Spring River Series held for month of February

The Restore Ballymacraven River Association is pleased to announce a Spring Series of free public events taking place every Wednesday in February, at 7:30pm, in the Falls Hotel, Ennistymon.

Following the Autumn Lecture Series hosted by the Restore Ballymacraven River Association (RBRA), this Spring programme of illustrated talks and workshop, provides for a continuation into the Spring of 2026. The events will bring together local knowledge, science, creativity and discussion, around river restoration, water quality and biodiversity. The series of events will explore themes including river ecology, management of wetlands and rivers, the future of our rivers, poetry, and the connection between rivers from source to sea. The Spring River Series is funded by the Local Authority Waters Programme. All talks are free to attend, and the RBRA welcomes members of the public, community groups, environmental organisations, and anyone with an interest in nature, biodiversity, rivers and water quality are invited to attend.

The first event takes place on Wednesday, 4th February, marking World Wetlands Day. This event, co-hosted with Surfriders Lahinch, will focus on the Inagh River. Local groups and stakeholders will come together to discuss water quality and river and wetland management practices, with a particular focus on nature-based solutions for the Inagh River. It will involve multiple groups coming together to network to better protect and manage the Inagh River into the future through collaborative action.

The following Wednesday, the 11^th February, the series will take a more creative and reflective turn with “A Vision for Water”, hosted by poet James Harpur. This talk will explore how poetry, and creative expression, can help shape our relationship with water, rivers and place.

On Wednesday 18^th February, Ruairí Ó Conchúir of the Local Authority Waters Programme will give a talk entitled “From Source To Sea” examining the connection between rivers and the sea, highlighting the importance of catchment-wide thinking and how actions upstream can affect coastal and marine environments.

The final event in this part of the series will take place on Wednesday 25th February, with Rachel Dowling, Project Officer with the Restore Ballymacraven River Association, will present on the planned and ongoing work of RBRA. Titled "Let’s Focus on “The Glen”: The work of the RBRA. This talk will outline current restoration efforts within the Ballymacraven-Lickeen Lake sub-catchment and the wider Inagh River Catchment and share the RBRA’s priorities for future work.

The Restore Ballymacraven River Association’s Spring Series of events is designed to provide an open, welcoming space for all. A space to allow for shared learning, co-creation and connection, while encouraging greater understanding and awareness, supporting resilient communities who are working to care for resilient rivers and coastal waters, in the face of a climate and biodiversity emergency.