Council to seek children’s fishing programme for Mullingar Kinnegad district
Westmeath County Council is to write to Inland Fisheries Ireland and Waterways Ireland seeking support for a fishing training and education programme for children across the Mullingar Kinnegad Municipal District.
The move follows the unanimous backing of a motion from the mayor, Cllr Niall Gaffney, at the July meeting. In his proposal, he said the initiative would introduce more young people to angling, promote water safety, healthy outdoor recreation and the district’s rich fishing heritage.
Recalling similar initiatives in the past, he said the programme could include introductory days for children who have never fished before.
“We are the Lake County and we’re blessed with the fishing amenities we have,” he said, adding that Westmeath should promote its lakes, rivers and canals as other counties market golf. He argued that encouraging children to spend time outdoors would provide a welcome alternative to screens and teach, patience and respect for nature.
Cllr Emily Wallace said the county had not yet fully tapped in to the potential of fishing. While Inland Fisheries Ireland runs initiatives such as ‘Something Fishy’ for schools and the ‘Go Fishing’ programme for youth groups, she believed there was scope to expand participation locally.
Drawing on her own experience of learning to fish with her father and grandfather, she said angling knowledge and traditions risked being lost unless they were actively passed on to younger generations.
She also stressed that any programme should have a strong emphasis on water safety, expressing concern that many children were not learning to swim at an early age. She suggested schools, youth groups, Men’s Sheds and Scouting organisations could all play a role in passing on angling skills and local heritage.
Supporting the proposal, Cllr Julie McCourt suggested Westmeath Sports Partnership could become involved and called for additional water safety signage at popular fishing locations along the Royal Canal. She also questioned whether fishing permit costs for children could be reduced.
Cllr Denis Leonard said initiatives encouraging young people outdoors were becoming increasingly important in an age dominated by screens.
He described fishing as a relaxing and highly social activity and said he regularly saw visiting families enjoying angling along the canal. He believed Irish families should be encouraged to do likewise.
Responding on behalf of the council, district manager Mary Goldsberry welcomed the proposal and confirmed that the district will write to Inland Fisheries Ireland and Waterways Ireland to explore establishing such a programme.
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