Polluted river ‘gave girl gangrene’

Polluted river ‘gave girl gangrene’

10 Oct 1979

12-year-old girl has contracted “Gas gangrene” — a rare and serious medical condition — from Dublin’s heavily polluted Poddle river, it was alleged yesterday. The polluted river, which flows through the new urban developments at Tallaght and Templeogue, should be culverted as a matter of urgency before a major healt hazard is created, say Dublin County Councillors.

The deteriorating state of the Poddle was raised at yesterday’s meeting of Dublin County Council’s mid-west committee, where five members claimed to have, medical evidence of the “gas gangrene” incident Committee chairman, Cllr. Joe Connolly (Lab.), produced a petition from 102 mothers living on a housing estate built on the banks of the river, urging the authority to take action. County administrator, Mr. Philip Murray said it would be necessary to identify the more dangerous stretches of the river before culverting designs could be prepared. He expected this work could not be carried out until next year. It was emphasised last night by V Prof.

Brendan O’Donnell, Dublin’s chief medical officer that there was no chance of an epidemic of gas gangrene breaking out in housing estates along the Poddle. The infection could come from a polluted river, but would only thrive if it alighted on dead tissue,’ such as that surrounding something as serious as a gunshot wound.

It was agreed by yesterday’s regional committee to refer the matter for report and urgent. consideration to November’s full Dublin Co. Council meeting.

View News Article Online