From the foothills to the sea

By Dan Walsh at Castletown

One of the highlights of yesterday’s (Saturday) Castletown River & Nature Festival was the launch of a detailed local publication The Ahare River from Croghan to Castletown; Water, Wildlife, People and Place, which is destined to serve as a local encyclopedia of knowledge and awareness in the North Wexford community.

Cathy Lee, Chairperson Friends of the Ahare River and Biodiversity Group, writes; “There is much beauty, biodiversity, history and folklore associated with the Ahare River catchment and we hope to share some of this with you (the reader) in this publication.”

The foreword to the publication is penned by well-known broadcaster, author and proud Castletown resident, Joe Duffy. “My family has been coming to this beautiful part of Wexford for over 25 years. The people of this area are welcoming, friendly, and hospitable. The area itself is unique, rare, and very beautiful -it has to be treasured,” writes Joe Duffy in his opening remarks to a positive article.

Contributors include Dónal O’Keeffe, Catchment Scientist, Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO); Emer Russell, Principal, Scoil Ghormáin Naofa, Castletown, Gorey; Jeshua Taucher, Project Manager Seal Rescue Ireland; Faith Wilson, Ecologist; Ken Whelan, Fisheries Scientist, author and radio personality; Donnchadh Byrne, Senior Fisheries Environmental Officer; a contribution from the 1938 National Folklore Collection, reflections from the river bank from Andy Kelly, and a winning story from Ellen Dixon (aged 12) 6^th Class Scoil Naofa, Castletown, and much more.

As an introduction there is some important geography. “From the foothills in the west of the Catchment to the sea at Castletown, the streams from Rathpierce Hill and Croghan Mountain form the Inch and Clonogue River. Flowing through green and fertile countrywide, these rivers join together to form the Ahare, also known as the Kilgorman or Inch River. It then flows through the flood plain at Ahare before entering the Irish Sea at Kilgorman on Clone Beach in North County Wexford.”

The Ahare River from Croghan to Castletown; Water, Wildlife, People and Place, A4 size, 20 pages including cover, published by Streamscapes, Bantry, Co. Cork, available from any member of the Ahare River Biodiversity Group.