Is Míse Boann

Is MíSE Boann

I am Boann. I am the White Cow. I am the River. I am All Rivers.

Is Míse Boann was convened through Mná na Uisce - a network of women of Ireland who are called to connect with, listen to, and protect the water. Is Míse Boann, literally translates “I am Boann”, White Cow Goddess of the River Boyne, and is a way of saying I am the River, and I am the River speaking in response to the issues that prompted the creation of “Save the Boyne'“. The Save the Boyne campaign arose completely organically when it became known that a meat company had submitted a proposal to discharge 400,000 litres a day of treated waste water into the Boyne River. The company that submitted the proposal’s UK branch has received the highest FSA fine for pollution ever. Their original Environmental Impact Assessment was based on observing the environment around the river for a single day - in February. When required by Meath County Council to publish a public notice in a newspaper, they published in an evening newspaper - in Dublin. Twice. The location of the proposed pipeline and discharge point is at the top of a 7 km stretch of undeveloped river. It is 15 minutes upstream from the protected UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne at Newgrange. It is a designated Special Protection Area and Special Area of Conservation. And then there is the recreational use of anglers and kayakers, a Greenway going in for walkers, a rich mythological history, the bounty of the salmon, tourism… and the list goes on.

In listening to the needs of the local residents of Yellow Furze and the surrounding Boyne Valley area, Mná na Uisce come together to bring our skills from the creative to the organizational to communications to the cause of empowering the voices of the Boyne who were distraught by the potential of this planning proposal and how it would change life at the beloved Boyne. The Fairy Council of Ireland along with Save the Boyne and other volunteers, coordinated a Community Clean Up Day on site at multiple points in Navan and Yellow Furze. Lovers of the River came from around Ireland to join forces with local residents and bring attention to the planning process, distribute information to access the documents of the planning application and give people an opportunity to write letters to Meath County Council to express any concerns if they did have them. We found most residents we met were either unaware of the planning proposal altogether or thought that the application was terminated in 2021 and were unaware of the second round of information submitted.

Working in the intersection point of art, ecology and spirituality (or heritage) many people don’t understand the beneficial impacts of creating these types of events. Over the last decade working on projects which engage people on the ground in various ways, it leads to many positive outcomes including higher attendance at community meetings where decisions are made, it generates energy of self responsibility and citizenry where by individuals feel responsible to take care of their ‘place’ and their communities rather than blindly allow others to make choices which impact the natural and social environments, and it instills something in the children present that it is normal and good and necessary to do things to take care of the place and people you love. It is good to be in relationship to your environment and not to take it for granted. In a larger sense, we might say, people tend to take care of what they love. So the invitation is always to fall in love with the river, to fall in love with the water, to fall in love with the otters that swim in it, to love the sight of people enjoying the peace and tranquility and beauty of her full environment. And to want to protect that for future generations.