Cairde an Chláir is a voluntary, non profit making organisation whose primary objectives are; the enhancement of damaged nursery stream habitat for the reproduction of wild brown and salmon, and the conservation and protection of these fish within the Clare river catchment.
All members, including officers perform tasks for Cairde an Chláir on a voluntary basis, no one receives a payment for their time or the service provided and it never ceases to amaze how members will willingly give their time to help when the call goes out for assistance.
An opportunity came up recently when I received a call from a local conservation group, the East Corrib Alliance, a conservation group which is doing some great work within the Corrib catchment, stating that they had a surplus of bare root native trees for planting. The message was, these trees were surplus to requirement and available if we could use them but they needed planting straight away.
Newly weds Gabrielle and Michael O’ Holleran walking back from a job well done. Recently married in January, this young couple gave up a Saturday morning of their weekend to do some conservation work.
Although our tree planting plan, planting 1500 native bare root sapling trees wasn’t scheduled until Oct/Nov of this year, 2025, I put the word out to members that a small work party was urgently required to do some conservation work. Even though the time was tight and the request was given with short notice, members responded positively and we put a small work party together for the following weekend. The Kilgevrin site, a site which was part of our 2024 tranche of development work was selected for planting.
Seven members; Bernard Conroy (Milltown), Jano Knazco (Milltown), Gabriella O’ Holleran (Cregmore/Athenry), Michael O’ Holleran (Cregmore/Athenry), Brendan Lally (Cregmore/Athenry), Richard Jordan (Tuam), Dennis Moss (Tuam) gave up their Saturday morning to plant approximately 200 sapling native trees.
These 200 trees planted within the zone between fencing and stream edge will create a natural buffer zone. This will help to maintain or improve water quality by slowing down runoff and buffering nutrient deposits to the water course. Additionally the trees planted to a plan provided by Inland Fisheries Ireland, will help to improve biodiversity of the riverine corridor and provide shade and shelter for fish. These positives will hopefully be attained, because of the quick response of a few members of Cairde an Chláir who willingly volunteered to give their time at short notice. Many thanks to those members who gave their time and turned out to help with what was an unplanned opportunity.
This was an opportunity created when two groups, the East Corrib Alliance and Cairde an Chláir, groups involved in similar work to create a better environment and better habitat for the recruitment of wild brown trout and salmon in the greater Corrib catchment came together to work toward a common goal. Cairde an Chláir thank the East Corrib Alliance for their thoughtful gesture.
Many thanks to local farmers; Tommie Ronan, Maura Devane, Martin Nicholson and Thomas Keane for allowing access to their land and for agreeing to the habitat enhancement which has taken place. Without the permission to access their lands and the kind support from caring farmers who understand the importance of the conservation work which we undertake, these habitat enhancements could never come to fruition. We would also like to thank Martin Nicholson for allowing members to use his property for parking. Such generosity is much appreciated.
Our thanks also goes to Inland Fisheries Ireland for providing the plans for the planting of the Kilgevrin development and allowing Cairde an Chláir to progress with the planting scheme. Without the huge input from IFI of manpower and resources, these vital projects could never take place.
We now have insurance in place to cover up to 20 members plus officers for work parties. With IFI approval, Cairde an Chláir will undertake to assist with the planned planting of native trees for all nursery stream developments in the future.
This gesture from a voluntary, non profit making conservation group, an organisation which is dependent on angler contributions from member clubs is a gesture which has been gratefully received by IFI as an acknowledgement from anglers, of the good conservation work that the agency for the protection and conservation of fish in Ireland are now doing on our headwater nursery streams within the Clare river catchment for the recruitment of wild brown trout and salmon.
IFI welcome this contribution from anglers and they are delighted to witness anglers financially paying a contribution to the good work that is now being achieved, stakeholders working with government agencies and funding groups to achieve a common objective, a better environment, better fisheries and better water quality.
Thanks also to Corrib Beo who originally organised the provision of the sapling trees through a support scheme run by Boston Scientific. Corrib Beo head the Corrib Catchment Partnership of which Cairde an Chláir is a member group. Our thanks also goes to Boston Scientific for their kind generosity in offering the support scheme to local groups.
Although this wasn’t part of the Cairde an Chláir schedule plan of work, all groups involved have assisted each other to the benefit of the environment, local community, water quality and our primary objective which is to improve habitat for the recruitment of wild fish.
200 sapling trees planted.
A huge message of thanks to all the volunteers who took part.
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