ABOUT USWhen The River Boyne Thrives So Do We.
The River Boyne (Boinne) shapes our landscapes and provide the foundations of our towns, villages and countryside.
The Boyne Rivers Trust was set up in October 2021 as a not-for-profit organisation. The vision of the Trust is for a Thriving River Catchment, valued and protected by its communities. The aim of the trust is to protect, enhance and restore the water bodies of the Boyne catchment through community-led projects and activities.
As a member of the Rivers Trusts movement in Ireland and the UK, The Boyne Rivers Trust aligns to the ethos of a “wet feet” organisation which seeks to create “wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all”.
Who We Are
The Trust board comprises 6 voluntary board members. Drawing from the broad experience of our board members, we plan to create change for the better within our catchment by working with all stakeholders to improve water quality, increase biodiversity and enhance the natural landscape.
The Catchment
The River Boyne has hugely significant historical, cultural and heritage importance. It rises at Trinity Well, Newberry Hall, near Carbury, County Kildare, and flows towards the Northeast through County Meath to reach the Irish Sea between Mornington, County Meath, and Baltray, County Louth.
It passes through the ancient towns and landscapes of Trim, Trim Castle, the Hill of Tara, Navan, the Hill of Slane, Mellifont Abbey, and the medieval town of Drogheda. The main tributary of the Boyne is the Blackwater which rises in Co. Cavan and flows from Lough Ramor through the medieval monastic village of Kells and joins the Boyne at Navan. The Boyne catchment includes 14 river sub-catchments and the area of the River Boyne and its tributaries is 2,695 km².
River Boyne and River Blackwater SAC & SPA
The importance of this river system is recognised at a European level by its designation as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the Habitats Directive and as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the Birds Directive. The catchment supports five strictly protected species and habitats (Qualifying Interests) including Otters, Atlantic Salmon, River Lamprey, Alluvial Woodlands and Alkaline fens.
The SPA is designated for the strict protection of just one bird species, the Kingfisher, with approximately 19 pairs within the site.
This site comprises the freshwater element of the River Boyne as far as the Boyne Aqueduct, the Blackwater as far as Lough Ramor and the Boyne tributaries including the Deel, Stoneyford and Tremblestown Rivers. These riverine stretches drain a considerable area of Meath and Westmeath, and smaller areas of Cavan and Louth.
