West Tipperary Giant Hogweed Treatment Project

The Local Authority Water Programme (LAWPRO) through its Farming for Water EIP project, and in partnership with Tipperary County Council, the local community and other stakeholders, held a public meeting in Cappawhite Community Centre to outline a remedial action plan to control the spread of, and treat, a giant hogweed infestation in West Tipperary and also improve water quality in the area.

The public information meeting took place on Thursday October 24th at 7:00pm and outlined the extent of the infestation, the dangers associated with giant hogweed, and the plans to tackle it. An open invitation was extended to all to come along to the meeting to learn about the project.

These severe hogweed infestations occur along sections of the Toem, Cappawhite and Cahernahaille tributaries of the upper Mulkear/Dead River catchment in the Cappawhite area and can have a serious impact on water quality, ecology and biodiversity.

Giant hogweed –Heracleum mantegazzianum- is a non-native invasive hazardous plant, which can cause serious skin burns and other health issues. Children are particularly at risk. Giant hogweed should not, however, be confused with regular hogweed which is evident in ditches along many local roadways.

As part of the preparatory work for the project, a drone aerial survey of the affected river corridors had already been carried out and this has helped to determine the location and extent of the infestation. Further ground investigations were conducted and the findings have been made public.

The Farming for Water EIP, which has its headquarters at Rossmore Neighbourhood Centre in Tipperary Town, is a €60 million project running until the end of 2027. Its core aim is to support farmers in placing “the right measures in the right place” by taking a targeted approach to manage risk to water quality from their farms. It is guided by the learnings of the Agricultural Sustainability Support and Advisory Programme (ASSAP) programme.

The Farming for Water EIP project takes a multiple benefits approach focusing on water quality but also addressing biodiversity and climate issues. The work will also help to create a broader understanding of issues affecting water quality in the catchment.

Now in year 2, this West Tipperary giant hogweed treatment pilot project is in partnership with dairy cooperatives, Teagasc, beef processors, Tipperary County Council, farmers, landowners, the local community and other stakeholders.

2025 saw giant hogweed removal contractors inspecting 11.3km of the Cappawhite Stream and 6km of the Toem Stream towards the end of the summer. These severe hogweed infestations occur along sections of the Toem, Cappawhite and Cahernahallia tributaries of the upper Mulkear/Dead River catchment in the Cappawhite area and can have a serious impact on water quality, ecology and biodiversity.

Over the coming weeks, a further programme of treatment is scheduled in the affected areas through the Farming for Water EIP and other funding mechanisms. A specialist contractor has been appointed and will first survey the areas to identify exactly where hogweed is growing. This will be followed by treatment on agricultural lands with the cooperation of landowners.