Water is life; water is heritage - a celebration at Cabragh Wetlands

placeholder image — Water is life; water is heritage - a celebration at Cabragh Wetlands

The event was a celebration of Water Heritage Day

Water Heritage Day occurred on Sunday August 22 and was marked in style in Co. Tipperary as part of National Heritage Week 2021.

Events offer a chance to celebrate the heritage and history of Co Tipperary’s magnificent rivers, lakes and wetlands. Water Heritage Day is special themed day, organised as a collaboration between the Local Authority Waters Programme and The Heritage Council.

Community Water Officers support local communities and groups throughout Ireland to organise events and projects that highlighted the importance of water for its recreational, cultural, environmental, health, and economic benefits.

Commenting on the importance of water as part of our heritage, Ruairí Ó Conchúir, Community Water Officer for Tipperary said:

"The heritage of Tipperary has been shaped by our magnificent rivers, lakes, and wetlands. Local communities really value places with good water quality and want to enhance them and ensure they can be enjoyed by locals and visitors alike.

“We all know the health benefits we get from spending time at a river, lake, or a wetland area. These local water bodies are part of our heritage, but they must also be part of our future. The Local Authority Waters Programme is committed to supporting local communities and ensuring issues affecting water quality can be addressed and resolved. Because we all benefit from having good quality water.”

This year, local heritage groups and organisers, families, communities, and individuals created well over 1,000 projects many of which are still free to explore the National Heritage Week site www.heritageweek.ie .

Many different in-person events took place in Co. Tipperary as part of Heritage Week with events in and were supported by the Local Authority Waters Programme. One of the major highlights in Co. Tipperary was an amazing event on Sunday last, in the Cabragh Wetlands Centre. The event saw up to 40 people gather for a walk and talk around the site of the Cabragh Wetlands outside of Thurles, which is on a tributary of the mighty River Suir.

The wonderful community event, organised by Michael Long and various volunteers in the Cabragh Wetlands Centre, included a talk and demonstration on the importance of water and wetlands by Ruairí Ó Conchúir from LAWPRO which focused on the role wetlands can play in supporting biodiversity and helping address climate change.

The event also included a guided walk of the newly acquired site with Mieke Muyllaert, a local ecologist who specialises in surveying, who gave a fantastic overview of flora and habitat on the site. The event concluded with onsite refreshments and a networking event. A great day was had by all.