Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers' Association

History Book 1974 - 2007

Table of Contents

Author's Note
Introduction
Chapter 1 Committees and Membership
Chapter 2 Pollution of the River Liffey by Dublin Corporation's Water Treatment Plant
Appendix 1 Sludge Pollution of Liffey, Press cuttings
Chapter 3  Water Chemistry
Chapter 4 Kildare County Council's Sewage Plant at Ballymore Eustace
Chapter 5 Fishing Rights
Chapter 6 Restocking, Trout Farm at Whiteleas and various other works.
Chapter 7 Liffey Aquaduct Duplication Scheme.
Chapter 8 Inland Fisheries and Pollution Legislation.
Chapter 9 The Strands and River Liffey Walk.
Chapter 10 An Bord Gais Eireann Cork - Dublin Gas Pipeline Crossing of Liffey
Chapter 11 Wicklow County Council's Blessington Sewerage Scheme.
Chapter 12 Dublin Corporation's Water Abstraction from Poulaphouca Reservoir.
Appendix 2 Water Abstraction and Blessington Sewerage, Press Cuttings.
Chapter 13 Proposed Development at Broadleas, Ballymore Eustace
Chapter 14 KTK Landfill, Nursing Home, Comfort Hotel Tulfarris, etc.
Chapter 15 Angling Competitions

Including photographs and appendices the History Book contains 246 pages.
The History Book was launched on the 7th December 2007.

Copies of the History Book are still on sale.

Authors Note.
This is a pretty detailed history of the Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association from its formation in February 1974 to October 2007.  It is told as it happened and contains the good, the bad and the ugly.  It is not intended as an easy read, being instead an attempt to put on record the difficult and long drawn out task that faced the Association in overcoming the serious pollution and other threats to the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace.  Looking over the Liffey Bridge in Ballymore Eustace today and seeing for the most part a sparkling river below, it is hard to imagine that only twenty years ago the river was seriously polluted by aluminium hydroxide sludge from Dublin Corporation’s Water Treatment Plant, known locally as the Filter Beds.  Having seen the river polluted at that time it is hard to imagine how any living organism could have survived in the chocolate coloured water.  Walking in the river resulted in clouds of settled out sludge rising from the bed of the river and off any vegatation that managed to survive having its light blocked out by the sludge polluted water.  The growth of trout was stunted due to lack food organisms in the polluted water and all in all the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace was a sad sight. 

A David and Goliath struggle erupted; a small local Association was formed to take on the might and power of Dublin Corporation.  At first we were ignored but if the Corporation thought that we would fade away they were in for a big surprise.  Being snubbed only made us more determined than ever and we quickly realized that we were in for a long drawn out battle if we were to restore the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace to anything like its former glory.
Meeting after meeting was held and after each meeting, as Secretary I had a pain in my arm writing letters in longhand before my wife Mary typed them up on the old typewriter. Letters and reports were sent to everyone and anyone we thought might help our cause.  The word processor was a Godsend when it became a household item.
Many other issues arose such as Water Abstraction from Poulaphouca Reservoir, Blessington Sewage Treatment Plant discharge into Golden Falls Lake, Ballymore Eustace Sewage Plant discharge into the Liffey, etc.  If the Corporation were in for a surprise then the Association was also in for a surprise and shock at the number of times we would be misled by various officials from the top down.
I have never come across men who were committed to a cause as much as the Ballymore men who formed the first committees of the Association.  Although as Secretary my name appears on most of the correspondence, the committees were the tough taskmasters dictating most of the action.  Many of the founding members of the Association are still serving members of the present day committee but unfortunately many also passed away while still holding office in the Association.  May they and all our deceased members, rest in peace.
I believe the story of the Ballymore Eustace Trout and Salmon Anglers’ Association is worth telling as it shows what can be achieved by a small group of dedicated people working together.  Looking at the trout that were weighed in at angling competitions during 2007 I believe it is fair to say that the Liffey at Ballymore Eustace is back to its former glory and I wish to say a sincere thanks to everyone who helped us achieve what at times appeared to be the impossible.
Now, if only Kildare County Council would build a proper tertiary sewage treatment plant for Ballymore Eustace and we could be certain that Wicklow County Council had stopped polluting Golden Falls Lake with effluent from Blessington Sewage Treatment Plant and we could be sure that Dublin City Council would never again pollute the Liffey with aluminium hydroxide sludge or abstract too much water from Poulaphouca Reservoir, life would be sweet and we could concentrate on ‘thistle downing’ a Blue Winged Olive over that beauty in the Ferny Inch!!