternoon (2nd May) with an excellent River Restoration Workshop for community groups and angling clubs. The official launch will take place that evening, followed by the keynote event; an illustrated talk on ‘The Current Status of Salmon in Ireland and Future Prospects’ by renowned international expert Dr. Philip McGinnity. This talk will give an overview of the national picture of Atlantic salmon in Ireland and will be followed by an excellent panel discussion. And that’s only the first day.
The Rivers Festival promises to showcase the vital role a resilient local community can play to restore, protect and enhance their natural environment. The event will ensure that the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers that flow through North Clare and Ennistymon, remain a symbol of hope, life and community.
Anyone wishing to find out more information and to reserve a place, please visit the website of the Restore Ballymacraven River Association here.
- The Restore Ballymacraven River Association (RBRA) is a local community organisation based in Ennistymon, North Clare. It was established following a major fish kill on the Ballymacraven River in May 2023. Its main objective is to restore, protect, and enhance the rivers, streams, watercourses, and riparian zones of the Ballymacraven River and the Inagh River Estuary for environmental protection and the for the benefit of the local community.
- To date it has carried out its work through community meetings, river clean-up days, educational events, citizen science work along the river, Heritage Week events, planning meetings, meetings with local politicians, state agencies and public bodies. It has planted in excess of 1,600 native Irish tree and removed significant areas of alien invasive cherry laurel. It has also undertaken significant river enhancement works which will continue in 2025.
- It will continue to work to advance awareness of the Ballymacraven River, via educational outreach work with local schools, the wider community, local landowners, and public bodies. It will work the restore the Ballymacraven River, and work to increase our understanding of the role and function of rivers, river corridors and river catchments, including their biodiversity, economic or social value as part of wider river catchment management.
Background to the Restore Ballymacraven River Association
In May 2023, a fish kill occurred on the Ballymacraven River in North County Clare. The fish kill was over a river stretch of 2.6km, downstream from the Uisce Eireann (Irish Water) Ballymacraven Water Treatment Plant, on the Kilfenora Road, outside of Ennistymon.
The fish kill continued downstream to the confluence of the Ballymacraven and Inagh River Estuary, below the Falls Hotel, in Ennistymon. This event, which killed well over 2,000 fish, including Atlantic salmon, brown trout and eels of all age-classes, led to the establishment of the Restore Ballymacraven River Association (RBRA) to coordinate the local community response to the fish kill. The RBRA works on a catchment basis, namely the area of land within the wider Lickeen Lake – Ballymacraven River System.
The initial focus area is the Lower Ballymacraven River. The RBRA offers a platform to help those in the wider community to engage with, and understand what is happening in the rivers and streams of the catchment. It also offers an association of like minded volunteers to work collaboratively to restore, protect and enhance local water quality and undertake river restoration work to address concerns related to the fish kill and wider issues in the catchment. It offers an opportunity for locals to come together, discuss issues, share ideas, and work collaboratively with other relevant bodies.
What is the purpose of setting up the Ennistymon Rivers Festival?
The purpose of setting-up the Ennistymon Rivers Festival is to celebrate community resilience and the resilience of a local river threatened by pollution and a major fish kill. The Ennistymon Rivers Festival will allow local residents, families, volunteers, community groups, angling clubs and many others to come together to discuss issues, share ideas, and work collaboratively with relevant stakeholders on water catchment issues.
