RIVER RUNNER is a feature length documentary of a river system in
southern Ireland that holds many secrets. This is the true story of the
plight of the wild Atlantic salmon and the near catastrophic clear
felling of a unique river forest. The dilemma is lucidly explained by a
world class salmon angler, Alan Nolan, who is at home on the lower
reaches of the river Lee. Further upstream beyond two dams, constructed
in the 1950’s, another secret cloaked for a half a century is explained
by environmental & ecology expert Kevin Corcoran. The Gearagh is an
inland river forest delta, one of only four on our blue planet. Several
hundred acres of this ancient forest, especially age old oaks and yew
trees, were cut down to enable the efficient production of electricity. A
unique community of Irish speaking forest dwellers, 39 homes and
farmsteads, were issued compulsory purchase orders. These houses were
dynamited out of existence. The question has never been answered whether
this was truly necessary for the sake of progress? The plight of the
magnificent wild Atlantic salmon in what was once known as the Silver
Lee, due to the abundance of fish, continues to remain critical.
