Thirty years ago, a Nenagh local called Paddy Mackey, who spent his younger years on Lough Derg at a time when the word “pollution” was rarely spoken, was cruising along the lake near Dromineer when he saw something shocking: the water had turned completely green. Algae, feeding off excess nutrients from farms, industry and households, was choking the lake. Two dogs died after drinking the water. The pristine lake of his childhood, so clean he’d drink its waters, had become a killer.
Armed with an official 1993 report declaring Lough Derg (the one bordering counties Clare, Galway and Tipperary rather than the one in Donegal) saturated with nutrient pollution, Mackey and a group of like-minded locals founded SOLD – Save Our Lough Derg. They held public meetings, plastered car back windows with SOLD stickers and lobbied tirelessly for the lake’s restoration.
Poor old Lough Derg. This once magnificent, pristine lake has been made filthy by our pollution.
Continue Reading on The Irish Times
This preview shows approximately 15% of the article. Read the full story on the publisher's website to support quality journalism.