Askeaton Ballysteen Natural Heritage, 2022

Creators of the Eco Showboat expeditions in 2022 and 2023, artists Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly aka School of Looking, in collaboration with Dóchas Midwest Autism Support invite you to join them this summer on the banks of the Old River Shannon at UL. The project, called Catchments 2025, has received a Research Ireland Discover Award and aims to increase awareness and understanding of fresh water biodiversity along this rich waterway.

  1. HAVE YOU SEEN THESE LADIES?*

  2. A nature walk and “treasure hunt” with Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly. 

  3. The National Biodiversity Data Centre are compiling a Ladybird Atlas 2025, gathering sightings of ladybirds all over Ireland to address a gap in our knowledge in the status of this important species. Native species are threatened by an invasive species, the Harlequin. During this relaxed walk join the artists in spotting and identifying ladybirds of all kinds, taking amazing macro photographs of these gorgeous creatures, and submitting the data to the NBDC to contribute to the important ongoing survey.  

2

MAY

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME 

18

JULY

JUNE

JULY

*Exact dates to be decided

NOVEMBER*

*Exact date to be decided

CATCHMENTS 2025 is supported by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland* Discover Award, Creative Ireland, The Department of Education, Limerick City and County Council Arts Office and the UCD Earth Institute.

*Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland is the new national research and innovation funding agency, established on the 1st August 2024 through the amalgamation of the activities and functions of Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Irish Research Council (IRC).


CATCHMENTS 2025 is supported  by the Creative Ireland Programme, an all-of-government five-year initiative, from 2023 to 2027, which places creativity at the centre of public policy. Further information from creativeireland.gov.ie.

The seven bodies of water we are studying in CATCHMENTS 2025:

  1. •The Liffey Head Bog in County Wicklow

  2. •The Dodder River in South Dublin County

  3. •The Boyne River in County Meath

  4. •Lough Muckno in County Monaghan

  5. •The ‘old’ River Shannon at University of Limerick

  6. •The Ballymacraven River at Ennistymon, Co. Clare

  7. •The Lee Fields by the Weir and the Old Cork Waterworks in Cork City

 

Writing, Poetry and Spoken Word workshop series

With FIGHTING WORDS Limerick

(detailed programme tbc)


CATCHMENTS SHOWCASE EVENT 

Science Week (detailed programme tbc)

Finale event including presentations/readings by participants scientific talks and screening of short film. 

Anne and Denis are at Kilmurray Beach on the banks of the Shannon at UL to walk, talk and learn with ecologist Liz Gabbett and environmental chemist Dr. Yvonne Ryan. These conversations will result in a film to be screened later in the programme. 

  1. The biodiversity workshops will depend on seasonal, meteorological and site specific circumstances. They may include:


  3. BEE COUNTED!*

  4. Flower-Insect Timed Counts (FIT Counts) are a really useful way that people can help environmentalists monitor pollinators and contribute to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan. 

  5. Using the same quadrats from Nature Squared, the team will count, photograph and video pollinators while recording the sounds of the different insects to create a “pollinator symphony” sound recording that will accompany the visual artworks. Data gathered will be submitted to national pollinator monitoring scheme.

Anne & Denis discuss their winter 'recce' of seven water bodies across Ireland for CATCHMENTS 2025

 

NATURE SQUARED

A combined nature survey and macrophotography workshop, “Nature Squared” uses a simple surveying tool known as a “quadrat”. This is a square frame that can be placed on site to delineate a small area to survey (ie. to investigate the abundance of plants and/or animals in a habitat). Cleary and Connolly will be working with participants to survey important species, document findings and contribute to important nature monitoring programmes by submitting data to the National Biodiversity Data Centre. Framing is also of essential importance to the art of photography and the same quadrat will be central to the macrophotography workshop studying biodiversity through the lens.

A DAY OUT ON THE OLD RIVER SHANNON

A full day on site monitoring biodiversity and making art.

(detailed programme tbc)

Workshops to include:

Botanist Liz Gabbett looks at Giant Hogweed with Anne Cleary at Kilmurray Beach on the bank of the Shannon, UL, 2 May 2025

Kilmurray Beach on the bank of the Shannon at UL