We need your help now
Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
By continuing, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
“THE FACE OF the Irish population is changing,” says Joanna Siewierska (21), who came as a child to live in Ireland 14 years ago.
She was speaking at an information session on migrant voter registration, organised by City of Sanctuary Dublin. It’s a campaign focused on informing migrants about their right to vote in Irish elections.
“It’s becoming much more diverse,” Siewierska says of Ireland. “And our decision makers are not reflecting that, and that’s not good enough, for them or for us.”
Next year will see the Irish local and European elections in May, and there is an interest in getting migrants who are eligible to vote registered in order to become part of the conversation on the future of Irish society.
Amman Ali (24), originally from Pakistan and who has been living in Ireland since 2011, is planning on going one step further and put himself forward as a Fianna Fáil candidate in the Dublin southwest inner city area.
“It was a great experience,” he says about becoming a member of Fianna Fáil. “They accepted me, they welcome me.”
“It was a chance for me to raise the voice of my community, who didn’t have a voice before…to raise migrant issues, the local issues that was affecting my area.”
Tian Lloyd (36), who works at City of Sanctuary Dublin and came to Ireland from China 16 years ago, says many migrants aren’t aware of their rights when they first come to a new country.
With the popularity of social media, she said it made them realise that there were actually a lot of issues among their communities that weren’t being addressed.
“I realised we really needed to get more involved,” she says.
It’s part of not only integrating into Irish communities, but working together with native-born Irish to make the country a better society for all, she says.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I home the person/company is found an prosecuted, it will take years to get fish levels back to what they were !
The top picture is of mackerel which are solely a sea fish…doh!
Actually John they’re a breed of Tuna not mackerel.
Noticed that after I posted!
Some Farmers can be so careless. Large fines and even criminal charges should be considered for cases like this. Also farm inspections need to be stepped up. If any other industry had similar incidents they would be shut down.
Have you made a conclusion on what caused it? The IIF need someone like you. They’re investigating it at the moment and have nothing conclusive, yet you have it all figured out. Well done.
It’s in the article, JJ – it’s a rural agricultural area, so farms are the prime suspect…
Nearly every area outside the cities and towns in Ireland is a rural agricultural area. Doesn’t mean they’re automatically to blame for everything.
Fines? you must be joking! The farmer (that’s If it was a farmer) will probably get an extra grant for loss of silage!
I find it hard to believe this could be silage effluent. its only pit silage that allows effluent to run off and be collected in a tank. This is usually collected with the rest of the slurry, and as a result will be greatly diluted by the slurry. I can’t find the date the fish kill was reported, but this hot weather is good slurry spreading conditions. Rain will cause slurry to run off into drains and rivers, but there has been no heavy rainfall in the last 5-6 days to cause this. If this happened during wet weather, then I would agree that it probably was slurry, but with these conditions it doesn’t add up. Look for the smoking gun, if there are fields in the catchment area of the river with freshly spread slurry, then they might be into something, but I really do doubt its slurry.
Was hiking by the Grand canal about 15 years ago when i came across a fish kill.
A farmer had taken water from Miltown Feeder using a mobile pump and had pressure washed his silage pit. Subsequently there was torrential rain that washed his silage residue into the ditch beside miltown feeder which then ran straight into the 2nd level of the canal on the barrow line and then the weather warmed up causing a large fish kill.
There was a huge rescue effort by many in the area and we loaded the fish into pots, pans, dustbins whatever containers we could find and moved to the unpolluted Dublin line.
I showed the inland fisheries the source of the pollution, you could follow the slick and see the pump but they didn’t want to know, said it was too difficult to prove even though there was a smoking gun. Too much paperwork i guess to make a proscecution and somebody would have to get off their arse.
Some farmer dropping stuff into the river most likely..
Doubt it’s a farmer – must likely a business
Or maybe a bogeyman. There is literally nothing to be gained by speculating.
far more regulation around business from local councils than farmers will ever face
That was once true but farmers are examined for pollution control and prosecuted for failures now
farmers don’t drop slurry into rivers, that would probably result fines, loss of payments, and a criminal record if convicted.. Also, farmers don’t dump slurry, why waste valuable free fertilizer?
Would it be possible that it’s actually human sewerage? We all know up to 46 councils are allowing raw sewerage to be pumped into water courses around the country. There could be any number of causes ….. could we all not just wait until there’s actual proof of the cause.
their is only 26 county councils in ireland and a total of 31 local authorities so no idea where you are getting 46 from
No, that is a more long term problem. This was a spill, killed everything in front of it, It has been washed away now not leaving a trace, (so it says) where as sewerage problems are continuous and easier traced
I stand corrected, councils are pumping human waste in up to 46 water courses throughout Ireland. Appologies!
Wait for Iona to blame gay marriage….
Almost certainly from a farm. When I worked as a surveyor on motorway construction projects virtually every stream / river we came accross was polluted from farming. Appears to be no one watching or policing the spread of fertilizers or manure
Whenever or if ever they catch the culprit they will probably be fined something nominal like €100 in the district court, so it’s hardly surprising who ever did it either didn’t care or wasn’t worried about the consequences.
I hope the person or company responsible for this spill will be found and prosecuted! This is terrible and unacceptable!
Spokesperson on morning ireland said its most likely silage
Go up river and find where there are fish and start your search from there downstream .
because fish are stationary?
Fish were a threat to the farmlands water supply had to be dealt with like those pesky eagles!
The farmers and industrial companies don’t care! I hope they catch the idiots and prosecute them to the full letter of the law!!!
They themselves say the affluent that caused it has since passed, so all they’re using is guess work and finger pointing. Not the right thing to do at all. Pointing fingers without first having proof is not helpful.
Something fishy going on
Fcuking farmers. From birds of prey to an entire trout stock, for an occupation that’s meant to be in tune the outdoors they really are blight on it.
Something fishy alright – they’re mackerel in the main photo so its no wonder they couldn’t survive in fresh water!
:0)
skip jack tuna Avina
Jon, anybody that sets rat poison is to blame for the deaths of those eagles
Nah Mick, I think they’re herring, there’s a little bit of a red one at the bottom
I think this is really bad, especially for the environment, 5,000 fish is a lot, that could also have fed 5,000 people and that’s a waste of everything.
Damm fishes coming over here taking our jobs and our women/men fish bowels etc., a bit like those pesky road users that keep crashing on slurry , some neck claiming.
That’s what happens when those Farmers wash there Socks lol lol
have your say