The oldest salmonid hatchery in the world can be found in County Galway, and a new book released this week sets out its long history and present-day challenges.
Incubating the Trout, by Kevin Prunty, surveys the Owenriff hatchery in Oughterard from its foundation by an English businessman in 1852, to contemporary times.
Published by Shadowscript, the book is a culmination of decades of volunteering by Prunty and other members of the Lough Corrib Angling Federation.
“It’s based on my 20 years volunteering at this unique facility and covers the history and the current environmental campaign to protect it and its river, the Owenriff, which is a tributary of Lough Corrib,” says Prunty of Oughterard’s trout hatchery, which in times past was a salmon smoltery.
In the book, Prunty discusses historical aspects of the Corrib’s fisheries, but also more recent political and legal developments, including three separate European Court of Justice (ECJ ) cases concerning pollution, invasive species and forestry respectively around the Republic of Ireland’s largest lake.
Prunty says publishing researched histories of the hatchery is important for its preservation and security, as gaining some educational and heritage status assists its position in terms of environmental law protections and potential state funding.
Incubating the Trout is available in Kennys Bookshop, Liosban, Oughterard Bookshop, and Clifden Bookshop. It is available online at www.bookhubpublishing.com for €12.
