Press Release

Over the duration of the project, DuhallowLIFE has featured in many newspaper reports. Here is a link to download all those newspaper clippings. It's a big file (60MB) as we've been very active in disseminating information on the project

A key action of the Duhallow LIFE project is to put together a Conservation Plan for the upper portion of the River Blackwater Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and we are looking for input from the public and interested stakeholders to ensure that this plan is relevant, captures the main issues and most importantly provides a practical road map for the conservation of the SAC. Where possible we are looking for solutions rather than just rehashing problems that we all know exist.

The European otter is an iconic Irish animal species which was much more widespread in former times. This dark furry mammal is most usually found near watercourses, hence the common Irish name for it , an Madra U isce. People fortu nate enough to encounter ot ter, o f ten remark on its intrinsic beauty and playfulness; if the observer is patient enough female otters can sometimes be seen playing with their young as they teach them the essential skills necessary for survival in later life.

Over the last number of decades , the otter along with many other wild species went into decline across Europe . In an effort to conserve threatened wildlife species the European Union established a network of conservation sites known as Special Areas of Con servation. These sites are protected by law and the EU member states are obliged to pr otect the listed species on which each designation is based. T he Munster Blackwater River is listed as one of these site s of species