Local residents and visitors to the River Suir have this week been treated to the latest “upgrade” to the town’s riverside experience, with a section of substantial piping, (previously held up with binder twine and decades old iron brackets), having now visibly collapsed and is dangling into the flooded river.
Pic: George Willoughby.
What the pipe contains is not known. That uncertainty, however, only adds to the intrigue, because nothing says “welcome” to a riverside town like a large, unidentified piece of infrastructure lounging in the water, like it fe..in owns the place.
Residents say the visual impact has been obvious for some time, but the situation has now progressed from “unsightly” to “are we seriously just leaving that there?”
Come to think of it, didn’t I mention the problem only two years ago, back in January 2024, (See HERE), and then there was that time in February 2024, (See HERE).
The collapsed pipework has become an additional spectacle for people walking the riverside, a kind of accidental attraction, minus the safety signage, the explanation, or the reassurance.
“We’re sure a risk assessment is underway,” a spokesperson for ‘Concerned Suirside Observers’ said, “in the same way we’re sure the Lotto ticket in our pocket is probably a winner“.
In the meantime, the pipe has bravely taken matters into its own hands and made the move closer to the water.
Who’s meant to deal with this?
Without claiming what the pipe is (or who owns it), the public is entitled to expect that whichever agency is responsible for infrastructure beside and above a river will treat a visible collapse into the Suir as something more urgent than a minor aesthetic quibble.
In Ireland, Uisce Éireann is responsible for the public collection and treatment of wastewater, and states it has responsibility for cleaning and maintaining the public sewer network.
Separately, local authorities retain responsibilities across a limited number of water-service areas, including surface water drainage/flooding and water pollution.
Call for immediate action.
As Mikey Ryan said to me in the Arch Bar last night, “The only way you’ll get your own back in this town is to pee against the wind”.
Concerned Suirside Observers are calling for:
- An urgent site inspection and public clarification on what the pipe is (storm water, wastewater, utilities, etc.).
- Immediate stabilisation/removal of any collapsed or unsecured infrastructure in or over the river channel.
- A public-facing timeline for repairs and for restoring the riverside area to a basic standard that doesn’t make the town look like it’s given up.
If anyone suspects pollution.
Members of the public who suspect environmental pollution can contact the relevant authorities; the EPA’s guidance on environmental complaints includes contacting your local council, Uisce Éireann, and/or the EPA.
The EPA also provides out-of-hours incident contact details.
For fish kills or urgent water-quality concerns, the EPA notes that Inland Fisheries Ireland can be contacted via its 24-hour confidential hotline (TEL: 0818 34 74 24).
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