Four Cork River Projects Share Over €590,000 to Remove Barriers to Fish Migration

Four river projects in County Cork are to receive a combined allocation of €593,278 under the National Barrier Mitigation Programme, in a bid to remove artificial barriers that restrict fish movement through local waterways.

The funding is managed by Inland Fisheries Ireland and provided by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. The four Cork projects to benefit are Rosnalee Weir, Roxborough Weir, Courtbrack Bridge on the Shournagh River, and Cloghphilip Weir, also on the Shournagh River.

The Cork allocation forms part of a wider national investment of almost €15 million supporting 91 projects across Ireland, including 75 new projects and 16 progressing to the next stage following earlier supports.

Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O'Sullivan TD, said:

"Free-flowing rivers are vital for wildlife and for the ecological health of freshwater ecosystems.

I'm delighted to be putting almost €15m towards the next phase of the National Barrier Mitigation Programme so that the removal of 91 separate obstacles to fish passage can be progressed and that the connectivity of more rivers can be restored. At a local level, I'm proud to see four projects in Cork receive funding to help improve fish passage and improve the ecological health of these rivers.

These projects are making a significant contribution towards Ireland's goals under both the Water Framework Directive and the Nature Restoration Law, alongside a wide range of measures to improve water quality and freshwater biodiversity more broadly.

I'd like to thank Inland Fisheries Ireland for its collaboration and wish the teams the best of luck as they progress this important work."

Projects funded under the scheme will contribute to improving habitat quality and enabling free movement of fish species, with particular focus on species protected under the Habitats Directive, including Atlantic salmon and European eel.

The programme supports Ireland's commitment under the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, which aims to restore 25,000km of free-flowing rivers across Europe, with Ireland's national target set at 300km. It also forms a key measure under Ireland's Water Action Plan 2024 and the 4th National Biodiversity Action Plan.

A third funding call is planned for autumn 2026, offering further opportunities for eligible projects to apply for support.