SHERKIN COMMENT Issue No. 57 Environmental Quarterly of Sherkin Island Marine Station 2014 The Rock Art of West Cork Loophead and its Natural Charms A Viking House and Garden at Glasnevin Mapping the Seabed of Roaringwater Bay Finola Finlay & Robert Harris highlight Discovered! The National Botanic Gardens builds a Kevin Sheehan gives an overview of the little-known examples of ancient art in Carmel Madigan takes us on a journey commemorative replica of a Viking-age GSI/Marine Institute seabed survey of the West Cork. 7 along its beautiful coastline. 8 Dublin house in the gardens. 15/16/17 bay in 2013. 22 Bee eater on Portugal’s Castro Verde Steppes Photograph by Brian Henderson 2 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ SHERKIN COMMENT 2014 Issue No 57 Contents Editorial EDITORIAL: The Value of Our Drinking Water....2 Matt Murphy looks at how the provision of clean drinking water has progressed over his lifetime. The Value of Our Drinking Water The Little Egret ......................................................3 An article from the late Oscar Merne about the the Station we had to pay a yearly sum for through its legislature. The bill will pro- increase of this bird’s population in Ireland. By Matt Murphy the amount we used. The relief we got – vide money for conservation projects to Greening the Lavender Lake ....................................4 no more drawing water, no more shortage, clean up polluted groundwater and make THIS editorial is just to remind us of the Walter Mugdan on the cleaning up the United just turn on the tap. irrigation more efficient. It will also value of having safe drinking water. When State’s most heavily polluted water way. At the station we are still paying water increase penalties for illegal water we turn on the tap clean water is instant. rates. If I smoked, it would be the cost of appropriation. In Israel, the country is Wetlands in Ireland..................................................5 We don’t consider it a luxury but in real- 10 cigarettes a week. Put it another way, it facing its worst drought in a century and Nicola Dwyer explains the benefits to wetlands in ity it is. Yes, there may be the odd would be the cost of a pint of beer or a extra desalination facilities have been signing up to the Ramsar Convention. occasion in some areas when the supply is cheap bottle of wine. Water is the most established. Food waste offers unforeseen benefits......................6 affected by pollution and people have to previous gift we have and need. Having The European Environment Agency’s recourse to bottled water or tanker supply Paul Brown on the renewable energy and other experienced times in my life without recently published study “Assessment of through their local council. It is fair to say benefits that can be derived from food waste. piped water it is a cheap price to pay. cost recovered through water pricing” that the majority of the population have Presently a huge amount of water is considers water pricing in several EU The Rock Art of West Cork ....................................7 been connected to a public water supply. I wasted in Ireland. Officially obsolete pub- countries. Among the key findings is that Finola Finlay & Robert Harris highlight little- have had the experience of both worlds. lic piping accounts for 41% of this. Add to households use around a third less water known examples of ancient art. Growing up in Cork City in the 40s and it the water wasted by households up and when they are charged for the actual 50s the only worry we had with our drink- Loophead and its Natural Charms Discovered!........8 down the country and the figure is much amount. The public seems to support ing water was burst lead pipes in those more. This water has cost money to pro- being charged according to the volume of A native of Loophead, Carmel Madigan takes us on very cold winters of ice and snow. In a journey along it beautiful coastline. duce. The new body, Irish Water, must water they use – 84% of EU citizens agree those days I spent my holidays with first address the public piping issue and with this principle to some extent accord- Integrated Catchment Management ........................9 cousins on a farm near Kanturk. I learned there must then be a carrot to stem the ing to a 2012 Eurobarometer survey. Donal Daly & Micheal Ó Cinnéide explain how quickly that the water for the house and massive amount of water wasted in house- Very soon households in Ireland will be good water management is critical to the future well- farm had to be drawn from the hand pump holds. Give households a reasonable following those in many other European being of Irish society. in buckets and it was not limitless. One amount of free water and then charge for countries and will be paying for their learned to spare it as drawing water to Birdwatching on Portugal’s Castro Verde Steppes ..10 the excess over that figure. household water use. It is essential that farm animals was not an easy task for a In Ireland we are privileged to have an much of the charges be put into the public Anthony Toole on his visit, observing the rich and young 13-year-old teenager. varied Portuguese bird life. excellent supply of drinking water. To put networks to help reduce the 41% of water Time moved on and in my late teens I our situation into perspective, it is worth wasted though obsolete piping. If, as Can marine ecosystems be re-balanced while fish go took up canoeing and started to spend looking at how other countries are fairing. already mentioned, a reasonable amount with chips? ................................................11 time canoe-camping. We got water for For example, in Brazil drought has forced of free water is provided to begin with, Ivor Rees calls for strategic thinking on the whole cooking and drinking from a local farmer. 140 cities to ration water. Some 6 million perhaps consumers will see the benefits of However the pots and pans were mostly ecosystem where marine wildlife species are harvested. people are said to be affected by the worst putting a price on this essential resource. washed in the nearby river. These early More Island Life and Lore - An Island Going........12 drought in decades. In Malta, the country To strengthen this, Irish Water must put days developed in to canoeing camping is running a major risk by not capturing its time and money into educating the public Daphne Pochin Mould on her life-long fascination holidays for children on the River Black- rainwater. Its groundwater is over- about the importance of water conserva- with islands and island life. water near Banteer, Co Cork. Often we exploited and 90% shows nitrates levels tion and they should continue to support What’s in a Collection? ..........................................13 had up to 60 children each day throughout that exceed EU limits. The authorities educational programmes in schools such the summer. The water to cook and wash have now announced a plan to recharge as the Green Flag programme. William Milliken on the importance of maintaining came from a surface well near the camp- an Herbarium at Kew. the groundwater resources with treated site, which local people used daily. wastewater. An Expectation of Climate Scientists ....................14 Everyone drew the water by bucket, using Matt Murphy, Sherkin Island Marine In California, in the US, a $644 million Station, Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. Alex Kirby on the standards of accuracy expected of a small container to fill it. Can you imag- emergency drought relief bill had passed climate scientists but not from others. ine how many buckets a day we used to look after all those children? In time a A Viking House and Garden at Glasnevin ..15/16/17 local water group scheme was set up in To mark the millennium anniversary of the Battle of the area and everyone had piped water. Clontarf, the National Botanic Gardens builds a Our site was fitted with a tap and there SUBSCRIPTION FORM replica Viking-age Dublin house in the gardens. was a yearly water charge, which we were Mapping the Seabed of Roaringwater Bay ............18 delighted to pay. SHERKIN COMMENT is a environmental publication of Sherkin Kevin Sheehan gives an overview of the GSI/Marine In the mid sixties when we purchased a Island Marine Station, aiming to promote the awareness of our natural Institute seabed survey of the Bay in 2013. house on Sherkin there was no mains resources, their use and protection. water supply. Water for all things, except Dissecting Donegal................................................20 drinking and cooking, came from a con- SUBSCRIPTION: to receive a 4-issue subscription to “Sherkin John Akeroyd reviews an encyclopaedic account of crete tank on the side of the dwelling, Comment”, please send a cheque or money order for €7.50 for Ireland Ireland’s most northerly county. which was from rainwater saved off the and £7.00 stg for the UK (sterling cheques accepted from UK); send The Status of Bass in Ireland ................................21 roof. Drinking water came from a small €11.50 for Europe and the rest of the world (surface postage) – payable to Ciaran Byrne looks at this iconic marine sportfish hole in the ground some 400 yards from Sherkin Island Marine Station and sent to Sherkin Island Marine Station, species & its importance to the Irish tourist industry. the house and had to be drawn by bucket. Sherkin Island, Co. Cork. Ireland. Water became a major problem when we Tel: 028–20187 Fax: 028–20407 Email: [email protected] Sturgeons in Irish & NW European Waters ..........22 organised adventure holidays for children.