‘Freshwater pearl mussels are a keystone species in our rivers’
Ecologist Pascal Sweeney holding a pearl mussel from the River Tay in Waterford which is over 100 years old. Picture: Don MacMonagle.
Co Kerry is one of the most prominent areas in the country for freshwater pearl mussels which believe it or not are a crucial indicator of water quality in the country’s rivers and lakes.
The Cara and the Blackwater River boast large populations of mussels and there are three other Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) populations throughout the county.
