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Background

The Nore Suir Rivers Trust was set up by the angling clubs along the Nore and Suir in 2006.  The Trust’s mission was to “support research, conservation and public education initiatives that will benefit the freshwater fish resources, associated fisheries and environment of the Nore and Suir Rivers, and to preserve for future generations a valuable part of Ireland’s natural heritage.”

During the lifetime of the Trust much work was done with many reports and research completed and river works were carried out to improve the environment for fish in the Nore and Suir Rivers.  A selection of these reports which can be found at the end of this page  

But nothing stays the same and the Nore Suir River Trust evolved into the Nore Vision- Nore River Catchment Trust in 2021 which focuses solely on the Nore Catchment but with a broader remit.

Nore Vision – Nore River Catchment Trust exists so communities in the Nore catchment can collectively take actions that will help improve the quality of the river and its tributaries.  Those actions have for the most part been identified by the communities themselves and focus on environment and heritage, land use and enterprise, and recreation and amenity.

The training and educational programmes undertaken by the Tipperary, Laois and Kilkenny Leader companies under Nore Vision 2018 -2021 laid the foundations of this work as did the work carried out by the anglers in the Nore Suir River Trust.  We continue to engage, motivate and collaborate with skilled and interested individuals to address the challenges presented by climate change, biodiversity loss and poor water quality.  Nore Vision- NRCT provides a sustainable structure through which everyone can all be part of the solution.

Following consultation of the draft strategy, Strategy 2022 – 2027 was launched in November 2021.

Board Of Directors

The first meeting was held in March 2021 with representatives from across various sectors including agriculture, fisheries, local development, recreation and ecology.  Directors are from all counties and meet a minimum of six times per year.

Michael Starrett chaired the board through its first two years and was instrumental is creating a well-structured and sustainable method of working and achieving the agreed objectives. Bob Wemyss, angler and environmentalist took over from Michael in January 2023.  Bob has a wealth of knowledge and experience of all things connected to the river. 

With funding from The Heritage Council and Local Authority Waters Programme, Nore Vision- NRCT took on its first employee in June 2022.  The project leader with the support of the board works on the day to day running of the organisation and the delivery of the strategy.

Bob Wemyss

Bob Wemyss

CHAIRMAN
Bob Wemyss – semi retired. Founder member of Salmon Watch Ireland 2006 which is a voice for salmon conservation in Ireland. Founder member of Nore River Trust – now rebranded as Nore River Catchment Trust – which will be involved with the health and wellbeing of the entire Nore Catchment. Currently board member of Woodlands of Ireland whose primary objectives are to generate awareness of native woodlands amongst policy makers and the general public and to develop projects and sustainable management strategies aimed at ensuring the future viability of native woodlands.
Maurice Keane

Maurice Keane

SECRETARY
Maurice lives in Co Kilkenny and is involved in a number of community organisations. He is also currently a Board member of Danesford Community Cares CLG, Burnchurch School and Zia Consulting Ltd. He previously worked with Glanbia both in Ireland and internationally for many years and now runs his own business which consultancy includes environmental focused projects. His interests include gardening and the environment, sport, walking, cycling and travel.
Declan Rice

Declan Rice

Declan Rice is the CEO of Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) and has worked in that role since 2008 and the foundation of the company. He holds a number of qualifications, including a ‘first class honours’ Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, an MSc in Operations Management- both from Dublin City University and Level 8 Diploma in Project Management from the Technological University of Dublin. Declan has worked with various local development organisations in the southeast region since 1997.
Denis Drennan

Denis Drennan

Denis is a dairy farmer and deputy president of the ICMSA since April 2022. Prior to that he was Farm and rural affairs chairperson for 5 years. He is the chairperson of Kilkenny Leader Partnership and a director of Trail Kilkenny. Denis has an interest in community and the environment and is a life-long dry fly fisherman on the Nore.
Jim Finn

Jim Finn

Jim Finn, a retired farmer, has been involved as a volunteer in his local parish of Holycross-Ballycahill for the past 60 years and is a community man with skills in finance, communications, governance, and mediation. He currently presents a weekly radio programme on Tipp and Clare FM and is a member of The Guild of Agriculture Journalists. He is a member of the following Boards; North Tipperary Development Company, Irish Local Development Company, Clondalkin Addiction Support Programme , Mid West Regional Drugs Task Force, Lar na Pairce, Thurles Development Association, Waterford Area Partnership, Roscrea Enterprise and Community Hub.
Ann Marie Maher

Ann Marie Maher

Ann Marie is based in County Laois and is Sport & Leisure Officer and Water Safety Development Officer with Laois County Council. Ann Marie has a wealth of experience in Recreation & Amenity Development; Community Development; Training and Facilitation Skills, Water Safety Instruction, Green Flag for Parks Judge. She has served on various boards including Laois Partnership, Laois Sports Partnership and is currently on the board of Laois Leisure.
Amanda Greer

Amanda Greer

Amanda is an experienced environmental trainer and ecologist, currently overseeing the nationwide roll out of sustainability, climate and biodiversity training programmes. She is focused on combining place-based, experiential learning with ELearning interactive tools in order to keep learning sessions both fun and informative. From the banks of the Nore originally, Amanda was awarded a Ph.D. in Ecology in 2015 from the University of Canterbury, New Zealand for research centred on the foraging behaviour of the endangered kea parrot. Previously, Amanda co-founded the Irish ecology company Envirico and developed a strong specialisation in Invasive Species control and eradication.
Michael Starrett

Michael Starrett

Since his retirement as Chief Executive of the Heritage Council of Ireland, Michael has continued to work with and support local communities as the first Chairperson of the Nore River Catchment Trust. A native of County Tyrone and a graduate in Biology and Ecology, Michael has postgraduate qualifications in Education, Landscape Management and a Masters in Management Practice and other professional qualifications. He has 40 years’ experience in Environmental Management, working in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Ireland. His longtime membership, and Presidency, of the EUROPARC Federation afforded him the opportunity to travel extensively to study frameworks for the management of landscape, and legislation for landscape conservation in Europe and beyond.
Olivia Goodwillie

Olivia Goodwillie

Olivia Goodwillie qualified as a botanist in 1970. After a year spent working with her husband Roger on the ecology of Canadian woodlands they came back to Ireland and set up Lavistown Study Centre in Kilkenny. The Centre ran for thirty years, putting on courses in crafts, cooking and ecology, including tracking the wildlife of the Nore from the source to the sea. She is now involved in plant recording in Co Kilkenny some of which is done from a canoe on the river. She was a founder member of Savour Kilkenny and the Thomastown Allotment Gardens.
Tony Walsh

Tony Walsh

Tony worked in Local Government for most of his career with the last ten years spent as Director of Services with Kilkenny County Council. Prior to that he served as Chief Executive of Kilkenny County Enterprise Board. He has served in various capacities on several local and regional community organisations and continues to be involved in a number of these. He runs a small Free Range Poultry enterprise with his wife Mary in County Kilkenny. They specialise in goose and duck for fine dining restaurants and the Christmas market.

Project Leader

Mags Morrissey

Mags Morrissey

Mags studied Ecology in UCC and spent her early career working with farmers on agri-environmental plans. She held the brief of environmental sustainability at the renowned international engineering consultancy Arup before moving to Kilkenny 10 years ago. Since then she has gained extensive experience working with communities which was further advanced in the past 4 years while working with Kilkenny Leader Partnership.   She completed a diploma in Project Management in 2021 and is currently the Project Leader for NRCT. She is a keen walker, gardener and lover of the outdoors.

Constitution

Useful Links

Reports