New project to safeguard Carndonagh’s rivers for future generations

CARNDONAGH'S rivers, heritage and climate future took centre stage on Sunday, November 8, when local residents, community organisations and stakeholders gathered for the launch of the Two Rivers Catchment, Community and Climate Project.

Led by Inishowen Rivers Trust in partnership with Donegal County Council, Inishowen Development Partnership and ECO-CARN, the initiative emerged from community consultation carried out through Carndonagh's Decarbonising Zone and TASC People's Transition programmes.

Residents identified the rivers as a key local asset and priority for action, highlighting the need to better understand, protect and enhance these important natural resources.

Carlene Lyttle, Manager of Inishowen Rivers Trust, said Inishowen Rivers Trust is delighted to be part of the Two Rivers Project.

“The Two Rivers Project is a fantastic opportunity to build on the decade of work by the Inishowen Rivers Trust to boost water quality, biodiversity, and climate resilience along the Glentogher-Donagh and Glenagannon rivers,” explained Carlene.

“We are excited to collaborate closely with the Carndonagh community, deepening people's connection to their local rivers through hands-on restoration, workshops, and practical action to protect our rivers for generations to come.” 

A key element of the project will focus on capturing the stories, heritage and lived experiences connected to the rivers.

This work will be led by local videographer Neil McGrory, and Rosemary Moulden, who will gather memories and folklore from the community before a public storytelling event planned for the New Year.

“The archaeological and historical heritage along these rivers is incredibly rich, with evidence of settlement stretching back thousands of years,” said Neil.

“There are stories of gold mines and legends associated with St. Patrick. We are going to go out and talk to the community and interview them about the rivers. We then plan to hold a storytelling event in the New Year when we will invite the community to come in.”

Denise McCool, Team Lead with Inishowen Development Partnership, said the project is a powerful example of community-led climate action in practice.

“This initiative grew directly from conversations with local people, through the TASC project, who identified the rivers as one of Carndonagh's key assets that were facing challenges from the impact of climate change, such as flooding, riverbank erosion and biodiversity loss, and the need to protect those rivers as a result,” said Denise.

“It's encouraging to see those ideas now being turned into meaningful action through partnership and collaboration.”

Denise explained how the work that had already been done on the ground through various community consultations resulted in this collaborative work then becoming involved through the EU-funded Interreg MINDSET Project.

Suzanne Brogan, Climate Action Officer with Donegal County Council, said the project will help strengthen climate resilience while delivering wider benefits for nature and local communities.

"By better understanding the history of the Glentogher-Donagh and Glenagannon catchments, we can help inform future action to protect and restore healthy river ecosystems. Through this project, we hope more people will become active stewards of these important local assets for generations to come,” added Suzanne.

If you are interested in finding out more or getting involved in the Two Rivers Project, contact Carlene at Inishowen Rivers Trust [email protected] or Neil at [email protected]