Leitrim County Council have announced that Glencar Waterfall will be closed to the public from next weekend as they begin a clean-up and preservation operation following significant damage caused by Storm Emma.

Although there is no danger posed to the public, a spokesperson for Leitrim County Council has revealed that the snow and ice that resulted in the waterfall freezing over recently means work must be now be carried out as there is a fear significant rock erosion may ultimately lead to the iconic waterfall being hidden from public view.

A team of archaeologists from IT Sligo will assist workers from Leitrim County Council in treating thousands of rocks that will be covered in a special preservative that it is believed will protect the rocks from further deterioration and will save the waterfall for generations to come.

The team from IT Sligo previously successfully removed the icicles from the waterfall and they are currently being anaylsed in a laboratory in Dublin. It is hoped they will go on display to the public in the coming months.

It is expected the project will take approximately two weeks to complete and work is expected to commence in the coming days.

A spokesperson for Leitrim County Council thanked members of the public for their understanding as this important work gets underway and also wished a happy April 1st to all!