It is hoped that the system will be taken up by substantial number of the 205 businesses in the town that are within 50 metres of the Fibre cable. The system has huge potential to develop existing businesses and attract others to the town.

Three submissions were made by the Chairman which included the small harbour proposal for the Marsh, the tree planting program under the Neighbour Scheme for the Marsh and the flood alleviation barrier on the Caol Stream.

He received assurances that all three proposals would be given consideration. He also sought assurances that feasibility of the proposal for the Car Park in the Marsh and its likely effects on flooding would receive urgent attention in the study. Skibbereen  Town Council consider the development of this Car Park to be a priority to improve traffic flow in the town

Poetry in motion

After the long haul, heading for home

Cruising down the river on a Sunday afternoon

                 Approaching Newbridge

 In recent weeks and in association with RIPPLE’s work on the Caol Stream and the Stream behind the Moorings, RIPPLE have undertaken and completed the excavation of a “trough” on the river bed at the Rowing Club premises to accomodate a 33 metre by 3.5 metre pontoon that will assist in safer conditions for club members and boats at launch time.RIPPLE also provideed rock armour to help prevent erosion of the river bank and to provide safe conditions underfoot for the club members.

 The work was carried out on behalf of RIPPLE by Casey Plant Hire and the work was completed in a most efficient and professional manner. Chairman of RIPPLE, Cllr. Frank Fahy received a letter from Rowing Club Secretary Una Connolly expressing the thanks of the committee and members for the work which would benefit the club greatly when they had the pontoon ready. RIPPLE funded in full the costs of the excavation and rock armour as part of its committment to the improvement of the facilities on the River Ilen.

Above are some photos taken on Sunday February 27th of the magnificent spectacle of Rowing Club boats and safety craft on the river between Kennedy Bridge and Newbridge and beyond. The Club have a very full program for the year including their regatta in Inniscarra.

RIPPLE wish them the very best of good luck and ask every club and person in Skibbereen and beyond to support them. They are all world class oarsmen and ladies.

In recent weeks he has secured funding from the Council to get the Caol Stream and the stream from Glencurragh road to the Ilen river cleaned, widened and deepened. A report on this work is elsewhere on this site.

Frank has also had the views and aspirations of RIPPLE included for consideration in the Hydrological Study currently being undertaken to determine the best methods of alleviating or preventing the devastating floods that have caused misery for many of our townspeople. It is imperative that this study is completed and that all possible solutions are investigated. In the meantime, RIPPLE will carry out any works that will help but which may not be included in the eventual solutions put forward. RIPPLE asks that any such small works that may be ubdertaken by RIPPLE and that would be of benefit to the town should be notified to any of the members of RIPPLE or directly to Frank for consideration and implementation if possible.

He has been engaged in recent months in the pursuance of the Minister of Communications to have the MAN (Municipal Area Network) fibre optic broadband system activated in the town. This system was installed in ducting in the streets of the town two years ago and has lain dormant since while the company appointed by the Government to wholesale the service E/Net have been in negotiations with Eircom to “light” or activate the MAN.

This system has the capability of providing the fastest broadband available in the country with speeds in excess of 1GBTps and it is shameful that it is lying dormant because of a lack of meaningful negotiation with the service providers. It is frustrating that the high speed link required to light the MAN is 60 metres away from the distribution board for the system.

Frank is currently Deputy Mayor and in June if tradition is followed will be elected as Mayor for the following year.  Hopefully, he will be able to get things moving during his period in office.

We are pleased to announce that the facility is now back in order and that all donations large or small are welcome and assure the contributers that their contribution will be used exclusively for the various work we undertake and that it will not be used for any other matter such as  administration or personal expenses. Because of the current international financial position, we will understand if you cannot make a large contribution but as it say’s on the Paypal facility, a donation of a Dollar, a Pound or a Euro will be gratefully received and will be used well. Thank you in advance.

A Skibbereen Town Council donation to RIPPLE has enabled them to carry out a major clean up, deepening and widening of the Caol Stream.

Mr Frank Fahy, who is the chairman of the River Ilen planning group, said the work not only enhances the appearance of the area it could also alleviate flooding.

Speaking at the monthly meeting of Skibbereen Town Council, Mr Fahy said: ‘A project of this size has not been carried out on the Caol Stream for many years.’

‘It is a true community initiative,’ said Mr Fahy, who paid tribute to the council for providing the funding, as well as the group of hard working volunteers who carried out the work over the last twelve months.’

Mr Fahy made special mention of Bryan Harris and Declan Groarke, who made a special effort to clear the extensive amount of rubbish that had been dumped in the stream over the years.

They, and other volunteers including members of RIPPLE, did an incredible amount of work in cutting back the overgrown vegetation, especially the pernicious Japanese Knotweed.

The Labour councillor told “The Southern Star” that a suitable weed killer was supplied to Bryan Harris, who has engaged in a three-year program to eliminate the knotweed from the area.

RIPPLE has further plans to clean the stream behind the Moorings from Glencurragh Road to the Schull Road and on to the River Ilen, and they are hoping to have this work completed in the next few weeks.

The stream, which has been grossly neglected for many years, was part of the original flood relief scheme for the town. It ran from the Ilen River across the Marsh to the lower reaches of the Ilen River, bypassing the areas that are now prone to flooding.

Meanwhile, RIPPLE are also providing funds for a project at the Rowing Club, which would help them in the launch and recovery of their craft in safety and comfort.

According to Mr Fahy, ‘The rowing club has a number of Olympic and world-class rowers and are deserving of any help that can be given to them by the community. They provide an invaluable service to the youth of the entire area and have put Skibbereen on the World map of rowing.

Moorings Stream

Moorings Stream after clean up

02/12/2010. Work on the Stream behind the moorings has been completed and is looking well. The author travelled there this evening and saw nine wild duck happily swimming in the section from the Schull Road to the river. A before and after photo of the  stream are to left and right. For those that are interested, this stream was the first flood alleviation scheme for the Skibbereen area and the stream ran from the Ilen River  about 400 metres upstream of the Curragh Bridge, across the Marsh, under the Marsh Road and through the field owned by the Coakley family, under Glencurragh Road, behind the Moorings, under the Schull Road and rejoining the river opposite Riverdale. All of this stream from Glencurragh Road to the River has been cleaned, widened and deepened by RIPPLE in recent weeks. Your ideas on further projects would be welcomed.

Stream from Schull Road to Ilen after clean up. Note the six ducks.

Stream from Schull Road to Ilen River before clean up

Work at the Rowing Club was completed at the end of January as soon as tidal conditions allowed and was completed in a few days. This work will enable the club to site a ten foot by one hundred foot pontoon which will be floating at all tide levels and from which members will be able to launch and board their craft with safety both for the members and the craft. We would hope to have photos of this on site when construction is complete. All of the work on behalf of RIPPLE was carried out by Casey Plant Hire and many compliments have been received by RIPPLE on the quality of the work and the efficiency of the Plant Hire Company. Work on the Caol Stream was carried out without disruption to traffic and parking at the Main Street car park which runs parallel with the Stream

Levis Quay Pedestrian Bridge 2007

In the past three years, during and after the installation of the new sewerage system, many of the projects planned for the restoration of the quays of Skibbereen have become impossible, due to the manner in which the sewer system has been laid on the riverbed. The river has effectively been narrowed considerably and rock armour to protect the sewer system has cut off the quays from the river.

To counteract this setback, the committee have again come up with an imaginative solution to this problem by proposing the construction of a “little” harbour in the Marsh, just upstream of the Levis Quay pedestrian bridge and opposite  the QuayApartments. We are currently investigating the feasibility of this development. The title “Little Harbour” is used as the name ‘Skibbereen’ is believed to have been derived from ‘little harbour’ in old Irish.

The project have been included in the Hydrological Study currently being undertaken by Cork Co. Council and the OPW. The outcome of this study will determine the future of flood prevention for the town and how developments in the Marsh may or may not effect flooding. It would be the objective of RIPPLE to contribute in every way to the alleviation of flooding and ensure that no act of ours will be to the detriment of the long suffering casualties of flooding in Skibbereen.

RIPPLE’s suggestion of an electro/mechanical barrier at the outlet of Lough Abisdealy to enable the level of the Lough to rise by one metre thus preventing over 56,000,000 (fifty-six million) gallons from entering the Caol Stream when flooding is threatened in the town is also under consideration in the Hydrological study.

The subsidance, is believed is thought to be related to the ongoing works for the new Sewerage system that is being installed in the town,a tunnel for which was bored underneath the bridge and along beneath the Caol Stream as far as Main Street Car Park. Some buildings at this end of the tunnel are also said to be showing cracks and other evidence of subsidance. The Contractors have according to the Southern Star, issued a statement to the effect that they will correct any problems that arise as a result of their work. We have every reason to believe that they are an honourable and reliable company and that they will fulfil their promise. Perhaps it will be all to the good and that the “Bridge” area generally will get its long awaited and longed for makeover.

There are a few photo’s of some of the damaged areas in the Gallery.

We are happy to report that all the damage has been repaired and the Bridge has been restored.

This contribution is most welcome and the committee of RIPPLE are very  grateful to the Council. The Town Clerk in his letter accompanying the cheque said that the Council were to have a special meeting shortly to discuss the Study in detail with the object of including aspects of it into the forthcoming “Skibbereen Development Plan”.

The inclusion of the Feasibility Study in the Skibbereen Development Plan is the most definite indication to date that we are on the right track and that our ideas will now become a part of the future development of Skibbereen aided by the resources of the Town Council and Cork County Council.