The Minister for Agriculture Mr Martin Heydon has agreed to reconvene the National Fodder and Food Security Committee amid mounting concern about the impact of prolonged dry weather on fodder supplies.
The decision followed a meeting in Celbridge, Co Kildare, with Teagasc and representatives from leading farm organisations, including the Irish Farmers’ Association, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association and Macra.
Farm representatives warned that drought conditions have severely affected grass growth, forcing some farmers to use fodder originally reserved for winter. Farms in parts of Carlow, Laois and Kilkenny are understood to be among those experiencing significant pressure. The committee will assess the national and regional fodder situation and consider what measures may be needed. A Teagasc fodder survey is also expected to provide a clearer picture of stocks across the country.
Minister Heydon acknowledged that the conditions are increasing costs and causing stress for affected farmers. He encouraged anyone experiencing cash-flow difficulties to engage with their banks, merchants and co-operatives.
“The Government is committed to supporting the sector in what has been a difficult year,” he said. “The call from farm organisations for additional supports will be considered when the full picture is available and in the context of Budget 2027.” Requests from farm organisations for greater flexibility across a range of agricultural measures will also remain under review.
IFA president Mr Francie Gorman welcomed the reconvening of the committee, but said farmers now need firm proposals and practical action to address the worsening situation.
The prolonged dry spell has also affected parts of continental Europe, potentially limiting Ireland’s ability to source additional fodder from other EU countries if domestic shortages deepen.
Approximately 150 fish, mostly brown trout, have died in a stretch of the River Suir in the Templemore area.
The incident is understood to have been discovered around August 10th, 2026 during the week ending August 12th, 2026, reportedly by a staff member of the River Basin Management Service, latter the organisation formerly known as the Local Authority Waters Programme, or LAWPRO. The change of name is confirmed HERE.
At the time of writing, no official report establishing the cause of the deaths has been published. However, an initial examination reportedly suggested that the fish may have died from oxygen depletion, same associated with extensive aquatic vegetation and restricted flow. Dense reed growth is clearly visible along sections of the upper Suir, including from Barry’s Bridge in the heart of Thurles town centre. Nevertheless, visible vegetation does not prove what killed the fish.
The public requires evidence; dissolved-oxygen records, water and fish sample results, the extent of the affected stretch and an assessment of any pollution, temperature, flow or habitat factors.
Could dense vegetation deplete oxygen? It is scientifically plausible that excessive aquatic growth could contribute to dangerously low dissolved-oxygen levels. Plants, algae and microorganisms respire continuously, consuming oxygen. During daylight, photosynthesis can replace or exceed that consumption. At night, photosynthesis stops while respiration continues, causing dissolved oxygen to fall. Surveys undertaken confirms that plant, microbial and algal respiration reduces dissolved oxygen at night, while daylight photosynthesis increases it.
The risk is greatest where vegetation is abundant and the water is warm, shallow, slow-moving or stagnant. Dense growth can restrict mixing, while bacteria and fungi decomposing dead plant material consume additional oxygen, as observed when Thurles Municipal District undertook the strimming of rushes last year, leaving same in the water to rot. Warm water also holds less dissolved oxygen.
We can confirm that the above public meeting will take place, as stated above. Perhaps Minister of StateMr Kevin Moran, Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry, together withCouncillor Mr Micheál Lowry should receive invitations.
The US Environmental Protection Agency identifies excessive plant growth, nighttime respiration, decomposition, high temperatures and reduced flow as possible contributors to oxygen depletion. Emergent reeds can transport atmospheric oxygen through their stems, so their direct withdrawal of oxygen from the water may be less significant than that of submerged vegetation or algae. A dense reed bed may still create locally oxygen-poor conditions by slowing the flow and trapping decomposing organic material.
A healthy, fast-flowing river is continually re-aerated by turbulence. If oxygen depletion caused this fish kill, the investigation must determine what combination of vegetation, nutrient enrichment, low flow, temperature and decomposition produced it.
Testing must occur at the correct timeand a single daytime oxygen reading would be inadequate. Dissolved oxygen generally reaches its lowest level shortly before sunrise, following a night of respiration without photosynthesis. Monitoring should therefore be continuous or conducted immediately before dawn. Measurements should be taken inside dense vegetation, in nearby open water and both upstream and downstream. Temperature, flow, pH, weather conditions and readings close to the sediment should also be recorded.
Salmonids, including brown trout, are particularly sensitive to low oxygen. The investigation must establish whether oxygen depletion caused this incident rather than merely presenting it as a possibility.
Thirteen years of warnings As stated in a recent post on Thurles.Info, the deterioration of the River Suir cannot credibly be described as sudden or unforeseeable. For more than a decade, residents, anglers and environmental campaigners have raised concerns about pollution, excessive vegetation, restricted flow, sediment, litter and neglect. These concerns were documented in “River Suir Crisis—Thirteen Years of Warnings, But Still No Coordinated Action”.
Section ofUpper River Suir, viewed from Thurles Park in the heart of Thurles town centre, last week. Picture: G. Willoughby
13 years to late; the Minister of State Mr Kevin “Boxer” Moran recently visited sections of the Suir in Thurles and Holycross following representations from Independent TD Michael Lowry. It was stated that the Office of Public Works would support an application by Tipperary County Council under the enhanced Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme. Support for an application is welcome, but it is not a restoration programme. The public has not been shown the precise work proposed, the scientific evidence supporting it, the environmental assessments required, the anticipated cost and timetable or the body responsible for delivery and monitoring.
Political videos, visits and announcements cannot substitute for accountable work. Councillor Micheál Lowry, Deputy Michael Lowry and every other representative addressing the issue must be judged by measurable results. The same standard must apply to Tipperary County Council.
Reeds may be a symptom-not the underlying cause. The problem cannot be reduced to reeds, bulrushes or appearance. Previous catchment assessments have identified excess phosphorus from sources including wastewater, animal waste and fertilisers as a significant pressure. Nutrient enrichment can encourage excessive plant growth, while respiration and decomposition may subsequently reduce oxygen.
Low summer flows, high temperatures, pollution, sediment, obstructions and vegetation may interact. Removing reeds without identifying why they proliferated risks treating a symptom, while leaving the underlying causes untouched. Clearance without ecological assessment could also damage habitat or transfer problems downstream.
Any intervention must therefore be based on catchment science and agreed with the relevant environmental and fisheries authorities.
Too many agencies and too little accountability
Responsibility is divided among Tipperary County Council, the River Basin Management Service, Inland Fisheries Ireland, the EPA, the OPW, Uisce Éireann, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Landowners and Angling organisations. That complexity cannot provide cover for delay or buck-passing.
The public should now be told:
which organisation is leading the investigation;
when and where the fish were discovered;
how many fish and species were affected;
when oxygen, temperature and flow were measured;
what samples were collected;
whether pollution sources were investigated;
when laboratory results will be available;
and which agency will publish the findings.
Community initiatives, including proposals to remove bulrushes or establish a River Suir trust, may make a valuable contribution. However, volunteers and anglers cannot be expected to replace statutory responsibility.
Publish the findings This fish kill must mark a turning point. The responsible agencies should provide a published scientific assessment, laboratory and monitoring results, continuous oxygen and temperature monitoring at vulnerable locations, investigation of pollution and nutrient sources, an environmentally assessed vegetation-management programme and a costed river restoration plan.
Responsibilities, deadlines and progress reports must be made public. The cause of this fish kill should not be prejudged; but uncertainty cannot become an excuse for inaction. After thirteen years of warnings, the questions are who will take responsibility, what the evidence shows and how quickly a credible recovery programme will begin.
“Look up at the stars, not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and be curious.” Quote: late Stephen Hawking [1942 – 2018]. “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” Late Irish author Oscar Wilde, [1854 – 1900], (Lady Windermere’s Fan).
Residents across Tipperary are being encouraged to look skyward this evening as Ireland prepares for one of its most memorable astronomical displays in decades.
A deep partial solar eclipse will unfold between approximately 6.10pm and 8.10pm, reaching its maximum shortly after 7pm. Exact timings and the amount of the Sun covered will vary slightly from place to place as the Moon’s shadow travels across the country.
Although Ireland lies outside the path of totality, the spectacle will still be dramatic. The Moon is expected to hide well over 90 per cent of the Sun from Irish observers. Only a thin, bright crescent will remain visible at the height of the event, producing an unusual change in daylight and possibly a noticeable dip in temperature.
The eclipse is especially important because Ireland will not experience another comparable solar event until 2090. It offers families, schools and amateur astronomers a rare opportunity to witness the movements of the Sun, Moon and Earth directly.
People in Tipperary should choose a viewing location with a clear outlook facing towards the western sky. Open countryside and elevated areas may provide better prospects, provided they can be reached safely. Clouds are forecast in parts of the Premier County, but even brief breaks could reveal the shrinking solar crescent.
Eye protection is essential throughout the eclipse. Looking directly at the Sun, even when most of it is hidden, can cause permanent damage to eyesight. Ordinary sunglasses, smoked glass and homemade filters are not safe. Observers should use undamaged eclipse glasses meeting the ISO 12312-2 safety standard or watch indirectly with a pinhole projector. Cameras, binoculars and telescopes require purpose-made solar filters attached securely to the front. Eclipse glasses alone do not make magnifying equipment safe.
Ireland will see a partial eclipse because the narrow path in which the Sun is completely concealed passes through areas including Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. Nevertheless, the Royal Observatory Greenwich says roughly 90 to 96 per cent of the Sun will be covered across Ireland and the UK, making this the deepest partial eclipse seen from these islands in almost 27 years. Royal Observatory Greenwich
The entertainment will not end at sunset. During the night of August 12th into the morning of August 13th, the annual Perseid meteor shower will reach its peak. The Perseids occur when Earth passes through debris left behind by Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Tiny particles strike the atmosphere at tremendous speed, heat up and produce the bright streaks commonly called shooting stars. Under ideal dark-sky conditions, observers may see dozens of meteors in an hour, although actual numbers can vary.
Conditions are unusually favourable in 2026 because the shower coincides with a new Moon. Thus, with virtually no strong moonlight washing out the fainter meteors, cloud cover and artificial lighting will only be the main obstacles. The strongest viewing window is expected between midnight and dawn.
No telescope is needed for the Perseids. Viewers should find a safe, dark location away from street lights; allow at least 20 minutes for their eyes to adjust and watch as much of the sky as possible. A reclining chair and patience will make the experience more comfortable.
If Tipperary’s clouds cooperate, residents could witness two remarkable spectacles within a matter of hours; an almost vanished Sun in the evening and a stream of meteors after midnight.
On August 2nd, 2026, Thurles.Info highlighted the growing litter problem caused by drinks containers being discarded on streets, roadsides and in public spaces around Thurles and other Irish towns.
Among the containers increasingly being found are round aluminium BuzzBallz cocktail cans and miniature plastic bottles used for spirits and cocktail mixes. Many of these containers cannot be returned through Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme.
The scheme generally covers PET plastic drinks bottles and aluminium or steel drinks cans with a capacity of between 150ml and three litres. However, containers must also display the Re-turn logo and carry a barcode registered with the Irish scheme. To be accepted, they must be empty, undamaged and retain their original shape. Consequently, an imported or unregistered container may be rejected by a Reverse Vending Machine, even when it is made from aluminium or PET plastic and falls within the specified volume range. Miniature glass bottles and containers made from plastics other than PET remain outside the scheme.
Government Minister’s office contacted Following publication of that report, we contacted Minister of State Mr Alan Dillon, who has responsibility for the Circular Economy at the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.
We received the following standard automated acknowledgement: “Thank you for your email to Minister of State Alan Dillon’s Office. Your correspondence will be brought to the attention of the Minister and relevant officials in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment. Please be advised that if the issue raised in your correspondence is more appropriate to another Government Department or Agency, your correspondence will be forwarded to that organisation for direct response, in accordance with the provisions of the Department’s Data Protection Policy.”
This acknowledgement merely confirms receipt of our correspondence. It provides no substantive response to the litter problem raised and offers no indication as to what action, if any, may be taken.
“100% recyclable” is not the same as being eligible for a deposit refund. Result littering.
Bottled water without the Re-turn logo We have again contacted Minister Dillon’s office after observing Irish retailers selling multipacks of bottled water whose packaging states that the bottles are “100% recyclable”, but which do not appear to display the official Re-turn logo.
“100% recyclable” is not the same as being eligible for a deposit refund Under the published scheme rules, in-scope containers must display the Re-turn logo and carry a barcode registered with the scheme. Re-turn states that all in-scope drinks containers placed on the Irish market must meet these labelling requirements.
The water shown in our accompanying photograph above is sold in 500ml plastic bottles; a size that would normally fall within the scope of the Deposit Return Scheme if the bottles are made from PET plastic and properly registered. Their apparent lack of a Re-turn logo therefore raises questions as to why such products are being offered for sale and whether Irish consumers can return them for a deposit refund.
Without a financial incentive to return these bottles, more of them are ending up discarded along roadsides, on streets and in other public places, adding to an already serious litter nuisance.
Consumers who see a recycling symbol may understandably believe that a bottle can be placed in a Reverse Vending Machine. If the machine then rejects it because its barcode is not registered or because it lacks the required Re-turn marking, the system becomes confusing and public confidence is weakened.
We now respectfully ask Minister Dillon and his Department to clarify:
Why drinks containers that appear to fall within the scheme’s material and volume requirements are still being offered for sale without the Re-turn logo? Whether retailers are permitted to sell such products in Ireland? Which authority is responsible for inspecting retailers and enforcing compliance/ What measures will be taken to include, or otherwise address, aluminium cocktail containers, miniature bottles and other drinks packaging currently falling outside the scheme? Whether the Deposit Return Scheme will be reviewed to prevent avoidable gaps that contribute to litter?
Ireland’s Deposit Return Scheme can reduce litter only when the containers most likely to be discarded are included and when consumers can easily identify what is returnable.
A recyclable container that cannot be returned is still a container that can become litter.
The deteriorating condition of the River Suir cannot be treated as a new discovery.
For years, residents, anglers and environmental campaigners have raised concerns about pollution, excessive vegetation, restricted flows and the general neglect of the river through Thurles and surrounding areas. Yet meaningful, coordinated action by elected representatives, Tipperary County Council and the responsible State agencies has been painfully slow. VIEW HERE and note date, November 7th 2013.
Note the dates of the following links published over the past 13 years
Recent statements and a carefully produced publicity videos may create the impression of decisive political intervention. But inspections, promises and political photo opportunities are not substitutes for an agreed restoration programme, clear accountability and work on the ground.
Ministerial Visit Raises More Questions Than It Does Answers. Minister of State Mr Kevin Moran recently visited sections of the Suir in Thurles and Holycross following representations from Independent TD Mr Michael Lowry. Not for the first time Deputy Lowry says the Office of Public Works will support an application from Tipperary County Council, under the enhanced Minor Flood Mitigation Works Scheme. The expanded scheme reportedly allows councils to seek 95% funding for eligible works costing up to €2 million.
Pictures of the River Suir bed not shown in “Team Lowry’s” promotional video. The litter remains almost six weeks after the Liberty Music Festival, with no proper clean-up and no bin near “Wino’s Corner” despite repeated requests to Tipperary County Council.
All such commitments is welcome, but it remains only a commitment to support an application. The public has not yet been given a detailed proposal identifying:- The exact works to be undertaken. The evidence that those works will improve the river. The environmental assessments required. The project’s anticipated cost and timetable. The agencies responsible for delivering and monitoring it.
After years of warnings, the people of Tipperary are entitled to something more substantial than another announcement.
Where Have Our Representatives and Council Officials Been? The present condition of the Suir did not develop overnight. Local representatives and council officials have had ample opportunity to inspect the river, consult anglers and environmental groups, engage the relevant agencies and develop a long-term plan. Instead, the response has too often appeared fragmented and reactive.
Councillor Micheál Lowry and his father, Deputy Michael Lowry TD, are now drawing attention to conditions that local campaigners say have been evident for more than a decade. Their intervention must therefore be judged by what it delivers, not by the number of statements, videos or the ministerial visits it generates.
Other pictures of the River Suir bed not shown in “Team Lowry’s” promotional video. The litter remains in the river, together with 6 Supermarket trollies, almost six weeks after the Liberty Music Festival, with no proper clean-up and no bin near “Wino’s Corner” despite repeated requests to Tipperary County Council.
It should be noted:Thurles Town Park bye-laws were formally made by Tipperary County Council acting through the Templemore–Thurles Municipal District, and they came into operation on March 1st 2016. Available evidence indicates that those bye-laws then regulated alcohol consumption in the park, but this bye-law today remains totally ignored by all and sundry.
The same standard must be applied to Tipperary County Council. If the Council intends to seek OPW funding, it should publish its proposal and explain how any vegetation removal, blockage clearance or flood-related work will be reconciled with water quality, fisheries and habitat protection.
This Is More Than a Question of Appearance The problem cannot be reduced to reeds, bulrushes or an untidy riverbank. The Suir catchment covers approximately 3,500 square kilometres. Catchments.ie has previously identified excess phosphorus from sources including wastewater, animal waste and fertilisers as a major water-quality pressure. Excess nutrients can drive eutrophication, damaging aquatic habitats and reducing ecological quality. Catchments.ie’s Suir assessment also shows why pollution sources vary across the catchment and require targeted measures rather than a single cosmetic response.
Low summer flows, pollution, heavy plant growth, sediment and physical obstructions may interact, but they are not necessarily the same problem. Removing vegetation without identifying the underlying causes will not, by itself, restore the river. Any intervention must be scientifically informed and developed with the relevant environmental and fisheries authorities.
Too Many Agencies—and Too Little Accountability Responsibility for the Suir is spread across numerous organisations, including: Tipperary County Council. The River Basin Management Service, (formerly LAWPRO). The Environmental Protection Agency. Inland Fisheries Ireland. The Office of Public Works. Uisce Éireann. The National Parks and Wildlife Service. Local landowners, anglers and recreational organisations.
This above complicated structure cannot continue to provide cover for delay and buck-passing. The public needs to know which body is leading the response, what each agency is responsible for and when measurable improvements will be delivered. The failure to prominently involve or even acknowledge the River Basin Management Service in recent Lowry political presentations is particularly difficult to understand.
Community Initiatives Must Be Supported; but Properly Coordinated. The Cashel, Golden and Tipperary Anglers Association is reportedly considering seeking assistance to hire specialist equipment to remove bulrushes from parts of the riverbed. Separately, NoreVision is reported to be progressing proposals for River Suir and River Barrow trusts. Such trusts could help communities undertake practical restoration, education and awareness projects, provided they have appropriate scientific guidance, sustainable funding and constructive relationships with public agencies. Community organisations can make an enormous contribution, but volunteers should not be expected to compensate indefinitely for failures of statutory responsibility.
Public “Save Our Suir” Meeting in Cahir. A public information meeting is scheduled following a recent committee meeting of the Cashel, Golden and Tipperary Anglers Association. Date: Wednesday, August 26th, 2026. Time: 7:30pm. Venue: Cahir House Hotel. Tel.: 052 7443000. Admission: Open to all. Note: I could not independently locate an official online notice confirming the above event, thus intending attendees should check the organiser’s latest announcement before travelling.
The “Save Our Suir” proposed meeting offers residents, anglers, landowners, recreational users and environmental campaigners an opportunity to hear what is being proposed and to demand answers from those responsible.
The Suir Needs a Plan; NOT Another Vote Catching Publicity Exercise. The River Suir is an ecological, recreational and economic asset belonging to the entire community. Its future cannot be protected through disconnected funding announcements, short-term clearance projects or political sound-bites.
Those attending any Cahir meeting should demand: A published, science-based assessment of the river’s condition. Identification and investigation of pollution sources. A costed restoration and maintenance programme. A clear division of responsibility among the Council and State agencies. Meaningful consultation with anglers, environmental specialists, landowners and residents. Public reporting against firm delivery dates.
After years of warnings, elected representatives and council officials must be held accountable for the absence of effective action. The question is no longer whether the River Suir is under pressure. The question is who will take responsibility and how soon tangible work will begin.
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