Rivers to be nurtured back to 'pristine water quality' status under €20m plan

Awbeg river at Marybrook Bridge, Castlemagner. Picture: Catherine Seale Duggan, LAWPRO

Two Cork river catchments are among six across the country primed to be nurtured back to "pristine water quality" — considered unpolluted and biodiversity rich — as part of a €20m project.

The Shournagh around Tower and Blarney and the Awbeg around Kanturk will join the likes of Lough Graney in Clare and the Sheen in Kerry, after a months-long probe into how they can be brought back to "best of the best" status.