Article by Paula Corcoran Monkstown Tidy District Group
Although I have lived in Monkstown since 1984, it had not really registered with me that there is a stream in Monkstown. Now that I have discovered it, I find it draws me again and again to check up on how it is doing and to listen to the sound of the flowing water, bubbling away…precious water. I discovered that Monkstown Castle was built where it was built because there was a supply of fresh water.
Teri Hayes, who is a fellow member of the Monkstown Tidy District group, is passionate about water. Ever since the group was formed last year, she has been wanting to get stuck in and wanting to let the river run free.
We decided to ask for help with the task and also with a view to involving young people and spreading the word in our community, Michael Garvey and Teri got in touch with
CBC Monkstown and asked if Transition Year Students could help with what needed to be done. We are very grateful that everyone there including the Principal, the Transition Year Head , the Rugby Coach and the Transition Year Students responded enthusiastically.
On Saturday 6th October the lads and teachers arrived at 10.30 at the Hall behind St Patrick’s Church on Alma Place, where the stream is visible and what a turn out! They are some of the nicest young people you could meet and a credit to their teachers and school. They were so nice to each other. They got stuck in and worked solidly and cheerfully for over two hours. They lived up to their school values of having an ability to work in teams, being attentive, being busy, being committed, competent and confident.
One group got waders on, got into the stream and pulled up weeds that were choking the stream, and they had a relay system going, in order to land a huge amount of weeds on a huge sheets of plastic laid out on the bank. Another group of Students along with Brendan McCormack from the Monkstown Tidy District group, who did trojan work with his chainsaw, cleared the other side of the bridge and bit by bit the water began to flow and bubble. What a great sound and a great reward!
Two other groups went to Richmond Green which is next to That’s Amore. One group cleared the stream for some distance so that there was another lovely flow of water while another group cut back much of the broken branches and greenery which has been let go wild. What a transformation of the area in so short a time! Everything was piled up neatly or put into bags. DLR supported our efforts by collecting it all during the following week.
In the meantime other people had turned up for our usual Saturday morning Clean Up at 10.30 – 11.30 and had picked up litter and swept in the village. That was a great day.
More work needs to be done on the stream but it is a start.