Housing and industry development on Beara Peninsula stalled due to mussel 

EU-protected freshwater pearl mussel in river preventing sourcing of further public drinking water in Castletownbere area, councillors told

A cap on the extraction of water from Glenbeg Lake — which supplies Casteletownbere, Eyeries and Ardgroom — means the public supply cannot be enhanced. Picture: Dan Linehan

The development of more houses and industry on Cork’s Beara Peninsula is being stalled because no further public drinking water can be extracted from a "primary source" lake due to the presence of the EU-protected freshwater pearl mussel in its feeder river.

Just days after it was revealed little can be done by the county council to prevent flooding of a main road in Dunmanway because of the need to protect the endangered creature in nearby rivers, a similar and even bigger issue has developed on the West Cork peninsula.

A cap on the extraction of water from Glenbeg Lake — which supplies Casteletownbere, Eyeries and Ardgroom — means the public supply cannot be enhanced and the county council has said as a result it cannot grant planning permission for any further houses and industries which cannot tap their own wells.

The lake is fed by the Owenagappul River, one of five rivers nationally which has been prioritised for freshwater pearl mussel conservation.

The National Parks & Wildlife Service has put the cap on extraction from the lake amid concerns it will impact the feeder river and have adverse impacts on its freshwater pearl mussel population.

The issue was raised at a council meeting by Fianna Fáil councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy, who said something needed to be done urgently to address the issue.

He was supported by Fianna Fáil councillors Joe Carroll and Deirdre Kelly and Fine Gael’s Caroline Cronin.

The EU-protected freshwater pearl mussel.

Council director of planning services Padraig Barrett said excess abstraction of water from the lake may be altering the hydrological conditions both there and in the feeder river to an extent where it was negatively impacting on freshwater habitats, and particularly the freshwater pearl mussel.

He said a new drinking water source was required for Castletownbere, but in the absence of this, further development would not be permitted where it required a connection to the public water supply as it would result in an increase in the volume of water required to be abstracted from Glenbeg Lake.

Mr Barrett said Uisce Éireann, which has ultimate responsibility to deal with the matter, had identified the Beara drinking water supply was not sustainable and needs to be replaced.

He said the utility had suggested a long-term solution to the problem could be the amalgamation of a number of water supplies in regions being fed from Barley Lake, near Glengarriff.

However, Mr Barrett added the water utility said a short-term solution could also involve “the tankering of water to Castletownbere". 

Mr Murphy said he was aware of companies which want to locate in the area, or expand operations there, have had their planning applications refused because of the water supply issue.

He said he was concerned some may decide to relocate elsewhere if it was not resolved soon and others which might be interested in setting up in the region would not do so because of the situation, thereby losing much-needed jobs in the region.

In addition, he said vital house building was also being put on hold, which is ridiculous at a time when there is a major housing crisis in the country.

He said the council, Úisce Eireann and NPWS need to collaborate on a comprehensive assessment to establish once and for all the supposed impact on the freshwater pearl mussel and then take steps to address the issue.