The wetlands along the Shannon are considered a swamp by many. To those who love wildlife, however, the Shannon callow lands are a unique habitat for the wild birds of Europe.
That is why a new project centred on the callow lands, which flood annually and provide unique habitat for the birds of Ireland and Europe, is so important.
Sponsored by the LEADER II project, which was established to fund rural development, a major programme has been drawn up to conserve the unique wildlife of the region along the Shannon Callows.
These winter-flooded fields break farmers' hearts but are a sanctuary for the birds of northern Europe, the Arctic and the cold lands of Russia. They provide a much gentler wintering ground for them.
There, as the north of the globe is gripped by frost and snow, the gentle and shy Greenland white-fronted geese, widgeon and swans find a place where they are safe from harm and can get ready food in the winter.
And in the late spring, the callows, or winter-flooded meadows, become the wintering ground for the gentle corncrake, which makes its way up from Africa to breed in the grasses that hide its nests and provide food for the summer.
It is an area free from intensive farming. Why throw fertiliser on a field which may be soon covered by water? That lack of intensive activity has created a habitat fit for birds visiting from north and south.
Now, with the aid of EU money which will come through the LEADER II rural development programme, a pilot programme funded by Offaly LEADER II will determine how best to conserve and manage priority habitat for the visiting birds.
A framework to determine reserves for the visitors and devise a strategy for BirdWatch Ireland will be identified, according to a report in the current edition of Wings, the BirdWatch Ireland magazine.
The organisation believes the growth of local community involvement will allow it to concentrate on issues of regional and national importance.
Involved in the study will be the Banagher Development Group, which recognises the importance of the local habitat both to wildlife and to those who want to observe it.
The commitment by communities along the Shannon to the preservation of wildlife marks a breakthrough for BirdWatch Ireland and means it can now relax in the knowledge that locals recognise the importance of their own place in a global world.