Community Choirs Sing for Lough Neagh
Campaigners gathered at multiple locations around Lough Neagh on Sunday to participate in an event titled 'Sing for the Lough'. Community choirs aimed to use the "emotive power of song" to draw attention to what they describe as the urgent need for a long-term recovery plan addressing pollution and ecological decline in the area.
Lough Neagh has experienced green discoloration for the past three summers, attributed to potentially toxic blue-green algal blooms.
Una McCann, director of one of the choirs involved, composed a song called 'Water is Life', which all participating choirs performed simultaneously.
"I wrote the song because I wanted to have something that is personal to this issue, and personal to the community."
McCann noted that five choirs took part in the event at different locations.
"The aim is to give a voice to the lough and come together as a community to highlight through song, how we feel about the Lough,"she explained.
Organisers described the event as conveying a powerful message of solidarity and representing a grassroots response to the ecological challenges facing the UK and Ireland's largest freshwater lake.
Nicole Minogue, who attended the event, expressed concern that the lough is undervalued.
"We need to bring attention to the environmental disaster that is happening here.
"I think singing is a good way to bring attention to the issue, it is bringing people together to do something joyful,"she said.
Singer Paddy Brannigan emphasized the importance of singing at the event on Sunday due to the lough's deteriorating condition.
"It was important to sing there on Sunday as the lough is in a bad way,"he said.
"Communities are getting together through singing to draw attention to the state of the lough."
Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (Daera) Response
A spokesperson from Daera acknowledged that the blue-green algae in Lough Neagh "is a serious environmental and public health issue" and stated that it is being addressed with "the utmost urgency."
Daera noted that Minister Andrew Muir "fully recognises the strength of public concern and understands the frustration many communities feel about the condition of Lough Neagh – especially those living nearby."
Minister Muir commented that the crisis "has been decades in the making" and while "there are no quick fixes, restoring and protecting the ecological health of the lough is possible."
A Lough Neagh Action Plan has been established to address the problem of algal blooms over several years. The plan focuses on reducing nutrient levels and supporting the recovery of the lough.
The Daera spokesperson added that "progress is being made to implement the actions required in the Lough Neagh Action Plan."
