Nearly 5,000 back campaign to remove Limerick weir

An environmental scientist has started the petition to remove the Annacotty weir on the River Mulkear to allow lampreys freely travel on the waterway

Dr William O'Connor started a petition to remove the Annacotty Weir on the River Mulkear, so  lampreys can freely travel the river. Picture. Brian Arthur

A petition calling for a weir to be removed from a Limerick river has reached nearly 5,000 signatures in under a week.

Dr William O’Connor, an environmental scientist, started the petition to remove the Annacotty Weir on the River Mulkear, so  lampreys can freely travel the river. 

Dr O’Connor said it was causing a major “fish passage” problem for river lampreys and sea lampreys, as well as impacting the journeys made by the Atlantic salmon and the endangered European eel. 

“I want the Office of Public Works, Inland Fisheries Ireland and Limerick City and County Council to engage with both myself and other interested and committed people who want to remove this fish migration barrier,” Dr O’Connor said. 

He has offered his services as a professional ecologist for free and also said that if it can not be removed, he would like to see the weir lowered, with a rock ramp fish pass installed.

A spokesperson for Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) said they had flagged the Annacotty Weir as a priority weir. 

“IFI staff have recently assessed the site with a view to commencing preliminary work associated with planning. The project including the planning process will be a multi-year project to ultimately address the fish passage issue at the weir and will require funding identification and public support,” the spokesperson said.

“Previous work was carried out on the weir as part of the Mulkear Life Project to improve fish passage with the addition of mats on the weir primarily to facilitate lamprey. However, these have been partially damaged. Along with these works, the Ballyclogh Weir, which is upstream of the Annacotty Weir, was removed as part of the Mulkear Life Project,” they added.

Dr O’Connor said the weir was causing a major 'fish passage' problem for river lampreys and sea lampreys, as well as impacting the journeys made by the Atlantic salmon and the endangered European eel.

Dr O’Connor said the river affected is part of the Lower River Shannon Special Area of Conservation. 

“The weir has no purpose. It is an ornamental weir that was installed as part of an Office of Public Works flood scheme. If we can't address this, how are we going to address the larger barriers,” Dr O’Connor said.

The OPW has said there is no evidence that it is ornamental and suggests it can be assumed that the weir was constructed as part of the mill complex, built in the area. 

It also said it had worked with IFI to assist them in improving sea lamprey access into the Mulkear catchment as a whole, such as breaching of the Ballyclough weir further upstream.

Limerick City and County Council has offered to work closely with other agencies in any way it can to help improve fish passage through the weir.

“The OPW has indicated a willingness to again assist IFI in improving access at Annacotty Weir, although it will be a more complex project than at Ballyclough due to heritage, potential flood risk given the proximity to the public road bridge, multiple private owners for the weir itself and planning consent,” the OPW spokesperson added. 

A spokesperson for Limerick City and County Council said the stretch of the river where the weir is located is not under its jurisdiction. 

However, it has offered to work closely with other agencies in any way it can to help improve fish passage through the weir.