Winter of discontent leaves fish to frolic in Galway’s flooded fields

Spring is in the air around South Galway – the sun is shining, daffodils are blooming . . . but it is fish and not new born lambs that are frolicking in the flooded fields! 

The fine spring weather this week heralded the gradual subsidence of South Galway’s flood waters but it has thrown-up a new fishy phenomenon – trout swimming where lambs usually play.

Brown trout have been seen in the past week swimming and jumping in the flood waters in submerged fields around Kilchreest, Peterswell and Ardrahan areas, which suffered particular hardship in the February floods and storms.  The source of the trout is being attributed to the Owensree River, known for its trout stock by anglers.

The floods have caused the Slieve Aughty based river to overflow its banks and the trout have made their way out across the country, literally to pastures new in the lowlands.

“In our area we did see trout – the trout were washed inland by the river flooding,” said County Councillor, Bridie Willers.

Leaping trout are causing bemusement to farming families many of whom have major difficulty getting through flooded fields to and from their homes and who have serious problems in caring for their livestock.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune