North Atlantic Skyline - - Photographs from the west of Ireland (Galway, Mayo, Clare, Limerick, Roscommon and even Leitrim)

All Washed Up

Last Gasp - dead trout washed up by the Owenriff river in Oughterard, Co. Galway.

If they ever want to remake the Muppet Show, there's a cast just waiting to be asked here in Galway. Right now, they are trying to run the water supply, but no-one will miss them if they decide to go. At 6.30 am this morning, a leaflet plopped through the letterbox from the City, urging us all to conserve water. It wasn't too hard to do - there wasn't any water coming through the taps since yesterday afternoon in the west of the city.

You'd wonder how there could be a shortage of water in Galway - if it's not falling on your head, it's practically flowing through the streets. The river Corrib is in full spate, and despite all the reconstructions, most of the mill-races and canals still exist in the city, and they too are full. Just last night, while taking a few night shots near a canal lock-gate, an otter popped his head up for a look at the strange creature wrestling with a tripod on the bank. He swam around for a bit, had another look before swimming off. [Despite my travels around rivers and lakes across the west over the last few years, that's the first live otter I've ever seen in Ireland].

On the morning after the Galway Camera Club celebrated the 2007 Xmas party in Oughterard (we like to start early), I drove down to "The Shrubbery" park through which the Owenriff river flows. Like every other river in the west, the water level was much higher than a couple of weeks ago. There was a 'tide mark' of leaves along the grass marking where the river had been even higher the previous day or two. In the middle of the river (which is only a stream in summer), there is a small island (only a few yards wide and about 12 yards long), which is linked by an ornamental bridge (above). On the island on Sunday morning was a dead trout (pictured, top). It was either trapped among tree roots when the water receded (I suspect that the island was inundated when the river was in full flood) or maybe the toil of swimming in a torrent wore out the fish and it just washed up there. Either way, it wasn't long dead when I found it - there was hardly a mark on it, and it was a good size (more than a foot long). Just the sort of snack a passing otter would love.

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Posted by Monasette at December 11, 2007 08:24 PM