This presentation was given at the Catchment Management Network meeting on February 3rd 2017. The Catchment Management Network consists of the EPA, all of Ireland's Local Authorities, and other public bodies involved in looking after Ireland's catchments, sub-catchments and water bodies. For more information about this work see www.catchments.ie

1. HeadOffice
0761 065262
info@lawco.ie
Introduction to
Community Water Officers
Bernie O’Flaherty
Border Region
Ray Spain
Midlands Region
Fran Igoe
Southern RegionSupport Staff
Funding
Sheevaun Thompson
Marketing & Communication
Alan Walsh
IT, Administration& Research
Michael Pollard

2. Catherine Seale
Community Water Officer
Galway and South Roscommon
cseale@lawco.ie
085 8085533

3. Elected Reps
(Municipal
Districts)Sectoral
Groups
(Strategic
Policy
Committees)
Communities
(Public
Participation
Networks)
MD’s
SPC’s
PPN’s
Local
Engagement
Aoife McGrath
Community Water Officer
 085 8083682
amcgrath@lawco.ie
Covering the Local Authority Areas
of Kildare and Meath
LAWCO

4. Sinead Hurson
Community Water Officer
Dublinand Wicklow
shurson@lawco.ie
085 8083725
Dodder Network Summit
31st March – 2nd April
2017
Buildingcapacity within
groups along the River
Dodder.

5. Basil Mannion
Community Water Officer
Westmeath, Offaly & Laois
bmannion@lawco.ie
086 8599514
The rivers, lakes, wetlands, streams,
canals and groundwaters of
Westmeath, Offaly & Laois are some
of the County’s greatest natural
assets……………do we realise this???
My role is to provide technical
assistance and support for local
communities on water based
initiatives, projects & ideas…….lets
start talking about our local waters!!

6. Mick Kane
CWO for Mayo and
North Roscommon
Tel: 085 8083064 email: mkane@lawco.ie

7. Moy Catchment Association

8. Step 1 : All angling groups
invited to a meeting.

9. Initial plan by group was to to set up an Angling
Association

11. Use of Catchment images to start
conversation

13. Why look at the Catchment??
‘A family is a community related by blood; a business is a community
related by ink; and a catchment is a community related by water.’
(Streamscapes)

14. HOW DO WE FIND OUT ABOUT THE WATER
QUALITY IN OUR RIVER/LAKE ?

15. One National River Basin District.
46 catchments
595 sub-catchments
75,000km of river channel

19. What happened next
Define Aims and objectives of group
How we encourage other community
groups into the Catchment Association.
Developing working partnerships with LA,
IFI,IFA,EPA,IRISH WATER and all agencies
involved with the catchment.
Develop identity/ Design logo
Funding Streams
MCA Established

20. Some examples of funding sources
Amenity Grants

21. Network
MCA
State Agencies Communities Funding
Community
Water Officer

22. moycatchmentassociation.ie
Applied to LAWCO for direct
funding for Website Development

23. MCA Progress
• All Angling Groups in Catchment
involved
• Several Hotels, B&Bs are
members
• LAWCO support/ funding
• Working with PPN to develop
Catchment Network
• Working with Mayo LA Tourism
Strategy / Development Plans
• Preparing plans for future calls
LEADER (Water and Biodiversity
Theme)
• EIP Future calls
• INTEREG ideas
Developing
Partnerships
• LAWCO
• Inland Fisheries Ireland
• Teagasc
• NPWS
• IFA
• EPA
• Leader
• NTO
• Failte Ireland

24. Short Term Goals
Small Wins
• Develop Website
• Official Launch
• Family fun day
• Source funding streams
• Define programme of
work with relevant
agencies
• Develop links with
larger catchment area.
• Tunnelling training
• Citizen Science
• Series of presentations
(LA, Teagasc, Irish
Water, NPWS, Leader
etc)
• River clean up
underway with GMIT.

25. Developing Social Learning
Concept with MCA
MCA
Rivers Trusts
Established Catchment
Groups
NGOs
Communities
Youth
Organisations
Foroige/ Macra
na Feirme etc
Developing
Catchment
Groups
Third
Level
Schools
Programmes

28. Jimmy McVeigh
Community Water Officer
Donegal
jmcveigh@lawco.ie
085 8085603

29. Curlew
nesting
sites
Emy Lough water
source for Glaslough
and Tyholland GWS
Vision for Dundalk Bay catchment rivers
River Blackwater Catchment Trust LLS application
Gretta McCarron
Louth, Monaghan & East-Cavan
gmccarron@lawco.ie
085 8085756

30. Karen Kennedy
Community Water Officer
Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan
and Longford
kkennedy@lawco.ie
085 808 5495

31. Genoa River, Victoria, Australia
Bláithín Ní Ainín
Community Water
Officer
Kerry
bniainin@lawco.ie
085 8083716
1989 2009

32. Working with Local Communities, LEADER,
PPN’s, LCDC’s, Elected Members, SPC’s,
Municipal Districts, OPW, EPA, IFI, IFA,
Waterways Ireland
Our focus is on Community
Participation in managing our
natural water environment
Ann Phelan
Community Waters Officer
Ph: 085 8084067 aphelan@lawco.ie
Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and
Wexford

33. Kieran Murphy
Community Water Officer
Cork
kmurphy@lawco.ie
085 8083059

34. Examples of Projects:
1. Suir - River walk / development plan in Thurles
(Dunnes Stores & the Source)
2. Camogue - River walk & outdoor education
class / biodiversity signage in Borrisoleigh
3. Kilruane Wetlands area - walk, hide &
education class / biodiversity signage
4. Lough Derg - fishcounter / equipment
5. Suir - Suir Island biodiversity trail
Support for Local Communities (Jan/Feb 2017)
in Tipperary - 11 Water (€220,000) & 15
Biodiversity (€308,000) projects:
Examples of Training:
1. Angling training for rural youth
2. Catchment management & water quality
3. Invasive Species & Biodiversity
Ruairí Ó Conchúir
Community Water Officer
Clare, Limerick & N. Tipperary
085 808 3715 / 061 496310
roconchuir@lawco.ie

35. HeadOffice
0761 065262
info@lawco.ie
Introduction to
Community Water Officers
Bernie O’Flaherty
Border Region
Ray Spain
Midlands Region
Fran Igoe
Southern RegionSupport Staff
Funding
Sheevaun Thompson
Marketing & Communication
Alan Walsh
IT, Administration& Research
Michael Pollard