OPINION (AN COLÚN): An unusual offering from our beloved pets

ONE morning, during the lull between Christmas Day and New Year's, following the usual ablutions and descending of the two flights of stairs, we were astonished to see a dead Croneen on the carpeted floor of our dining room.
Croneen are our local trout and are unique to this part of Ireland. They are also delicious to eat and we always gladly accept them when they are offered to us by our fishermen friends.
We have several cats, all of whom receive bucketloads of love from us, and it was obvious that one of them had left this succulent fish as an offering for Rosalind and myself because we were perceived as being part of the family and therefore deserving of this.
Our house is about 50 metres from the Camcor River. It had evidently come from there. The fish was whole; it hadn't been chewed at. Perhaps it had fallen from a fisherman's satchel? Perhaps it had died in the river and was washed onto the shore? A crazy idea popped into my head; an image of one of our cats perched at the top of the local waterfall and swooping bear-like with his paw at the various fish swimming by. I discounted this final possibility from my thoughts. Our cats were young, dexterous, strong, excellent hunters (nearly every day they bring in a shrew or a bird) but it was extremely unlikely they were able to engage in the wonderful sport of angling as well! That, we felt, would be verging into the same realm as the fantastical, miraculous and supernatural.
Our cats are perpetually hungry. They never refuse our offerings of food. They adore fish. However on this occasion the croneen was untouched. We were amazed. We left it on the ground of the dining room for half-an-hour to see if the felines would eat it, but they didn't! We came to the conclusion, therefore, that it was an offering from our pets. It was a proper-sized fish and we decided to have it for supper that evening.
After we had gutted the Croneen, I'm afraid to say that our only means of determining whether it was safe to eat or not was the very unscientific method of smelling it! It smelt fine. And after being baked in the oven, tasted delicious. We baked it with slices of lime, sprigs of parsley and thyme, smashed garlic cloves, cherry tomatoes, flaked almonds and a splash of white wine.
Sadly there has been a noticeable decrease in Croneen numbers in the River Camcor over the last number of years. This celebrated fish is much beloved locally and is a source of pride. However, naturalists have noted that, while no scientific study has been carried out to examine the issue, it would seem that the numbers of the fish have been declining for some time. A couple of years ago, during his annual summer school, local botanist John Feehan said he too had noticed the decline, but he was not certain what was the cause.
Croneen trout are a unique form of migratory lake brown trout which travel from Lough Derg to the Little Brosna to spawn every year. They behave like sea trout, spending the first one to two years in the river before migrating to Lough Derg to feed. Here they feed and grow quickly and mature. They return to the river in May - June and can often be seen in shoals in some of the deeper pools near Birr.
After spawning in November most Croneen return to Lough Derg to feed again. Some fish may spawn over a number of years. The average age of Croneen is between three and four years old. Although they are known to spawn in some of Lough Derg's other river systems, the Camcor River is best known and probably their last major stronghold.
All in all then, they are important as part of the heritage of not only Birr but also Offaly.
The Croneen, like salmon and trout, are sensitive to environmental degradation. Lough Derg and its tributaries have been subject to environmental pressures from enrichment, peat siltation, fish species introductions and land drainage. Experts say that because of all these pressures it is remarkable that the Croneen have survived at all today.
Recent studies in Queen's University Belfast have shown that the Croneen are genetically unique and should be preserved for heritage and scientific purposes. Some people believe that the Croneen should be considered a separate species to brown trout.
At a recent meeting in Birr, Inland Fisheries Ireland staff spoke about the importance of the Camcor River and in particular the Croneen Trout, to the area, and how the numbers of this fish had declined in recent years.
The natural history and the story of the Croneen Trout is well illustrated by the beautiful sign in Camcor Park, erected by the local Camcor and Little Brosna Angling Club and the late Brian McManus of the Shannon Regional Fisheries Board (now IFI).
The spawning grounds of the Croneen trout lie in the pristine, high-status waters of the upper Camcor and Breaghmore Rivers, making the protection of water quality in these headwaters essential. A recent Inland Fisheries Ireland solar-powered pump project, developed in partnership with local farmers, has fenced off key spawning areas to prevent livestock access. This initiative has helped keep the riverbed free of silt, creating improved conditions for egg incubation and increasing the survival rate of newly hatched fish.

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