Galway's famous Claddagh swans have been hit by pollution washed down the Corrib river for the second time in a fortnight.
Yesterday 14 birds were badly coated in the Claddagh basin while another 30 were at risk. Galway Corporation's city manager, Mr John Tierney, who visited the scene, said samples would be tested to try to identify the source.
Ironically, most of the swan population was "protected" from the contamination as 102 birds were still being treated after the last spill at Galway's Swan Sanctuary.
A shed was provided on the docks by the harbourmaster, Capt Brian Sheridan, and Mr Tony Luff of the sanctuary expects it could take up to 12 weeks to rehabilitate them.
Four birds died from that pollution, which is believed to have come from an industrial source upriver. Specialists from Britain's Swan Sanctuary in Surrey came to Galway to give technical assistance and helped to build a small pool in the shed for the birds.
The latest incident occurred during a high tide on Saturday night. Capt Sheridan said a pocket of oil in the drainage system from the last spill could have been flushed out by the tide.
Results of samples from the last incident are expected by the end of next week, according to the local authority, which had just cleaned up and rebuilt the shingle beach in the basin.
Mr Luff yesterday appealed for the use of a swimming pool, such as Leisureland in Salthill, for the polluted birds. A swan sanctuary backed by Galway Corporation is planned for Mutton Island, "but that's a while off", he said.
The local authority has no oil pollution officer, but says it is committed in principle to a Galway Bay oil spill committee. Under the Sea Pollution Act and the International Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, specified local authorities are obliged to have oil spill response committees.
