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Waste Management Plan for the Connaught Region

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2. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE AREA

2.1 INTRODUCTION

The Connaught region is on the Atlantic seaboard of Ireland and is noted for its scenic beautyand rural landscape making it a renowned tourist destination. It is a sparsely populatedmountainous countryside speckled with low stone walls and peat bogs. The counties ofGalway, Mayo, Sligo, Leitrim and Roscommon make up the region which has a population of433,231 occupying 133,323 households (Census, 1996). The province has an area of 1.77million hectares or one quarter of the state with only 12% of the population. The principaltowns in the region are Galway, Castlebar, Sligo, Roscommon and Carrick-on-Shannon.

TopographyThe topography is variable combining mountains, lowland plains, rivers and inland lakes. Themain relief consists of Maumturk Mts, Partry Mts, Nephin Beg Range and the Ox Mts, whichfollow alongside a spectacular coastline situated on the Atlantic seaboard. The highest pointMweelrea is 817m OD and is situated just north of Killary Harbour in County Mayo. The othermajor peaks range between 525m and 810m. Both the Nephin Beg Range and the Partry Mtscontain corries, a glacial feature from the Ice Age. Stretching across northern Connaughtfrom west to north east is a drumlin belt that ends in Clew Bay, but due to eustaticmovements the drumlins in Clew Bay are now a series of islands. Lough Corrib and LoughMask divide the mountains on the west from the fertile land of the east. The climate is mildand wet with mean annual rainfall ranging from between 1200mm in the eastern part of theregion to 1600mm - 2000mm in the western part of the region. The mountainous areas of theMaumturk, Mweelrea and Partry Mountains can receive an annual rainfall as high as2500mm.

The higher river valleys have been created by glaciation being typically V-shaped in thehigher reaches and moderating to U-shaped at lower elevations. This area was heavilyglaciated, even the low-lying portions are stripped of soil and the rock surfaces featureinnumerable small lakes and bog patches.

A large proportion of the western region of Connaught is designated Nature Reserves such asConnemara National Park (2,699 ha). The blanket bogs and moorland of Connemara haveunusual bog and heathland plants. Connaught has a number of Special Protection Areassuch as Galway Bay Inner, Killala Bay, Broadhaven, Inskea Island, Cumeen Strand andDrumcliff Bay. The Western Way, a walker’s attraction runs through Connaught, north tosouth in a direction from Ballina to Oughterard. Clean beaches, scenic walks and peace andquiet provided by this remote western corner of Ireland attract visitors seeking a uniquecultural and social experience.

The CoastlineThe Connaught coastline varies from mountainous in Counties Galway and Mayo to flatterrelief in Counties Sligo and Leitrim. The coastline in Counties Galway and Mayo in particularis highly indented with many peninsulas and small islands. Connaught is an important fishingregion due to the extensive coastline comprising of islands, broad bays and narrow fjords.Inland lakes and rivers offer scenic splendour and an opportunity for the keen angular. Table2.1 below shows the main ports in the region.

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Table 2.1: Ports in the RegionPort CountiesAchill Co MayoKillary Co Mayo

Westport Co MayoBallyglass Co Mayo

Clarinbridge Co. GalwayCleggan/ Clifden Co Galway

Galway Co GalwayKinvara Co Galway

Rossaveal Co. GalwayRoundstone Co. Galway

Tully/ Renvyle Co. GalwaySligo Co Sligo

By far the largest fishing port in Connaught is at Rossaveal, County Galway. Connaught alsohas a number of other significant harbours including Galway, Westport, Ballina and Sligo.There are also a number of smaller piers serving offshore islands. This coastline has manyareas of natural beauty; Natural Heritage Areas and Special Protection areas are alsopresent. The coastline also features a number of European Union designated Blue FlagBeaches, which are considered excellent for recreational use. In 1999 the beaches inConnaught that received a Blue Flag were;

Co. Galway: Kinvarra (Traught), An Spidéal (Trá na Mban), An Cheathru Rua (Trá anDoilin), Cill Mhuirbthigh, Loughrea

Co. Mayo: Carrowmore, Old Head, Bertaw, Clare Island (The Harbour), Mulranny, Achill(Dooega, Doogort, Keem, Keel, Golden Strand), Belmullet (Elly Bay,Mullaghroe) and Killala (Ross).

Co Sligo: Enniscrone, Rosses Point, Mullaghmore.

County Mayo also has three beaches designated under the Bathing Water Directives, Rinroe,Carrowtigue and Belmullet Harbour. There are a number of inhabited islands situated off thecoast of Galway and Mayo, the Aran islands (Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer), Inishbofin,Inishturk, Clare Island and Inishbiggle. The Aran islands, lie at the mouth of Galway Bay andare an extension of the Burren Landscape of County Clare comprising bare limestoneexposure with many heritage attractions. Off the Mayo coast is Achill Island, here themountains lie around the coast providing vantage points from which to enjoy the sea andlandscapes of natural and wild beauty. Connaught has a number of designated seasideresorts, such as Salthill, Westport, Achill and Enniscrone.

2.2 HYDROLOGY

Connaught has three main catchments, the Moy, Corrib and Shannon. There are also thougha number of smaller catchments, e.g., the Suck (Area, 617sq miles), Ballisodare (Area, 251sqmiles) and Garvogue (Area, 139sq miles).

The Moy catchment is located in counties Mayo and Sligo with a total area of 2,100 Km2.There are some 278 lakes in the catchment as a whole, with Loughs Conn and Cullen greaterthan 10km2 in area and a further 22 greater than 10 ha. The River Moy is the most importantwith a main channel length of 90km. In the early 1980’s a Water Quality Management Planwas created by An Forbás Foirbairt for the Moy Catchment.

Another main catchment in Connaught is the Corrib consisting of three main lakes LoughsCarra, Mask and Corrib which eventually drain into the sea at Galway Bay. The westernborders of the Shannon catchment are defined by the Rivers Lung and Suck, which arise fromthe counties Sligo and Roscommon. The Shannon rises in the Cuilcagh Mountains at an


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elevation of 120m and on leaving this area it winds through the drumlin masses of CountyLeitrim. This catchment is extensive occupying 17% of the land area of Ireland. In Co.Leitrim the Shannon-Erne Waterway links the Rivers Shannon and Erne creating 750km ofcruising waterway.

In the 1960’s the Moy catchment had extensive arterial drainage carried out on it. This wasundertaken in order to improve drainage of farmlands in the catchment and to relieve flooding.This drainage scheme resulted in the disappearance of a number of lakes in the southern partof the catchment and the reduction in size of others e.g. Lough Conn.

Biological River Water QualityBiological water quality in Ireland is determined by a Q value developed originally by AnForbartha now the EPA. A database on river water quality is maintained by the EPA compiledfrom a series of samples taken from each river throughout the country and is regularlyupdated. The Q rating ranges from 5 to 1; Q value 5 being water of the highest quality. Otherparameters such as B.O.D., dissolved oxygen, phosphate levels, and macrophytes are alsoincluded in this database. Table 2.2 illustrates the ranking in the ‘Q value’ system.

Table 2.2: EPA Index of Biological Water QualityBiotic Index or ‘Q value’ Community Diversity Water Quality ConditionQ5 High Good SatisfactoryQ4 Slightly Reduced Fair SatisfactoryQ3 Significantly Reduced Doubtful UnsatisfactoryQ2 Low Poor UnsatisfactoryQ1 Very Low Bad Unsatisfactory

Source: EPA (1996 & 1997) “Interim Report on the Biological Survey of River Quality” EPA.

Main Rivers in ConnaughtRiver water quality in Connaught as a whole is good. The water quality of the principal riversin Connaught is shown below;

River Owenmore: In 1997 the Q value was on average Q4. It was mostly satisfactory butdistinctly eutrophic in the middle and lowermost reaches. At three sampling station, numbers0200, 0250 and 0900 there has been a significant decline in water quality in comparison to1994 values.River Clare: In 1996 all the stations on the river were between Q values 3 and 4. Much ofthe river was eutrophic and only two of the stations sampled were satisfactory in condition.Moy River: Water quality between 1995-1997 showed that this river was mainly unpolluted.Near to Ballina there was one site that was classified as slightly polluted.River Suck: Almost 40% of the sites surveyed in 1996 were unsatisfactory. The upperreaches though had Q values of between 4 and 5 except upstream of Lough O’Flynn wherethe quality was Q3-4.Black River: The Q values were on average Q4 but near Shrule being half way down theriver, the values were between 4 and 5. In 1997 improvements have been noted on this river.River Corrib: The Q value here was 4 but it must be noted that this river is lake influenced.Robe River: In June 1993 the upper Robe was satisfactory but from Crossboyne toHollymount a eutrophic reach was noted primarily due to the impact of effluents from theClaremorris region. The lower section from Rosbeen Bridge to Lough Mask was classified assatisfactory. A major improvement is noted in summertime downstream of Ballinrobe, due tothe installation of a new sewage works with a phosphate removal stage.Bunowen River: Both sites here had satisfactory conditions.Erriff River: This river was generally satisfactory, but previously noted overgrazing in thelower catchment of the Erriff and in some of its upper tributaries can be expected to have animpact on water quality.Owenduff River: This river held a classification of Q4, being satisfactory.Owengarve River: Both sites in 1997 were satisfactory and the faunal diversity hasincreased somewhat at this location.


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2.3 GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY

2.3.1 Geology

The Geology of Connaught varies from West to East. In the West the geology ispredominantly Caledonian with both igneous and metamorphic rocks. In the Connemara areathe rocks range from Silurian and Ordivician to Dalradian in origin while in Galway intrusiveGranites predominate. In the East the main origin of the solid geology are the Devonian andCarboniferous in Counties Roscommon and East Galway. Further north in the region theDalradian, Ox Mountain/Ross’s point Inlier is the main geological feature comprised ofgranites and schists.

Counties Sligo and Leitrim are dominated by middle and Upper Carboniferous Limestones.These are split by the Ox Mountain/Ross’s Point Inlier which is a much older granitic igneousintrusion with metamorphic schists and gneiss also apparent in the Ross’s Point section of theInlier. The mountains of this Inlier have been formed predominantly through folding in theDalradian or possibly the Cambro-Ordivician. The tectonic activity including folding andfaulting in this area has produced a series of metamorphic rocks. The Ox Mountains consistof mainly Granodiorite with pockets of schist and granites. Further north just south of LoughGill the Inlier features more complex metamophised rocks.

The Carboniferous rocks in the north east of the region are predominantly calcareousLisgorman Shales and Bricklieve Limestones. To the west of Lough Allen there are moreUpper Carboniferous formations, such as the Dergvone Shale Formation and Sandstoneformations such as the Glenade sandstone formation and Lackagh Sandstone formation. InCounty Leitrim there are also small pockets of Milestone Grit with coal in places.

As we move south in the region the geology becomes more uniform being predominantlylower or middle carboniferous limestone. County Roscommon is dominated by ShallowWater Limestones with small areas of Devonian Old Red Sandstone.

Further West the geology becomes much more complex. Coastal Mayo is dominated by aseries of metamorphic rocks with igneous intrusions. The Erris Complex contains Gneiss’sand Schists with intrusive dykes. Further inland the Dalradian is separated from the ErrisComplex by a series of faults. These rocks are again schists that have been metamorphisedfrom marine sedimentary rocks. The area surrounding Ballina is comprised mainly ofCarboniferous Sandstones (the Maam and Glencullin River Formations), with someCalcareous Shales to the West of Ballina. The Castlebar River Limestones and sandy LoughAkeel Oolite feature as we move east to Castlebar. While there are small areas of Old RedSandstone present just east of Beltra Lough.

Co. Galway geology features the Connemara Mountains in the West and merges with thecentral lowlands to the East. Connemara is comprised of Silurian and Ordivician rock in theNorth around the Sheefry Hills and Croagh Patrick with a small granitic intrusion just south ofLouisburgh. As we move south we encounter the Connemara Inlier, this consists of Dalradianrocks similar to those in County Mayo. The area around Ballyconneely consists of igneousrocks that have been strongly metamorphised to Metagabbro and Gneiss. The area aroundGalway is predominantly Galway Granite formed during the early Devonian or lateCaledonian.

East Galway is similar to the geology of Roscommon comprising mainly of CarboniferousLimestones with small areas of Old Red Sandstone and Mudstone around the areas ofLoughrea and Portumna. Figure 2.2 illustrates the bedrock geology for the ConnaughtRegion. This map was constructed using information from the Geological Survey Ireland(GSI) and Sligo County Council.

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2.3.2 Hydrogeology

Hydrogeology in the Connaught region is dominated by the regionally important limestoneaquifers. These aquifers vary in size and quality. The coarser Limestones in the North Westof the Region particularly in County Sligo have a considerable yield and capacity as do theLimestones in East County Galway and Roscommon. Further South and West in the Regionthe water bearing rocks are few the geology being mainly igneous and metamorphic in originresulting in secondary porosity only.

In County Sligo the Upper Carboniferous Limestone formations are the Regionally ImportantAquifers as classified by the EPA. The main Aquifer in the area is the Bricklieve Limestoneformation ranging from Tobercurry in the West to Drumkeeran in the East. Other aquifers inCounty Sligo include the Ballyshannon formation north of Glencar Lough and the Oakportformation on the eastern edge of the Ox Mountains. These aquifers are all classed asregionally important aquifers and are illustrated in Figure 2.3 overleaf. The majority of theseregionally important aquifers are Karstified and yields can therefore be variable.

Locally important aquifers in the North of the Region are predominantly Quaternary Sand andGravels. These are smaller yielding aquifers and in the main are used for private watersupplies.

In Leitrim south of Glenfarn there are Lower Carboniferous and Devonian rocks that are waterbearing, the Glenade Sandstone formation contains a small aquifer, as does the MullaghmoreSandstone near Sligo Town.

Poor aquifers in the region are associated with the igneous and metamorphic rocks in the OxMountains. The yields in this area are low, flow being mainly through fractures in the upperlevels of the rock and would therefore be unavailable in dry periods. The West Coast of theregion in Connemara, and Mayo is also considered to be an area of poor aquifers as thepredominant geology is igneous and metamorphic in origin providing little porosity andpermeability.

However, there are some locally important aquifers along the Western Coast of Mayo and inthe Connemara area. These include the Barney and Westport Limestones in Mayo and Sandand Gravel aquifers in the Letterfrack/Kylemore area of Connemara. The Granites in theWest of County Galway can give small yields, this is greatest in the fault zone and variable asflow is localised and prone to dry periods.

Further south the main aquifers are situated in the east of the region. In Roscommon andGalway a regionally important Lower Carboniferous Limestone aquifer is present fromOughterard and Moycullen in the West, to Elphin and Athlone in the East. This area isconsidered to be Karstified resulting in a high flow but variable yields in the aquifers. There isa small pocket of Old Red Sandstone which is a locally important aquifer just north ofBallygar. In the Southeast the Loughrea to Portumna area is predominantly MuddyLimestone and Red Sandstone with poor yields however there may be some privatelyoperated boreholes in the area.

2.3.2.1 Groundwater Usage

The definition of a Groundwater source for water supply has here been considered to includesupply from artesian sources and underground rivers.

Groundwater Usage is currently divided into Public and Private Schemes. These are in themain Group schemes with a relatively small number of single owned private wells. The Tablebelow shows the number of schemes in each county of the Region.

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Table 2.3: Groundwater Scheme in the Connaught RegionCounty % of Total Water Supply Public Private

Sligo 15 1 87Leitrim 11 0 158Roscommon 80 16 50Mayo 20 8 69Galway 70 45 384

The Private schemes also include wells serving single premises. There is also the possibilitythat many private wells in this category have not been recorded.

The proportion of groundwater usage is not reflected in the number of schemes but in theproportion of the total water supply. Currently 80% of the current water supply in Roscommoncomes from Groundwater while this figure falls to 11% in County Lietrim. The proportion ofgorundwater abstracted is not a function of the number of wells or schemes within the regionbut of the yield from boreholes. In Roscommon for example while there is a moderatenumber of schemes the percentage of the total water supply derived from groundwater isrelatively high.

Well yields in the region vary from 30,000m3/day to just 4m3/day. The largest well yieldsbeing in County Sligo in the Toberpatrick area. It is essential that aquifers do not suffer fromoverabstraction when pumping rates exceed the recharge rate of the aquifer.

2.4 POPULATION

2.4.1 Rural Population

Certain rural districts have very low population density, making cost-effective waste collectionvery difficult. Examples of such areas are Leitrim, which has the lowest population density inthe country, and areas of west Mayo and Galway. The distribution of housing in such areas isnot typically concentrated into villages but is of a dispersed and ribband nature, sometimeswith road access not suitable for large vehicles.

The total population of the region minus the populations of Galway and Sligo boroughs was357,481 people in 1996. Of this only 80,000 or 22% lived in towns of greater than 500people, meaning that the vast majority (over a quarter of a million people) of the populationreside in a markedly rural zone.

2.4.2 Urban Population

The scale of urban population centres is very important in waste management terms; itinfluences factors such as collection costs, viability of certain waste treatment and theprovision for civic amenity facilities. Table 2.4 below sets out the sizes of the urban centres inConnaught.

Galway city is the major population centre in the province, and showed the highest growthrate in Ireland for the period 1991-1996. The development plan for Galway Corporationpredicts a continued expansion, and the overall population for the conurbation could surpass90,000 by the 2001 census. Sligo is the next largest town with a population in the region of20,000 in 1996.

The other population centres are all less than 10,000 people. Ballina and Castlebar are thenext largest towns in the region (population c.8,500) and there are five towns whosepopulation is in the region of 3,000- 6,000 people: Ballinasloe, Tuam, Westport, Roscommontown and Loughrea.


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Table 2.4: Population of Urban Centres in ConnaughtGalway Mayo Sligo Roscommon Leitrim

Population

>10,000 Galway City Sligo City

6,000-10,000 BallinaCastlebar

3,000-6,000 Ballinasloe Westport RoscommonTuam

Loughrea

1,000-3,000 Athenry Claremorris Tubbercurry Boyle Carrick-on-ShannonOranmore Swinford Castlerea Manorhamilton

Gort Ballinrobe Ballaghad'nBallyhaunisCrossmolina

500-1000 7 towns 8 towns 6 towns 2 towns 3 towns

2.5 TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE

2.5.1 Road Network

The road infrastructure in Connaught (Figure 2.4) is an extensive network of minor roadspunctuated by a number of major corridors. The pattern is dictated by the topography of thecountry in the western region but further east towards Roscommon the topography becomesless important in defining the road network. The rail network is dominated by north to southand west to east routes that again follow the topography of the land. The road network formsthe basis for most transportation and distribution within the country. Management andplanning of the national road network is undertaken by the National Roads Authority and theCounty Councils in the corresponding counties. At present in Galway City there is an ongoingPlanning and Transportation Study which could identify the need for additional works such asan extra river crossing or outer bypass of the city.

Connaught forms part of the East/West and the Western Road Corridor. In the East/WestCorridor Dublin is joined to Galway and to Sligo by a strategic corridor and Westport is joinedto this route by a strategic corridor link. The western road strategic corridor runs from Galwayacross the region through Claremorris ending in Sligo.

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Table 2.5: A sample of ‘Traffic Counts on the National Roads in 1995’Route Section 1995 AADT % HGV

N 4 Sligo/Collooney 12,000-16,000 6-8N 5 Westport/Castlebar 6,000 8N 6 Galway/Oranmore 15,500 8N 15 Bundoran/Sligo 4,500-7,500 6-10N 16 Manorhamilton 2,500 8-10N 17 Claregalway/Galway 11,000 7N 18 Claregalway/ Oranmore 3,000 11N 26 Ballina / Foxford 4,000 9N 59 Ballisodare/Ballina 2,000-2,500 9-11N 59 Oughterard/Galway 5,500 5N 60 Castlerea/ Roscommon 2,500-3,5000 8-12N 61 Tulsk/Roscommon 2,500-4,500 8-13N 63 Mountbellew/Roscommon 2,000-4,000 5-17N 84 Galway/Headford 2,500-4,000 5-9

AADT- Annual Average Daily Traffic, number of vehicles.HGV- Heavy Goods Vehicles.

The table above gives a brief selection of the number of vehicles travelling in the Connaughtregion. Many of the routes above are entering a large town or city so consequently there is aheavy volume of traffic on these roads. Due to these heavy volumes of traffic there isongoing improvements being carried out on many of these roads as the table below identifies.

The National Roads Authority recently published its strategy for expansion and improvementover the coming years National Road Needs Study. To cater for the predicted increase intraffic major upgrades have been planned, see the following small sample.

Table 2.6: Major Road Improvement PlannedN 4 Construction of the Sligo Relief Road to dual carriageway standardN 5 Construction of the Charlestown Bypass to a two lane standardN 6 Construction of the Craughwell Bypass to a reduced dual carriagewayN 15 Construction of a wide 2 lane road from Bundoran to SligoN 16 Construction of the Manorhamilton Bypass to a two lane standardN 18 Construction of Claregalway to Oranmore two lane standardN 26 Construction of a two lane standard from Ballina to Foxford

National Primary RoutesThe national primary roads offer the highest level of road link in terms of capacity and roadquality. The N17 which links Galway to Sligo is the principal artery running centrally down theregion. This is a high quality route with single carriageway and hardshoulder for most of itslength. Connaught Regional Airport at Knock is situated near the crossing of the N17 and theN5 at Charlestown.

In the East-West direction there are three primary routes linking Connaught to the Midlandsand East: the N4 serving Sligo, the N5 serving Castlebar (these roads converge at Longford)and the N6 serving Galway. These routes are predominately single carriageway (with andwithout hard shoulder) with certain sections of dual carriageway. The N15 and N16 link Sligowith Donegal and Fermanagh respectively. From Galway the N18 provides the link withCounty Clare and Shannon Airport. Towards the Midlands most traffic to or from Connaughtpasses through either Longford or Athlone.


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National Secondary RoutesThe secondary road network follows a denser regional pattern, linking the main Connaughttowns and providing tourism routes in the region. The standards of secondary routes varybut they are predominately single carriageway without hard shoulder. There are certaintowns which act as nuclei for these roads (Castlebar, Tuam and Roscommon town forexample) where secondary and regional roads converge radically. Certain secondary routesare quite important in the region, since they fill in the gaps left by the primary road network.Examples are the N61 through Sligo/Leitrim to Roscommon/Athlone, and the N63 fromRoscommon to Galway and the N84 from Mayo to Galway. The N59 follows close to thecoast of Connaught all the way from Sligo, through Ballina, Newport, Clifden to Galway.

Regional and County RoadsAlthough not as heavily trafficked as the National routes, the regional roads in Connaughtcarry all local and tourist traffic. The high density of public roadways is a result of the smallholding size and very high population of former years. The roads tend to lead into the localsecondary or primary road hub in a radial manner. The regional roads generally follow thelocal topography, e.g. roads through the major valleys. For example the R344 passesbetween the Twelve Pins and Maumturk Mts, with the R336 running parallel in the valley tothe east. The R341 from Clifden travels south along the flat coastal plain meeting the R342,R340 and R336 winding its way along the coast of Galway Bay into the city of Galway. Thisalso occurs in the north of Connaught where the main proportion of the regional roads link anisland (Achill Island) R319, the peninsulas e.g. R313 and the coastline, e.g. R314 and R297.Towards the centre of Connaught the roads form a more radial pattern with the topographybecoming less important. The R293 is an important north-south route starting south of Sligoand travelling through Ballymote, Ballaghadereen and Ballyhaunis. Many of the dwellings inConnaught are situated on these regional roads which tend to be narrow in isolated areas.

2.5.2 Rail Network

The rail network offers the potential for waste transfer within the region, and also connectswell with regions surrounding Connaught. There are three principal arteries servicing theregion: a line from Sligo to Dublin via Longford and Mullingar; lines from Westport/Castlebarand Ballina which join at Manulla Junction and link with Athlone and Dublin, and a line fromGalway city to Athenry and Athlone. In a north-south direction, the line from Athenry toClaremorris is still in use, although not for passenger services. Although closed at present,the rail line between Colooney and Claremorris is largely still in place, and could potentially bere-opened given significant investment for remedial works. Without this link, rail transfer fromSligo to the rest of Connaught would have to be via Mullingar. The North-South link fromAthenry to Gort and Ennis and Limerick is open but not in ideal condition.

The existing passenger services terminate in Sligo, Westport, Ballina and Galway. Theprincipal types of freight transported using rail in the region at present are timber logs (loadedat Galway, Ballina and Westport), beer (transported from Dublin) and fertiliser and cement.

2.5.3 Airport

Connaught has four airports that parallel the pattern of the National Primary Road and raillines. They are at Sligo in the north near the N4 and the Dublin to Sligo line, to the west atHoran International Airport, County Mayo near to the N5 and the Dublin to Westport line, tothe south-west at Carnmore east of Galway city and close to the N6 and the Dublin to Galwayrail line and further west of Galway City at Inveran is an airport that services the Aran islands.It is situated near the R336 being the coast road into the City of Galway. Horan InternationalAirport between Charlestown and Knock was established to give the North-West an airportcapable of handling large aircraft which would be of use to the severely isolated North-Eastcorner of Connaught, particularly providing a regional link to Britain and Europe.


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2.5.4 Ferry Network

The island communities off the Connaught coast depend on ferries only for transportation withthe exception of the Aran Islands which are served by Aer Arann from Connemara Airport atInverin. The principal ferries services are as follows:-

• Aran Islands: services to/from Rossaveal, Galway City and Doolin (to/from Inisheer only)• Inishbofin: ferry service to/from Cleggan, Co. Galway.• Clare Island: ferry service to/from Roonagh Quay, Co. Mayo.

2.6 COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY

2.6.1 Commerce

The Central Statistics Office figures for employment in various sectors of the economy arepresented on a regional basis. The chart below shows the relative breakdown of employmentin this area, for figures supplied in 1997. In total there are 111,195 people at work in theConnaught Region. The industrial locations are shown in Figure 2.5.

2.6.2 Manufacturing Industries

Further information on the distribution of employment within the manufacturing industries inConnaught was compiled from a survey carried out for the waste management strategy studyin 1998/99. The references of companies used were the IDA List of ManufacturingCompanies, the Forbairt Directory of Manufacturing Industries and the Roscommon CountyEnterprise Board’s Directory of Industrial Enterprises. These directories list all industrialcompanies in the study area and classify employment into various sizes, (1-10, 11-50, 51-200

0

1 0 0 0

2 0 0 0

3 0 0 0

4 0 0 0

5 0 0 0

6 0 0 0

7 0 0 0

8 0 0 0

Food/DrinkTextile

s

Wood Products

Paper & Printing

Chemicals

Rubber/Plastics

Metals

Electrical/Optica

lOthers

Medical Components

Software/IT

IN D U S T R Y S E C T O R

E s tim a t e d N o . o f E m p lo y e e s p e r S e c t o r o f I n d u s t r y , C o n n a u g h t R e g i o n

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and >200 employees). Where the actual no. of employees was not known, a mid-intervalvalue was used. The chart above shows the estimated number of employees in the principalindustrial classes in Connaught. These sectors correspond to the NACE classification systemfor industry, which conforms with the EPA National Waste Database shown in Table 2.7below.

The principal sector of industrial employment is the manufacture of medical components. Thisis a result of multi-national investment in Connaught. Electrical, electronic and opticalequipment production is also a high employer in the region. Traditional sectors of industry ofmetal fabrication and of food production are also maintaining a high number of employees.There are certain areas within the region where one industry type is concentrated, forexample in Sligo there are many precision engineering and moulding firms, in NorthRoscommon there are several agri-food factories, in Galway city the electronic and softwareindustry is to the fore. The sector “Others” comprises of companies involved in miscellaneouscompany types including stonework, crafts, mining/quarrying and manufacturing not classifiedelsewhere.

Table 2.7: Number of Employees per NACE sector in the Connaught RegionSector Description Waste per

Employee(tonnes/annum)

DA Manufacture of Food Products; Beverages & Tobacco 3,963DB Manufacture of Textiles & Textile Products 1,089DC Manufacture of Leather & Leather Products 353DD Manufacture of Wood & Wood Products 1,874DE Manufacture of Pulp, Paper & Paper Products; Printing & Publishing 619DG Manufacture of Chemicals, Chemical Products & Man-Made Fibres 1,162DH Manufacture of Rubber & Plastic Products 1,564DJ Manufacture of Basic Metals & Fabricated Metal Products 3,596DK Manufacturing of Machinery & Equipment n.e.c.1 1,881DL Manufacturing of Electrical and Optical Equipment 4,959DM Manufacture of Transport Equipment 602DN Manufacturing (not elsewhere classified) 456DY2 Manufacturing of Medical Devices & Equipment 7945DZ2 Production of Computer Software 2,022

2.7 TOURISM

The West of Ireland is well endowed in terms of the quality of its landscape, its physical,cultural heritage and recreational resources making it a prime tourist destination. Tourism is amajor source of income for this region playing an important role in the national economy. In1998 overseas visitors generated in the region of £172m worth of business in Galway alone.Due to the lack of industrialisation in the west there is a heavy reliance on tourism and itspotential for sustainable growth.

The west holds the image of a rural sparsely populated land with low stone walls and peatbogs. Yet it also encompasses Galway a fast growing University town that contains naturaland historical features that attracted in 1998 over 877,000 tourists. The natural scenery ofConnaught is spectacular and is the natural foundation of its tourism. The lakes, rivers,mountains, woodlands and coastline offer a wide range of amenity and recreational pursuits.

Angling is a popular activity in Connaught with County Mayo offering sea angling, gameangling and some coarse fishing. Mayo is dominated by four main lakes Loughs Conn, Cullin,Carra and Mask, all being producers of quality wild brown trout. There are numerous smallerlakes offering a wide variety of trout fishing, these range from small mountain lakes to popularstocked lakes managed by the Fisheries Boards or local angling clubs. The River Moy, whichflows through Foxford and Ballina is a popular destination for salmon anglers. Over the past


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five years the river has produced an annual average of 7,508 salmon to the rod. There is anumber of deep sea angling centres e.g. Killala, Achill and Westport. Annually there are seaangling competitions and during 1997 up to 34 species of fish were recorded. County Mayowith its lengthy coastline is an ideal place for sea angling and Clew Bay makes thisexperience very pleasant as the islands offer shelter from the winds. Achill Island is a delightto anglers as it offers shark fishing.

Roscommon also has a number of game angling centres on Loughs Ree, Gara and O’Flynn,and coarse and pike angling centres, on the River Shannon and in the Lung Valley to namebut a few. County Leitrim has the advantage that it has the earliest salmon season in Europe.There are a wide variety of coarse and game fish such as pike, bream, roach, sea trout,brown trout and wild salmon. County Galway contains Lough Corrib, which has a largenumber of centres for game, coarse and pike angling. Some of which are at the followingplaces, Galway, Spiddal, Headford, Ballinasloe, Ballygar and Portumna. Deep sea angling isalso popular due to the expansive coastline and there are centres at Clifden, Roundstone,Spiddal and Cleggan. The Aran Islands and Inishbofin both offer shore angling as does manyof the islands off Mayo’s coastline such as Clare and Achill Island.

Galway City, Clifden, Westport and Sligo are popular bases for exploring the region. Naturelovers are attracted to the wilds of Counties Galway, Mayo and Sligo while the lakes ofCounty Roscommon are popular with anglers. Carrick-on-Shannon in County Leitrim is alively boating resort providing a main centre of activity. The Aran islands together with Achill,Clare and Inishbofin, situated off the coastlines of Counties Galway and Mayo respectivelyappeal to nature enthusiasts. The Aran Islands alone attract 200,000 visitors each year.

The region contains a considerable number of castles and abbeys, including Kylemore Abbeyin County Galway. This lakeside castle is a romantic gothic revival that attracted 189,716visitors in 1996. It became an Abbey after World War 1 when Benedictine nuns sought refugethere. Ballintubber Abbey in County Mayo also has a high attendance recording 30,000visitors in 1996 of which 40% were from overseas. Parke’s Castle in County Leitrimdominates the eastern end of Lough Gill. The Office of Public Works using 17th centurybuilding methods and Irish Oak has restored it. Drumcliff Churchyard is the burial place of thepoet W.B. Yeats in County Sligo who has also made the Lake Isle of Inishfree famous on theSligo side of Lough Gill.

The main National Park in Connaught is Connemara National Park being over 2,000ha inarea. This is a wild landscape region west of Galway encompassing bogs, mountains and arugged coastline. It is a popular place to visit and in 1996 75,000 people visited the area.There are a number of magnificent beaches dotted along the Connaught’s coastline, some ofwhich have the Blue Flag award; Rosses Point, Achill and Mulranny being just a smallselection. County Mayo contains over 13% of the most scenic coastline and over 15% of thesandy beaches in Ireland.

Summer time is the main season for festivals: the Galway Races in July, traditional sailingship races off Kinvara by Galway hookers in August (Cruinniú na mBád) and September isthe Galway Oyster Festival all of which generate a large source of income for the region. Theprincipal tourist attractions are illustrated in Figure 2.6.

2.8 AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES

Connaught is a strong agricultural region, with the largest sector of the workforce in the west(at 16%) directly employed on the land. This figure does not take into account jobs in thedownstream processing of agricultural produce (for example meat, milk etc.) or people whofarm as a secondary occupation. The average holding size in Connaught is 18.6 hectares (46acres) which is lower than the national average of 26 hectares (64 acres). Wastes fromagriculture consist mainly of manure and surface run-offs and such activities need to bemonitored closely to avoid the threat of pollution to surface and groundwater.

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The breeding of livestock in Connaught is widespread particularly sheep and beef cattle, whilepig and poultry production units are less widespread than in Munster or the border counties.Tillage is carried out only in isolated pockets of the region. The agricultural area used forcrops and pastures is proportionately high, particularly in Galway and Roscommon.

ForestryApproximately 6.4% of the land in Connaught is under forestry and the state-sponsored bodyCoillte owns the vast majority of this 113,200 hectares. The forested areas lie mainly onmountain slopes or in the river valleys and are mostly comprised of coniferous plantations.

FisheriesThe main ports in the region in terms of annual catch figures are set out in the Table below:

Table 2.8: Annual Catch Landed at Major Ports in the RegionLanded Weight in 1996

Port Tonnes Wetfish Tonnes Shellfish Total all fish

Achill 1217 282 1499Killary 17 709 725Westport 30 802 832

Ballyglass 163 155 318Clarinbridge 0 205 205Cleggan/ Clifden 13 214 227

Galway 111 239 350Kinvara 0 247 247Rossaveal 5758 724 6482

Roundstone 20 82 102Tully/ Renvyle 15 11 26Sligo 0 214 102

Total 7344 3884 11115

The Connaught catch equated to 2.5 % of the national wetfish catch and 9.5% of the shellfishcatch in 1996.

The farming of trout and salmon is very strong in Connaught, and is centered on Connemaraand some parts of County Mayo. There are both on-land hatcheries and trout farms and off-shore farms for salmon.

Fish ProcessingAccording to Bord Iascaigh Mhara, there are 23 fish processors in the region. Fourteen ofthese are in Galway, eight in Mayo and one in county Sligo.

Trends in Agricultural Activity

Current trends in Agriculture reflect the general downturn in rural economies as the country asa whole becomes more developed industrially.

Both cattle and sheep numbers are expected to decline in coming years and farm size isincreasing due to the exodus from farming and the EU Farm Retirement Scheme. Tillagecrops are also not increasing because of the EU Arable Aid system which caps the amount oftillage land. The Connaught Region contains only a very small acerage of tillage crops whichcontinues to decline.

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The number of farmers converting to organic produce has grown four-fold over the past 8years, due in part to EU incentives and consumer driven demand. The amount of land in thecountry as a whole devoted to organic farming is now 1000,000 acres, about 1% of Nationalfarmland.

New crops and animal husbandry have experienced a slight increase in the country as awhole, Connaught as a region supports more traditional farming produce.

2.9 LAND USE

Farming is the principal occupation in the Connaught region with pasture and tillage being themain land uses. The majority of land is zoned for agricultural use with only the cities andtowns having other land use designations. Due to the scenic nature of the region much of theland is designated as natural heritage areas. These are shown in Figure 2.7. Other land usedesignations related to environmental protection which must be considered when siting futurewaste management facilities are listed below.

• Special Areas of Conservation• Special Protection Areas• Statuary Nature Reserves• National Parks• Refuges for Fauna• Wildfowl Sanctuaries• Ramsar Sites• Biogenetic Reserve• UNESCO Biosphere Reserves• Salmonid Water• Sensitive Areas for Urban Wastewater• Sensitive Areas for Fisheries and Forestry• Areas of Special Control in County Development Plans• Special Amenity Order• Tree Preservation Order• World Heritage Site• Designated Areas under REPS

PART 2

PRESENT POSITION REGARDING WASTEMANAGEMENT

2. general description of the area€¦ · waste management plan for the connaught region...

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