Heated meeting hears strong opposition to proposed Shannon Pipe

A STANDARD, information evening became a bit heated last week when the discussion switched to the controversial proposal to pipe water from the Shannon to Dublin.
LAWPRO (The Local Authority Waters Programme) hosted a Lough Derg community information evening on Thursday evening last in Killaloe Hotel, Killaloe. The purpose of the meeting was to explore the importance of water quality in the Lough Derg catchment area, including its inputting water bodies, local streams, rivers, lakes, etc. across Counties Clare, Tipperary and Galway.
This was an excellent, strongly attended, public event which reviewed options to provide a community platform to raise awareness of water quality in and around Lough Derg. The evening included illustrated inputs from three LAWPRO employees together with community case studies.
There was a great deal of focus on Catchment Community Fora (CCFs), which are community groups representing local stakeholders such as angling clubs, farmers and environmental groups, which come together with the aim of improving the water quality of water bodies in their respective areas. Five CCFs have already been set up around Ireland and during the meeting LAWPRO outlined in depth the work of the Corrib CCF which has been a success story.
LAWPRO's primary objective during the Killaloe Hotel meeting was to see if there was an interest in the region to set up a Lough Derg CCF. A unanimous show of hands from the many assembled clearly showed that there's a very strong appetite to establish such a body.
LAWPRO pointed out that it's being led by Science and facts and is publishing those facts without influence from outside groups. One of these facts is the Ecological Status of the lake, which is Moderate. Decades ago the Ecological Status, if a study had been carried out, would almost certainly have been High; therefore there is no doubt that Lough Derg's water quality has declined significantly in recent decades.
LAWPRO also outlined the sectors which are putting the greatest pollutant pressure on the lake and its associated water bodies. Top of the list, by a long way, is the Agricultural sector. Second is Coillte; and third is hydromorphology (the physical characteristics, shape, and water flow dynamics).
One of the LAWPRO representatives said LAWPRO is working to identify the issues affecting water quality in every county in Ireland. “Where issues are identified, we collaborate with the relevant local authority, public body, and water stakeholder to find a solution. Community engagement is the cornerstone of this approach to combine local and expert knowledge for a better understanding of what's happening in a local catchment and water body.”
Mention was also made of the worrying detection of blue-green algal bloom in parts of Lough Derg during the Summer of 2025. Attendees said many living in the region are very conscious of the severe, toxic algal blooms which were present in Lough Neagh during the last three summers; and are worried that Lough Derg might follow suit.
The meeting facilitated a Q&A session/open discussion during which many made their feelings known. Many of the points made were excellent and the mood always remained respectful. What came through strongly from a number of the attendees was a lack of trust in the Irish government. One person pointed out that you couldn't trust the government's statement that no more than 2% of the lake's water will be piped to Dublin. He said the passenger cap in Dublin Airport is being removed, therefore something similar could happen with the Shannon Pipe's 2%. “If you believe the government on the 2%,” the contributor commented, “then you would want your head examined.”
Uisce Éireann's Water Supply Project will transport water from the Shannon to the Greater Dublin Area. It will extract up to 2% of the Shannon's average flow, which is about 350 million litres per day, at the Parteen Basin. The water will be treated near Birdhill, Tipperary, and transported via a 170km pipeline through Tipperary, Offaly and Kildare, to a new reservoir at Peamount, Co. Dublin. Uisce Éireann says the Pipe's purpose is to secure water supply for Dublin, reducing reliance on the River Liffey and supporting population growth in the decades ahead. A planning application was lodged in late 2025 with An Coimisiún Pleanála.
During the Killaloe Hotel meeting, attendees raised concerns regarding the Pipe's environmental impact on the Shannon, the astronomical costs (estimated up to €10bn), the potential impact on water levels during drought, and the need to address 37%-40% leakage rates in the existing Dublin network.
The project has been often discussed for the last 15 years. Uisce Éireann says the Pipe will provide “long-term resilience for the eastern region's water supply.”
One person asked LAWPRO what it will do regarding Uisce Éireann's planning application. LAWPRO said it will make its “observations, along with any concerns” known.
“The problems affecting Lough Derg now will be made ten times worse if this Pipe happens,” said another person.
A member of Mountshannon Anglers said the nitrates derogation could be negatively impacting the lake's health. “No disrespect to any farmers,” he remarked, “but the government took the decision to keep the farmers happy, with the result that nature could suffer. In my view, LAWPRO is a counterbalance to the damage which the government is doing.”
Cllr Pat Burke of Clare County Council said he's a farmer in Whitegate “and I and many others are fearful of the possible damage which extracting millions of litres of water per day could cause to the lake.” He said he and others are preparing a submission objecting to the planning application. He pointed out that, ironically, Uisce Éireann were also holding an information evening in Killaloe the same evening as the LAWPRO meeting in Killaloe Hotel. He said some people were attending both events. Cllr Burke pointed out that during the very wet weather in January “an awful lot of slurry was washed through the land and into the water courses and you could see it going under the bridge in Killaloe.” He said the slurry had to be spread on the land “due the consideration of the welfare of farm animals.”
LAWPRO told the meeting they held a meeting in the Blackwater River area two weeks previously, which discussed the thousands of fish killed by pollution in the Blackwater River during August 2025. Some people were in tears during that meeting, LAWPRO said, and many were very upset that no culprit had been found for the pollution.
The Killaloe Hotel meeting was also told that being the last lake downstream on the river, it is impacted by all the pollution (including phosphorus and nitrogen) coming from upstream.
Native species in the lake have been replaced by a variety of invasive species, including the Zebra Mussel, The Quagga Mussel, the Asian Clam, the Bloody Red Shrimp and a plant called Water Soldier that can now be found in the lake's harbours.
Two decades ago saw the first signs being erected by local authorities which warn people of the risk of skin irritations if they bathe in the lake during periods of toxic blue-green algal blooms and that dogs risk dying if they drink the water.
The meeting was told that farmers remain a vital part of the solution and everyone must work together.
One person said you used to be able to drink water straight from the lake “but people wouldn't even drink it now after boiling."
Chairman of Clare IFA Stephen Walsh said farmers are under very strict regulations “and we won't get any more nitrates derogation deals if the water quality doesn't improve.”
A woman from the River Shannon Protection Alliance said her group is greatly concerned about Uisce Éireann's Water Supply Project and they are worried that the 2% abstraction cap will be made higher by the government in future years.
One man said he works in Open Season Fishing Shop in Nenagh. “What we have noticed in recent years in our shop is that flyfishing is dying a death in the Lough Derg catchment. This is because of a massive reduction of flies, of insect life, which has probably been caused by a decline in the lake's health."

The River Shannon Protection Alliance recently held a meeting in the Limerick Strand Hotel, which was attended by MEP for Ireland South Michael McNamara. Mr McNamara said he is "extremely concerned" about the project. "Dublin is our capital. We should be proud of it. But the fact that all economic development seems to be taking place there just doesn't make sense; and it's not even good for Dublin because people can't get housing, people can't get services. It is becoming increasingly difficult for people born and raised in Dublin to live there, let alone those from the rest of Ireland who have to live there. Meanwhile Limerick City stagnates. It doesn't make sense."

One person during the Killaloe Hotel meeting urged farmers and landowners to not accept the payout from Uisce Éireann, which will be €100,000 per farmer. She urged them to not be tempted by the "30 pieces of silver".

The River Shannon Protection Alliance points out that Dublin is losing "up to 50% of its water because of its pipes dating back to the Victorian period." The Alliance is worried that during Summer drought periods parts of the Shannon could become dangerously low.

The final date for submission of objections and observations concerning the Uisce Éireann planning application for the Shannon-Dublin Water Supply Project (Ref: PA92.323980) is February 25, 2026, at 5:30 PM.

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