Learning about the life of a South Offaly river
Dr. John Feehan led a group of 20 enrapt students during his keenly anticipated, week-long Summer School in Birr at the beginning of the month.
These annual educational events have been going for several years and they are organized by the Offaly Heritage Officer, Amanda Pedlow.
The focus of the week this year was on the River Camcor: its geology; aspects of its industrial past (the river's flow was once channelled to drive mill wheels, as well as providing mountain water for the making of hearty local brews) and of course the flora and fauna within and along and above its banks.
John spoke of and showed the Camcor's areas of dramatic Winter floodings, and the engineering undertaken to try to control the effects of these inundations.
He pointed out that at various times over hundreds of years the course of the river has been changed by landowners or natural processes. The natural processes include the build-up of silts behind fallen trees and detritus.
More recent change has been caused by the water undermining the huge boulders, which was put in place by bulldozers, with the best of intentions, with the aim of shoring up the erosion of the banks. Some of this bulldozed work has created blockages, and thus little islands with their own ecosystems.
On highly enjoyable field trips, John pointed out nationally important sites of high banks where one could see the layers built up since the ice age.
In woodlands he showed important emanations of fungi, vital to the life and biodiversity of such places, and he affectionately patted a venerable and magnificent tree with its equally old ivy, pointing out the symbiotic relationship of the ivy and the tree.
There were trips to wade in the Camcor, with nets and buckets yielding all manner of little creatures, which when viewed under school microscopes revealed astonishing details, and elicited excitement.
On the whole, the variety and diversity at least informed us of a pretty healthy river - though it is to be sadly noted that the iconic Croneen is much depleted.
John Feehan is a remarkable polymath; a font of studied information; an author of many books and a renowned teacher, with both a practical and spiritual way of seeing the World and its wondrous life.