There has been a welcome reduction in nitrogen levels in rivers in 2024, says Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator for 2024, published by the EPA, shows that nitrogen levels in rivers have reduced in 2024.
Despite the reduction, nitrogen remains too high in the southeastern half of the country and further reductions will be needed to bring them to satisfactory levels.
Agriculture is the primary source of nitrogen in our waters. Significant actions are underway by the sector to reduce nitrogen losses.
Ongoing and sustained actions will be needed to reduce nutrient levels so that the ecological health of our waters can improve.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published early insights into nitrogen levels in rivers in 2024. The Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator 2024 has been developed to provide more timely information on nitrogen levels and is based on monitoring data at 20 major and representative rivers. Overall, the early insights indicator shows that nitrogen levels have improved in 2024. However, nitrogen remains too high in the southeastern half of the country. Agriculture is the primary source of nitrogen in these areas.
Commenting on the report, Dr Eimear Cotter, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment, said: “The EPA continually strives to produce timely information and evidence on Ireland’s environment. Specifically, this publication responds to a need for early insights into trends in nitrogen levels. Agriculture is the primary source of nitrogen in Irish rivers and there is significant action underway within the sector to improve water quality. It is therefore very welcome to see these early signs of improvement. It is important that the sector builds on this momentum and continues to implement actions to reduce nutrient losses in a targeted way.”
The EPA will publish its three-yearly assessment of water quality in Ireland, for the period 2019 – 2024, later in 2025. This future report will combine data on nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in waterbodies, with the biological quality monitoring data on fish, aquatic insects and plants, to give a comprehensive assessment of the ecological health of all waters.
Ms Jenny Deakin, EPA Programme Manager, added: “It is very positive to see this improvement in nitrogen levels in 2024, following a period of little positive change in recent years. However, nitrogen levels remain too high in the southeastern half of the country. Further actions will be necessary to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus losses to levels which will support good ecological health in our water bodies. The ecology will not improve until nutrient levels are reduced in the areas where they are elevated. The EPA will be reporting on the ecological health of our waters later in 2025.”
The Early Insights Nitrogen Indicator 2024 report is now available on the EPA website.
Further information on local water quality and targeting agricultural measures is available on the EPA website.
An large crowd once again put in an appearance at this years Thurles St Patrick’s Day parade, held yesterday afternoon, Monday March 17th. Despite the overcast sky and low temperatures, few locals were deterred from attending to view the event, as it passed through the town centre.
Amongst those in attendance were people from the Republic of the Philippines, Czech Republic, Ukraine, England, Brazil, South Africa, China, Poland, Italy and Sweden, who joined the very large number of local residents.
Onlookers packed Thurles streets, from Friar Street west, through the town centre and unto Barry’s Bridge; same extremely impressed by the colours of floats; the marching groups representing numerous clubs and societies; the bands and in particular the individual stilt walkers from Cloughjordan, North Tipperary who took part for the first time.
A huge “Thank You” to the work undertaken by Mr John Kenehan and his committee, and to the many individuals in reflective jackets and the Gardaí, who ensured the health and safety of the public in attendance and controlled the traffic.
Lyrics: Irish songwriter and novelist Brendan Graham. Vocals: Secret Garden.
My Land
How green are your valleys, how blue your great skies, Your mountains stand tall in their glory. Your rivers run free – the bright stars are your eyes, Your beauty is endless before me. For you are the song ever singing in me, And you are the heart ever true. For you are my land and you always will be, The voice ever calling me home to you. When to your green valleys some day I return, When you lay your mantle around me. At rest I will be where the heart will not yearn, That my land will ever surround me. For you are the song ever singing in me, And you are the heart ever true. For you are my land and you always will be, The voice ever calling me home to you. For you are the song ever singing in me, And you are the heart ever true. For you are my land and you always will be, The voice ever calling me home to you. The voice ever calling me home to you. END.
Tomorrow, March 17th, will see the Thurles Town’s St Patrick’s Day parade (Lá Fhéile Pádraig)2025, taking place, leaving from the west side of town, from Abbey Road, down Friar Street, into Liberty Square, starting at 2:15pm sharp.
The nearby parade in the village of Littleton will start in the morning, with other events occurring in Tipperary throughout the day, all expected to draw large crowds to the areas of Cahir, Tipperary town, Clonmel and Cappawhite, and northwards, into Nenagh, Templemore, and Roscrea.
With weather promising to remain dry but cloudy and with temperatures of 8° to 10° best to keep well wrapped up.
The “Sweet White Violets”(Latin Name: Viola odorata alba), which is expected to appear in late winter or early Spring, arrived exactly on time this year, exhibiting a massive crop of blossoms.
Sweet White Violets pictured here with emerging wild Primroses. Pic: G. Willoughby.
This small hardy herbaceous perennial is also commonly known as ‘Wood Violet‘; ‘English Violet‘; ‘Common Violet‘; ‘Florist’s Violet‘ and ‘Garden Violet’.
Sweet White Violets: The flowers which are either dark violet or white in colour, are scented, with the species most often found near the edges of forests or in shaded clearings; it is also a common “uninvited guest” found on shaded lawns or elsewhere with in Irish gardens.
Both the leaves and flowers are edible and in the late Victorian period, were used in the production of cosmetic fragrances and perfumes and in the production of medicine. Interesting to note: The scent somehow has suggested sex, so the violet served as a symbol of a favoured flower of Aphrodite, (latter ancient Greek goddess of sexual love and beauty); and her son, Priapus, (latter a minor fertility god in Greek mythology), who was also the protector of livestock, fruit plants and, yes male readers should note, male genitals. Both the former named Greek goddess and minor god were the deity of gardens.
A Bunch Of Violets Blue.
Lyrics: Attributed to composer, writer John McCormick. Vocals: Irish country, traditional and easy listening singer, guitarist and saxophone player, the late Tom McBride, (Big Tom 1936–2018).
A Bunch Of Violets Blue.
It was out in a moonlit garden, Not far from the ballroom grand, A soldier and his sweetheart, Went strolling hand in hand. Tomorrow the war would call him, And he vowed he would be true, And from her breast she gave to him, A bunch of violets blue. They were only a bunch of violets, A bunch of violets blue, Fresh and fair and dainty, All sparkle like the dew. Fresh and fair and dainty, As he pressed them to his heart, He smiled and said where’er he’d roam, From them he’d n’er would part. A soldier boy lay dying, Upon the cold, cold ground. A bunch of withered violets, Upon his breast was found. Turning to his comrades, In a feeble voice he sighed. Take them back and tell her that, I wore them till I died. They took the withered violets back, It been on her wedding day. An old man’s gold had won her, From her soldier far away. An old man’s gold had won her, From her soldier young and tall, And this is what he said to her, One evening at the ball. They were only a bunch of violets, A bunch of violets blue, Fresh and fair and dainty, All sparkle like the dew. Fresh and fair and dainty, As he pressed them to his heart, He smiled and said where’er he’d roam, From them he’d n’er would part.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.AcceptRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Recent Comments