Two years after a major fish kill on the Ballymacraven river, the Ennistymon Rivers Festival – which will take place over the May Bank Holiday weekend – is celebrating community resilience.

The family-friendly three-day festival, running from May 4-6, brings together locals, volunteers, visitors, and environmental champions to celebrate the positive steps being taken to protect, restore, and enhance the rivers that make the Ennistymon area of north Clare so appealing.

The devastating fish kill on the Ballymacraven River in May 2023 saw well over 2,000 fish killed, including Atlantic salmon, brown trout, and eels of all age-classes, on a 2.6km stretch of the river,

While the fish kill served as a reminder of the fragility of our natural environment, it also sparked a collective response by the local community to protect and restore the river for future generations.

Two years on, the Ennistymon Rivers Festival offers an opportunity to celebrate the enormous amount of positive work that has been undertaken by local volunteers on the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers, reflecting the importance the local community places on nature.

Kevin Nunan, chair of the Restore Ballymacraven River Association, said that the Ennistymon Rivers Festival is a celebration of the progress made in bringing the community together to map out the work still to be done over the next number of years.

Nunan said: “We’re very proud of the commitment of the local community to restore the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers, and the work completed to date to protect local biodiversity and natural habitats within and along these local rivers. We are working to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The focus of the Ennistymon Rivers Festival is on engaging the entire family, with highlights including expert talks and workshops on many aspects of river restoration from salmon conservation to the vital role trees play in river bank conservation and learning about river ecosystems.

Also included in the weekend is a guided bat walk, guided kayaking tours, and a major river restoration workshop for community groups and angling clubs.

Those who attend will have the chance to learn how they can get involved in local conservation efforts and make a difference.

Ruairí Ó Conchúir, senior community water officer with the Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO), and local to the area, said that the Ennistymon Rivers Festival provided an excellent example of a local community group stepping up to the mark and providing local leadership in river restoration and water quality awareness work.

“The work of LAWPRO is fully supportive of community groups playing such an active role in the local communities,” he said.

The Restore Ballymacraven River Association invites everyone to join in celebrating the Ennistymon Rivers Festival. All events are free, but booking is required as numbers are limited for several events, including river kayaking.

The festival kicks off Friday afternoon, May 2 with a river restoration workshop for community groups and angling clubs. The official launch will take place that evening, followed by the keynote event: an illustrated talk on the current status of salmon in Ireland and future prospects by renowned international expert, Dr. Philip McGinnity, followed by a panel discussion.

The Rivers Festival promises to showcase the vital role a resilient local community can play in restoring, protecting, and enhancing its natural environment.

The event will ensure that the Inagh and Ballymacraven rivers, that flow through north Clare and Ennistymon, remain a symbol of hope, community tenacity and the resilience of nature.

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Ennistymon Rivers Festival marks progress post major fish kill