Robert's Ramblings

I’ve gazed into the flowing waters of Ireland’s famous Munster Blackwater River and witnessed its many moods over the years.

This river, known for some of Ireland’s finest salmon fishing, has claimed lives and bestowed both vitality and identity upon many towns in the south of Ireland. I’ve longed to discover what lies beneath its surface.

On one of those perfect blue-sky summer days, with the river running low and its flow gentle, I decided it was finally time to sate my long-held curiosity and dive into the Blackwater.

The experience was entirely different from diving in the ocean. In the narrows, I found water-worn rocks and pebbles; strands of green algae trailed down into deeper pools; and the bottom, far below, was cloaked in a grim, grey silty blanket.

I dived with no wetsuit — just togs, mask, snorkel, and fins — and could have stayed in for hours. I spotted unfamiliar species of fish, a solitary eel, and was enthralled by the dappled sunlight in the shallows. It’s no surprise, then, that I now feel a growing enthusiasm to explore more.

The waters just above the Mallow railway bridge offered a safe and gentle introduction. I learned valuable lessons about staying safe in a river and now look forward to discovering more of the green, in the black, beneath the blue.

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