Oonagh Duggan

Taking the plunge on Bluesky but not leaving here yet. Give me a follow so we can stay in touch. 🦋

The dying of Lough Neagh. theguardian.com/environment/20…

@BrianCrunchie @MarkLTighe I dont know if that's a condition but it will never replace a 200-300 yr old hedgerow as Im sure you're aware.

@MarkLTighe @NatureNymph THEY SHOULD BE MADE TO RE-PLANT THE WHOLE HEDGEROW AGAIN

In Clonmel today where Coolmore has been the first company convicted under environmental laws protecting hedgerows for "serious" and "egregious" environmental damage

Substantial fine but not max of €250k which shd have been imposed for flagrant breach of law & destruction of hedgerows. Coolmore statement that they werent aware of EIA regs doesnt hold water.Every beneficiary of CAP €€€ receives a booklet with regs. farmersjournal.ie/news/news/cool…

Life in Howth - we hear how fishermen from the west and south of Ireland converged on this coastal village from the 1950s and married into the neighbourhood on #RTENationwide this evening, Friday 13th March @RTEOne 7pm & RTE1+1 at 8pm @VisitHowth_ @downesr @DublinLive @rte RT

Another Irish vegetable grower biting the dust. Absolutely terrible news for food security but worse of course for those directly impacted in the business and jobs. rte.ie/news/regional/…

We also are in the Liberties in the Capital to hear the story of a remarkable centuries‑old pear tree that continues to thrive in the heart of the city on #RTENationwide Monday 9th March @RTEOne 7pm @3CounciI @DubCityCouncil @VisitDublin @NCAD_Dublin @rte #NationalTreeWeek RT

Dont understand this from @IFAmedia when a significant proportion of funds for Agri envt schemes comes from the carbon tax. Where's this money going to come from otherwise? agriland.ie/farming-news/m…

Where the Seabirds Go - A webinar on Tues March 10th at 19.30 on Ireland's seabirds and how BirdWatch Ireland and BirdLife International identified Ireland's 75 Important Bird Areas for Seabirds. Registration essential -> bit.ly/4l0ZoZ2

Arterial drainage maintenance works on the River Morningstar at Athlacca, Co. Limerick, this week. The works had already been completed when I visited the site; however, their impacts are likely to affect the river for months to come. I understand that these works were undertaken by the Office of Public Works (OPW) under the Arterial Drainage Act (1945). Significant areas of riparian woodland have been removed, and woodland was also cleared from islands within the river. There is evidence of substantial silt mobilisation and in-stream disturbance, including machines tracking instream during the salmonid close season. The riverbanks have been destabilised following the removal of vegetation. The silt fences used were limited in extent and non-standard in design and did not prevent fine sediment and wet silt from entering the channel from the cleared riparian areas. The scale and extent of the works appear more consistent with a flood relief scheme than routine arterial drainage maintenance. However, there is no publicly available evidence of planning permission having been obtained. The removal of woodland set back from the riverbank extends beyond what would be considered to be maintenance works. New access gates have also been installed for adjoining landowners. The clearance of riparian woodland follows similar works I previously highlighted on the nearby River Maigue at Bruree. The River Morningstar is an important salmonid nursery and spawning tributary of the River Maigue. The lower reaches of the River Maigue form part of the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and the River Shannon and River Fergus Estuaries Special Protection Area (SPA). When the Maigue Rivers Trust was established a decade ago, there were hopes that management of this long-suffering catchment would improve. However, water quality has continued to decline. During the most recent EPA monitoring cycle, completed in 2023, unsatisfactory ecological conditions were recorded at all monitored stations on the River Maigue. Siltation and nutrient enrichment were recorded at every station on the River Morningstar during this survey. The principal pressures on water quality in the catchment are agricultural activities and urban wastewater discharges. However, hydromorphological pressures are also significant, and arterial drainage works have been identified by the EPA as a major source of sediment input in the catchment. Fish stocks have also continued to decline and are affected by water quality deterioration, arterial drainage works, and numerous migration barriers. There are 12 ornamental concrete weirs, similar to Annacotty Weir, in the lower reaches of the River Maigue alone. White-clawed Crayfish have disappeared from the catchment due to crayfish plague. If we are serious about restoring rivers in Co. Limerick, we will have to address the cumulative pressures affecting catchments like the River Maigue. Improving water quality requires meaningful reductions in nutrient and sediment inputs, the protection and restoration of riparian areas, and a shift towards river management approaches that prioritise natural flood management measures. Most importantly, we need to urgently reform the Arterial Drainage Act.

We’re in Co Antrim on the Garron Plateau, the largest intact blanket bog in Northern Ireland & thanks to work by RSPB NI & local farmers restoring the bog, the Curlew has returned to this remarkable habitat on #RTENationwide Wednesday 25th February @RTEOne 7pm @BirdWatchIE RT

"Nature is not just a nice-to-have. Yes, it does help me every day to keep up my energy for this fight. But more than that, nature is essential for our economy and security. We need nature for life" #HandsOffNature Sign the petition birdwatchireland.ie/our-work/advoc… birdwatchireland.ie/hands-off-natu…

Concerns for health of Wicklow swans after excavation works disturb key resting area independent.ie/regionals/wick…

@FineGael Cant find any info on your website about this as stated in the clip. Could you provide a link please? Tks

Fine Gael is launching a new scheme to help businesses build large-scale flour mills right here in Ireland.

Seagrass beds found by divers in #Kinsale Harbour reported in THE #ECHO Cork today.

This week, I briefed TDs and Senators in Leinster House, along with the @SEAI_ie , on the new, more accessible retrofit grants. With the new retrofitting passport, families can upgrade step by step, making homes warmer, healthier and more affordable 🏡⚡️

An excellent fact-based analysis by Caroline O'Doherty: Why are flood defences taking so long to build? Don’t blame the pearl mussel irishtimes.com/environment/20…

From a couple of weeks ago but this was really good on Late Debate about flooding rte.ie/radio/radio1/c…

Heard a recent RTE interview from Jack Chambers blaming judicial review for failures in flood relief projects Thought it sounded iffy, so good to see it was fact checked Just 3 projects, out of approx 150, were subject to judicial review

Courting capercaillies up 50% on Cairngorms reserve bbc.in/467yY1E