Our Lady’s Island Lake is one of Wexford’s most beautiful spots – a place where many locals, have fond memories of fishing and family outings.
But beneath the surface, something is seriously wrong. A recent scientific report has confirmed what many feared: the lake is in ecological crisis.
A study by Aquafact, available on the EPA website, shows that the lake is severely polluted. The main problem is nutrient pollution – especially from nitrates – which likely comes from decades of intensive farming practices in the surrounding area. These nutrients fuel the growth of algae in the lake, turning the water green and starving it of oxygen.
This process, called eutrophication, has been happening slowly over the last 30–40 years. Because the damage has crept in gradually, many people didn’t notice. That’s what scientists call the “shifting baseline syndrome” – when each generation sees the current state of nature as normal, not realising how much has been lost.
The lake isn’t just a scenic spot. It’s also a unique coastal lagoon – a rare habitat in Ireland – and part of a protected Natura 2000 site. Birds still flock there, but that’s mainly because they feed in the nearby sea, not the lake itself. If we lose the lake’s ecosystem completely, we’ll lose part of Wexford’s natural heritage.
Former Wexford Resident, Marine Biologist and the Green Party’s spokesperson on Climate and Nature, Jennifer Whitmore TD has raised this issue in the Dáil and with the Oireachtas Climate Committee.
A very productive meeting was held with scientists from Aquafact, officials from Wexford County Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and others. What became clear is that everyone knows the lake is in trouble, but no one had been clearly tasked with fixing it – until now.
In a major step forward Wexford County Council have stepped up and said they would take the lead. They (the council) will now set up a task force made up of all the relevant agencies – from the Department of Agriculture to Teagasc – to start figuring out what can be done.
