'Fight the Pipe': Irish water project kicks up a storm!

News from the Celtic League:

If there is one thing Ireland is noted for its rainfall the Atlantic westerlies make sure the country gets a good drenching. Consequently when it was suggested over a decade ago that water might need to be piped from the River Shannon in the West to supply Dublin City most people thought it was an elaborate hoax.

However the project is still live and indeed it seems that serious consideration is being given to piping water - using huge pipes the largest ever used in Ireland - from ArdnaCrusha on Lough Derg all the way to Dublin.

Many people along the pipes route and also those concerned at the environmental implications for the River Shannon are opposed to the plans.

Campaign groups like the ‘Shannon River Protection Alliance’, ‘Fight the Pipe’ and local farmers are articulating vocal opposition.

There is a detailed article with good video reports on the proposed project and the opposition in today's issue of the Irish Examiner (link):

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/views/analysis/special-report-communities-ready-to-fight-the-shannon-to-dublin-pipeline-842708.html

Bizarrely its estimated that half of any water piped across Ireland would eventually be lost through leaks in the urban water infrastructure of Dublin!

Image: Looking south towards the village of O'Brien's Bridge, Co Clare, with the River Shannon on the left and the Ardnacrusha canal on the right separated by Parteen Weir current proposed start point for ‘The Pipe’.

Bernard Moffatt

pp Celtic League

May 14th 2018