“Where the river rises” with Jane Clarke

On Sunday 2nd February, poet Jane Clarke presented her exploration of the Avonmore River, “Where The River Rises”, on The Lyric Feature on RTE Lyric FM. Walking through the changing habitats along the river, she meets with local ecologists and naturalists and shares with us her sequence of poems inspired by the river and local history. Jane’s journey follows the river from its source near the Sallygap high in the Wicklow Mountains to where it meets the Avoca River before travelling onwards towards the sea.

As they explore the area near the source of the Avonmore in the bog at Sallygap, ecologist and author Richard Nearn describes how the river at this point trickles slowly out of the bog, before picking up speed and tumbling downhill over rocks and boulders. Jane and Richard travel downstream to an area of the bog where some alder and rowan have been planted alongside the river to gradually spread out into the surrounding bog to try and restore the old woodland that used to occur in the area. These trees will help stabilise the soil and reduce peat from eroding and washing into the river.

Looking out over Lough Tay, Jane speaks with archaeologist Chris Corlett about the clues the landscape offers us about the local population and farming practices from the 1840s. Jane Also speaks with Jean Costelloe who formerly managed and curated Avondale House and Estate about Anna Parnell’s influence and political activism.

Jane Clarke with Faith Wilson (RTE The Lyric Feature, 2025)

Elsewhere, NPWS ranger Hugh McLinden describes the valuable peatland restoration work he is coordinating in the Avonmore catchment. With support from groups of volunteers they are working to re-green the bog by setting up dams and sediment traps that slow the run-off of water down the mountain, allowing pools to form and plants to root.

Overlooking the Vale of Clara, Jane also speaks with ecologist Faith Wilson about the protection the woodland here offers the river by slowing water run-off coming down off the hills, and also helping to absorb nutrient run-off from more intensively managed lands before it reaches the river. Here, it’s also evident that a lot of work is going on to help protect areas of the woodland from non-native species such as sika and fallow deer, which graze young tree saplings before they can get established.

We also hear from Faith about how the Avoca River’s water quality and the surrounding area has improved over time as the mines and nitrate factory ceased operations. Read more about the history of the mines in this area and their impact.

You can listen to Where The River Rises on RTE Lyric FM here and read more from Jane on her relationship with the Avonmore River here.