Kildare Co Council using weed-cutting boat on the River Barrow
Two views of the Barrow, before and after the weed cutting was carried out
KILDARE County Council has successfully de-weeded a sizeable section of the River Barrow outside of Monasterevin, despite the environmental constraints that its special designation affords.
In a query to the county council, cllr Kevin Duffy had urged that ‘that the council prioritises the dredging of the River Barrow Special Area of Conservation (SAC) between the Monasterevin Town Bridge to the Passlands Bridge as part of the 2025 programme, given the significant in-river overgrowth that is impeding the navigation of the river’.
However, it looks like the council is ahead of the curve on this one, as the formal answer to his query attested.
‘Drainage maintenance works carried by the council include silt and vegetation management, aquatic vegetation cutting, bank protection, tree cutting, branch trimming, bridge and structural repairs, in specific drainage districts across the county,’ replied Edele O’Brien, senior executive engineer, flood risk management.
‘In-stream works with machinery are limited to the months of July, August and September,’ she confirmed.
‘Due to the width and depth of the River Barrow, its designation as an SAC, and limited access to the riparian zone (the riverside), standard machine maintenance has not been possible in some sections,’ she warned. ‘To resolve this, the council are piloting the use of a weed-cutting boat on the Barrow this year, similar to boats that are used by Waterways Ireland.
‘Weed cutting, when carried out over a number of years, may reduce the likelihood of vegetation regrowth. The boat is currently working close to Dunrally bridge and was scheduled to move to Monasterevin in mid-September,’ she concluded.
“This is a very welcome report and update, and will clear the river in the medium term,” said cllr Duffy. “If this works, it will be a very positive improvement.”
