RIPARIAN TRAIL: River Mayne

Riparian: relating to, living, or located on the bank of a natural watercourse such as a river.

Riparian Trail brings together the practices of landscape architect Roisín Byrne and artist Seoidín O'Sullivan, commissioned by Culture Connects. Initiated in 2016, this stage of the project focused on the River Mayne between Belmayne and Baldoyle Estuary, through research, partnership-building, and initial mapping.

Through field explorations and river journeys, each attended by people with different expertise, the project looks at how to make the Mayne's ecological potential visible. Sensitively mapping the river reveals a whole ecosystem — a place of both connection and dislocation. The word riparian sounds like "repair," which is something this river, our collective resource, needs.

The river receives effluent and run-off from Dublin Airport, yet flows into Baldoyle Estuary, a protected UNESCO Eco site for migratory birds. The project asks: who has responsibility for our commons and our rivers, and what role should developers be held to in protecting ecological resources?

There's an invitation to participate — joining the walks, or responding to outcomes on the web platform. This may be the beginning of a longer conversation about what's possible on a modest stretch of land in Dublin, one that treats citizen exploration and dreaming as central to developing place.