Alien Invaders Land In Limerick

Accelerated global warming evidenced by record temperatures and rainfall levels is having a profound impact on Limerick's wildlife with increasing varieties and numbers of alien invaders landing on our shores, it has been claimed.

A new six part documentary series, due to be broadcast on TG4 later this month, features over a dozen foreign species never before featured on Irish television. ‘Coimhtíoch Gan Cuireadh’ or ‘Alien Invaders’ takes a broader look at Irish wildlife and recounts the fascinating stories of how some of Ireland’s alien species ended up in Ireland. The species include the Chinese Mitten Crab, Bank Vole, Mourning Dove, Emperor Dragonfly, Natterjack Toad, Slow Worm, Trigger Fish and Slipper Lobster.

According to Newmarket-on-Fergus resident John Murphy, Wildlife expert and Director of Waxwing Wildlife Productions, ‘The documentary features species of wildlife many people rarely if ever encounter even though they are present all around them. One such species, the Greater White-toothed Shrew (pictured left) this year most likely slipped into the country in the roots of large imported continental-sourced trees. This mammal is thriving in counties Tipperary and Limerick and will spread throughout the country like the bank vole has done.’ Mr. Murphy added, ‘some of these invaders are relative newcomers to our country, while others have been with us for some time. These Aliens take the shape of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles, plants, fish, marine life and freshwater aquatic life forms.’

He explained that increasingly extreme Mediterranean climates had resulted in a dramatic rise in the numbers of exotic species of birds and maritime fish arriving and settling in Ireland. ‘We are seeing more and more cases of alien species of birds appearing on our shores. The arrival and spread of the Collared Dove, Cattle Egrets and the melodic Blackcap are prime examples of this growing trend. Meanwhile, during filming on Inish Bofin in County Galway this year we documented the first every sighting in Ireland of a Mourning Dove, which had arrived from the USA’ commented Mr. Murphy.

Mr. Stan Nugent, Editor and Producer of ‘Alien Invaders’, stated that the documentary provided real evidence of how some foreign species were having a detrimental impact on the Irish environment and on native wildlife. He continued, ‘During filming we examined the presence of Chinese Mitten Crabs along the River Suir, which unlike the River Thames does not possess a tidal barrier to stop the invasive species from progressing hundreds of miles up stream. If left unchecked, these silent raiders will colonise our river systems to the detriment of other species. They will eat anything that comes their way including our native Crayfish and fish spawn. They put pressure on existing stocks of native fish stocks such as Brown Trout and Salmon. Mitten Crabs also live in holes, which they burrow out of the riverbank. This accelerates bank erosion.’

Mr. Nugent said that alien fish species were also appearing along Ireland’s coast in greater numbers. The Grey Triggerfish is a warm-water species with a normal range in the tropical Atlantic and the Mediterranean. However, in more recent times during summer months when the seas are at their warmest, they can be found in the waters around Ireland. The same can be said of sea creatures like the Slipper Lobster, which have only been caught in recent times in Lobster pots in the south of the country.

Meanwhile, the upcoming documentary focuses on the origins of many of Ireland’s newest wildlife species. The slow worm, which can only be found in the reclaimed meadow fringes of the Burren, where they were reportedly brought into Ireland by ‘new age hippies’ from Britain during the early 1970's. Elsewhere, it is widely believed that the Bank Vole was introduced to Ireland in the 1920s during work on the Shannon hydroelectric scheme when large machinery for this development was shipped from ports in the north of Germany to Foynes on the river Shannon and some other Irish ports.

Facts Uncovered By ‘Alien Invaders’ About Ireland’s Counties (more info available on request – see Notes To Editor below):
Antrim: Trigger Fish and other marine invaders may soon be common off the Antrim coast
Armagh: How long will it be before Little Egrets and other Mediterranean birds nest in Armagh
Carlow: Chinese Mitten Crabs could MARCH into Carlow
Cavan: The Red Grouse and Hen Harrier are threatened by the spread of Spruce plantations
Clare: Bank Voles were introduced to Clare during the construction of the Ardnacrusha Hydroelectricity Scheme
Cork: Dace, an alien species to our rivers, were accidentally introduced to the Blackwater in Cork in 1889 by an English pike angler
Derry: Trigger Fish and other marine invaders may soon be common off the Derry coast.
Donegal: Bird species like the Fulmar may disappear from County Donegal if fish stocks continue to decline
Down: How long before Alien Slipper Lobsters are caught off the Down coast
Dublin: Emperor Dragonflies may soon reach a pond near you
Fermanagh: Zebra Mussels, which are spreading throughout the Shannon-Erne waterway, originated in the Caspian Sea and came into Ireland on the hulls of pleasure boats
Galway: First ever sighting of a Mourning Dove in Ireland took place on Inish Bofin Island this year
Kerry: Ireland’s only Toad can only be found in isolated parts of Kerry
Kildare: Emperor Dragonflies may soon reach a pond near you
Kilkenny: Chinese Mitten Crabs could soon colonise the River Nore and threaten the native Crayfish
Laois: Greater White-toothed shrew, which appeared in Ireland for the first time this year, may soon be appearing in Laois
Leitrim: Alien flying insects may soon be seen around the lovely lakes of Leitrim
Limerick: The Greater White-toothed Shrew, which arrived in Ireland from the continent this year, is spreading rapidly throughout Limerick
Longford: The American Grey Squirrel was introduced to Longford and decimated its Red Squirrel population
Louth: Trigger Fish and other marine invaders may soon be common off the Louth coast
Mayo: The Great Skuas, which breed in the high Arctic, are being seen more frequently off the Mayo coast, and could become a menace to our breeding seabird colonies
Meath: Country hedgerows provide perfect breeding ground for bank voles
Monaghan: The Red Grouse may soon disappear from the countryside
Offaly: The native Pygmy Shrew is being threatened by the arrival of the Greater White-toothed shrew
Roscommon: Little Egrets making Roscommon their home
Sligo: How long before Alien Slipper Lobsters are caught off the Sligo coast
Tipperary: Ireland’s newest alien species is discovered in the Premier County
Tyrone: Emperor Dragonflies may soon reach a pond near you
Waterford: Chinese Mitten Crabs are colonising the River Suir and threatening native Irish fish
Westmeath: Snipe and Grouse disappearing from Westmeath
Wexford: Bird species like the Fulmar may disappear from the Saltee Islands if fish stocks continue to decline
Wicklow: Bank Voles could become a food source for Red Kites

‘Alien Invaders’ will be broadcast on TG4 for six weeks starting on Friday 26 September at 8.30pm. The series will culminate with a new book to be published in November. For more on ‘Alien Invaders’ see www.waxwingfilms.ie.

Mid-West Project Seeks To Bridge The Digital Divide

Access to Information Communications Technologies must be made available to all members of the community if the continued digitalisation of public services is to be deemed a success.

That is according to the Mid West Regional Authority (MWRA), which is the lead partner in a European Transnational project aimed at making eGovernment services more widely accessible and socially inclusive. The CitizenFirst project seeks to reduce the digital divide that affects communities and citizens in the territories of Mid-West Region (Ireland), Eindhoven Region (Netherlands), West Flanders (Belgium) and Cambridgeshire (UK).

Among the pilot projects being rolled out across the Mid-west is an online dictionary of available and accessible cultural and recreational services, the promotion of assistive technologies in libraries and the provision of Public Internet Kiosks. The four-year project will culminate with an international conference in Ennis, County Clare on 25/26 September 2008. The event will feature a keynote address by Ms. Máire Hoctor, T.D., Minister of State with responsibility for the Elderly.

Entitled “CitizenFirst…Using Technology To Include All Citizens”, the conference is aimed at public, local and voluntary stakeholders working on providing solutions to social exclusion in local communities by exploring the benefits of ICT. According to MWRA Chairperson, Cllr. Bernard Hanrahan, “Services for citizens are increasingly being deployed by public agencies on a supply-side efficiency basis, without actually determining the needs and wishes of the citizen. This has led to low usage of the services by many citizens, especially those with special needs and/or living in rural areas.”

Ms. Marie Collins, MWRA Project Manager explained that the Authority, in conjunction with Service Providers throughout the Region, had already rolled out numerous successful pilot projects aimed at redressing this imbalance. ‘However, despite the success of the CitizenFirst project we acknowledge that some target groups remain at risk of further exclusion with the digitalisation of public services. In the last year, the project has been working closely with these target groups to further gain the participation of hard to reach, marginalised groups and people with special needs.’

The CitizenFirst Project has brought considerable investment into the region through the installation of Public Internet Kiosks located in Doolin, Kilrush, Ennistymon, Thurles, Nenagh and Limerick City, each providing access to local, regional, public and tourism information to the local resident or passing visitor. The Internet information points involved multi-agency cooperation between the Local Authorities, Shannon Development, Health Services Executive, Enterprise Boards and the Regional Authority. Five other CitizenFirst eInclusion pilots have commenced since November 2007 and are due for completion when the project ends next month.

An online dictionary called “Access Limerick” informs people with disabilities, their families and carers of the accessibility and availability of local cultural and recreational services in Limerick City centre. Each venue is assessed by a person with a disability and rated as to the level of their accessibility. Elsewhere, the MWRA has joined up with Limerick County Library to enhance the lives of their local communities by providing a promotional campaign to highlight the new Assistive Technologies available in the County’s 24 Library Branches. It also involves the loaning of laptops within each library (including the Mobile Library) to enable people to access Internet services using their Wi-Fi/3G networks.

Another Limerick-based pilot focuses on Access and Awareness raising to maximise the effective use of ICTs, and address digital exclusion within socially and economically disadvantaged communities in Limerick City, by supporting community groups to purchase install and manage the resources necessary for delivery of their services. The Limerick City Community ICT Steering Group is a network consisting representatives from the PAUL Partnership and City of Limerick VEC, as well as five community centres in socially and economically disadvantaged areas of the city.

Meanwhile, an ICT initiative in RAPID Areas, including parts of Ennis and Limerick City, is exploring the feasibility of older people using laptops and 3G broadband. The pilot aims to enhance the quality of Older Peoples’ lives through strengthening their relationships to their neighbourhood, family and community of origin by the use of ICT. The MWRA is also redeveloping its website based on Universal Design principles and General Accessibility guidelines to provide accessibility to the widest user audience, including older users and users with disabilities. The website will be the first fully accessible regional authority website in Ireland when it is launched during the upcoming CitizenFirst Final Conference.

MWRA Director Mr. Liam Conneally pointed out that much progress had been made in successfully concentrating on refocusing local and regional activities from organisation driven services to citizen centric services. “Electronic service delivery has the potential to fundamentally change the pattern of service delivery in local government. The challenge for the Mid West Regional Authority has been to ensure that the transformation of services puts the citizen first”, he added.

CitizenFirst is a European co-funded project under INTERREG IIIB North West Europe. The Mid-West Regional Authority is Lead Partner. Other partners include Cambridgeshire County Council (UK), Eindhoven Regional Government (NL) and City of Kortrijk (BE) – all public authorities. Further information on the Citizen First project or the upcoming conference is available from the CitizenFirst website: www.citizen-first.net or the MWRA website: www.mwra.ie

The MWRA can be contacted by telephone (067) 33197 or by email at info@mwra.ie.

Second tragedy for Limerick family

A Limerick family are mourning the loss of their second son who died tragically over the weekend, according to the Limerick Leader newspaper.

Private Alan Boyce, whose body was found in a river in Kilkenny city on Friday night was a private in the Army serving with the 12th Infantry Battalion in Kickham Barracks, Clonmel. 21 year olf Pte Boyce joined the Army less than a year ago and only recently completed his military training.

His older brother, Thomas, who was also in the Army, died in a car crash in Tipperary in 2000. Both men had followed in the footsteps of their father, grandfather and great-grandfather by joining the Army.

Above Left Image: Funeral of of Private Alan Boyce took place in Limerick yesterday evening (pic by Irish Independent)

500 Euro-Per-Year Energy Savings Offered To Limerick/Clare Homeowners

The Limerick Clare Energy Agency today said that the Government’s launch of a Home Energy Saving Scheme had presented the people of Clare and Limerick with an ideal opportunity to improve the energy efficiency of their homes.

The LCEA, along with Clare County Council and Limerick County Council, will administer the multi-million Euro Scheme, which is also being piloted in Dundalk and Tipperary. With an initial investment of €5 million, the regional pilot is designed to inform the rollout of the full scale €100 million national scheme envisaged in the Programme for Government.

“The aim of the Scheme is to encourage homeowners to improve the energy efficiency of their homes in order to reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions”, explained Mr. Pat Stephens, Director of the LCEA. Mr. Stephens said, “The scheme will target older housing as these homes are most in need of energy efficiency retrofitting. By participating in the Scheme, householders in counties Clare and Limerick, with the exception of Limerick City, can potentially save up to €500 on their energy bills every year.”

He added, “Thousands of tonnes of CO2 will also be saved in its first year alone, which will help both counties to make significant savings on their annual carbon levy. The full €100 million scheme is expected to yield greenhouse gas savings of 175,000 tonnes per year.” Outlining the operation of the Scheme across Clare and Limerick, Mr. Stephens stated, “Householders will avail of a Building Energy Rating (BER) assessor to come to their house, give the home a BER rating and advise on the works that need to be carried out to improve energy efficiency. The homeowner will pre-pay €100 towards the cost of this assessment, with Sustainable Energy Ireland subsidising the balance. The Government, therefore, will cover approximately two thirds of the cost of the assessment.”

“The assessor may advise that the house requires such work as attic insulation, interior or exterior wall insulation, low emissions double-glazing, heating control or a range of other energy efficient works. The Government will then cover up to 30% of the cost of these works, to a maximum of €2,500. On completion of the works a follow-up energy assessment on the building will be undertaken so that there is a ‘before and after’ test of what has been done”, he said.Mr. Stephens urged householders across Clare and Limerick to immediately consider the Scheme.

“Homeowners interested in receiving financial assistance in improving the energy efficiency of their own home should call the Lo-Call number that will be advertised by Sustainable Energy Ireland the Government over the coming days. Alternatively, they may view our website at http://www.lcea.ie/ for further information on the Home Energy Saving Scheme”, he concluded.

Agreement On Joint Approach To Promoting Shannon Airport’s Transatlantic Routes

The Mid West Regional Authority and Aer Lingus have agreed a joint approach to consolidating and expanding the flagship carrier’s transatlantic services at Shannon Airport.

During a meeting held in New York this week, both parties put forward a set of proposals geared toward boosting regional support for existing services with a view to developing new business.

Representing Aer Lingus at the meeting in Ireland House, Park Avenue, were Jack Foley, Executive Vice President in North America; Kate Kiernan, Director of Revenues & Business Development; and Helen Maguire, Director Consumer Sales.

Councillor Lily Wallace (Chairperson) and Liam Conneally (Director) represented the Nenagh-based MWRA. Representatives of Clare County Council and Shannon Town Council, including both Mayors, were also present. Councillor Wallace expressed delight that Aer Lingus had pledged its commitment to developing transatlantic services at Shannon Airport. She acknowledged that this commitment was based on the Mid West’s relevant agencies pulling together to market the region as a desirable tourist destination.

“During the meeting Aer Lingus indicated that it would be very interested in working with any parties that could assist in improving load factors on all routes. The airline pointed out that it was not involved with destination marketing but would be willing to work with the Mid West Region if suitable packages and promotional material could be put in place and provided by the region”, explained Councillor Wallace.

According to Mr. Liam Conneally, Director, “Aer Lingus is committed to providing competitive packages for air travellers as a result of the region working together to market its attractiveness, as well as developing competitive packages that complement Aer Lingus fares. Such an understanding presents a win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Commenting on the meeting with Aer Lingus, Mr. Alec Fleming, member of the Regional Tourism Board and Designated Manager, Mid West Regional Authority, stated, “Aer Lingus were very open and expressed a willingness to open their books. I am specially delighted that those representing the airline indicated that they would travel to Mid West Region to further discuss how transatlantic services could be maintained, improved and expanded at Shannon Airport.”

“The Mid West Region has been presented a tremendous opportunity to work with Aer Lingus, which has expressed its willingness to engage in cooperative marketing initiatives. I would urge all relevant agencies, along with the Mid West’s business and tourism sectors, to continue to enhance the attractiveness of the region so as to further build on the co-operative relationship that has been developed with Aer Lingus”, concluded Mr. Fleming.

The Mid-West Regional Authority is one of the Republic of Ireland’s eight statutory regions and comprises the administrative areas of Clare, North Tipperary & Limerick County Councils and Limerick City Council. The Nenagh-based Authority has twenty-six elected representatives and has responsibility to promote the coordinated delivery of Public Services in the Mid-West Region. It is also Secretariat to the Government appointed Shannon Airport Marketing Consultative Committee (SAMCC).

IMAGE - Pictured at a meeting between the Mid West Regional Authority (MWRA) and Aer Lingus officials at Ireland House, Park Avenue, New York, USA, are (front L-R) Councillor Lily Wallace, Chairperson, MWRA; Jack Foley, Executive Vice President in North America, Aer Lingus; Liam Conneally, Director, MWRA; (back L-R) Kate Kiernan, Director of Revenues & Business Development, Aer Lingus; Alec Fleming, member of the Regional Tourism Board and Designated Manager, Mid West Regional Authority; and Helen Maguire, Director Consumer Sales, Aer Lingus.