https://www.rte.ie/news/regional/2025/0409/1506769-fisheries-sewage
I want to highlight another serious water pollution incident was brought to court. Uisce Éireann polluted a small stream which eventually feeds into lough Sheelin last May. Raw sewage was discharged into the Pound River, a spawning tributary of the Mountnugent River resulting in a fish kill.
The problem is this is not an isolated, unfortunate accident. This is a near daily occurrence in Ireland, yet little seems to be happening to stop it. You can see why of course, a fine of €3,000 is way cheaper than spending money on prevention. Back up pumps, effective bunding, new monitoring equipment – it is all expensive in purely monetary terms and nobody wants to spend the cash.
Lough Sheelin has long been plagued by pollution, surrounded as it is by intensive farming. Trout stocks have been good in some years but collapsed during other periods. The last survey I could find shows this clearly. https://www.fisheriesireland.ie/sites/default/files/2023-02/lough-sheelin-fish-stock-survey-2022.pdf The last thing a fishery like Sheelin needs is raw sewage finding its way into the lake!
It has been decades since I fished Sheelin, but I hope to remedy that this year. My recollections are of a tough venue with many blank days, offset by very occasional huge brown trout that fought like demons when hooked.
Claretbumbler 