Ireland Flora & Fauna

Ask About Ireland's illustrated Introduction to the Flora and Fauna of Ireland, by Michael Viney is an enjoyable, informative read. Topics covered include:

• Howth Peninsula
• The Birds of Ireland
• Selected Wild Flowers of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown
• The Flaming Wheel nature essays about the countryside of Wicklow and Dublin
• The Tobacco Growing Industry in Meath
• The Wildflowers of Bull Island: The Grassland Dunes
• Wild Plants of the Burren
• Wild Wicklow
• Wildlife of the Parks of South Dublin County
• Trees of Woodstock Arboretum, Kilkenny
• Flora and Fauna of Wexford Sloblands
• Flora and Fauna of Wicklow
• Flora of Wicklow
• Habitats of Carlow
  
  

Heath-bog habitat protection for endangered Hen Harrier

The blanket ban on planting forestry in certain areas important to the survival of the endangered hen harrier has been lifted (March 2007). Instead, the Government has established a new forestry management protocol for the forestry and farming groups who had objected to the ban.

Under the protocol, six Special Protection Areas (SPA), important to the hen harrier, have been designated. In these, limited sustainable and quota-based afforestation will be allowed . It is thought that this will facilitate the protection and enhancement of the hen harrier's preferred habitat, including heath and bog. The National Parks and Wildlife Service will monitor the protocol's impact on habitat.

The Special Protection Areas include the:

• Slieve Bloom mountains (Laois and Offaly);
• Stack's to Mullaghareirk mountains, West Limerick hills and Mount Eagle (Cork, Kerry and Limerick);
• Mullaghanish to Musheramore (Cork);
• Slieve Felim to Silvermines (Limerick and Tipperary);
• Slieve Beagh (Monaghan) and
• Slieve Aughty mountains (Clare and Galway).

Read more:

• UCC research project: Optimum scenarios for Hen Harrier conservation in Ireland
• Bird net: Related news, hen harrier information and controversy over new SPAs
• Coillte's Biodiversity Action Plan for the Hen Harrier
  
  

Blanket Bog Restoration Project

The Blanket Bog Restoration Project project aims to restore some of active blanket bog in Ireland - including bogs at:

• the MacGillycuddys' Reeks, Co. Kerry
• Slieve Aughty, Co. Clare
• Nephin Beg, Crossmolina, Glenamoy and Bangor-Erris in Co. Mayo
• Barnesmore Gap and Lough Golagh in Co. Donegal
• the Ox Mountains in Co. Sligo, and
• the Slieve Blooms in Co. Laois.

The website provides information about the project, its bogs, and restoration techniques. Clickable maps of Ireland enable you to locate and find out more about the 20 project sites. The bog restoration project is managed by Coillte, and funded under the under the EU LIFE- Nature Programme.

31 species of butterfly in Ireland

There are 31 species of butterfly in Ireland. You can find about 28 of these species in the Burren in Co. Clare and 21 in Lullymore West bog in Co. Kildare.

Small

1. Common Blue
2. Holly Blue
3. Small Blue
4. Green Hairstreak
5. Purple Hairstreak
6. Brown Hairstreak
7. Small Copper
8. Dingy Skipper

Brown

1. Meadow Brown
2. Ringlet
3. Wall Brown
4. Speckled Wood
5. Grayling
6. Small Heath
7. Large Heath
8. Gatekeeper

White

1. Small White
2. Large White
3. Green-veined White
4. Wood White
5. Orange Tip
6. Brimstone
7. Clouded Yellow

Multi-coloured

1. Small Tortoiseshell
2. Peacock
3. Red Admiral
4. Painted Lady
5. Silver-washed Fritillary
6. Dark Green Fritillary
7. Pearl-bordered Fritillary
8. Marsh Fritillary

Find out more on Ireland's butterflies:

• See photos, read information on and find out where to spot all these butterfly species at www.irishbutterflies.com
• Buy the Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland the most comprehensive survey of butterflies ever undertaken in Britain and Ireland
• Visit Butterfly Ireland for distribution maps and photographs of Irish butterflies, caterpillars and pupae.
• Visit this UK focused website - a good source of information on butterfly species that are also found in Ireland http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/

Ireland's 10 species of bat

The 1100 species of bat make up a quarter of all mammalian species on Earth. So it is perhaps to be expected that a similar proportion of Ireland's mammalian species, 10 to be precise, would be bats (see post on Irish mammals for a list). All bats residing in Ireland belong to the bat Sub-order Microchiroptera, and all except one (the Lesser Horseshoe bat of the family Rhinolophidae) belong to the Vespertilionidae family.

All of the Irish bat species feed on invertebrates and therefore frequent places rich in flies, beetles, moths and other insects. Woodlands, scrub, wetlands, river corridors and flower rich grasslands are all suitable foraging habitats.

Some of our bat species have only been recognised in Ireland recently:

• In 1997, the Nathusius’ pipistrelle was discovered breeding in Northern Ireland and has since also been recorded in the Republic.
  
  
• Also in the late 1990s, scientists discovered that the Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus
  pipistrellus) actually comprised two different species, the Common and Soprano Pipistrelle. Both are found in Ireland, so another bat was added to the roll call.
  
  
• In 2003, a Brandt's bat was discovered in County Wicklow, and has since been confirmed breeding in County Clare and County Tipperary.
  
  
• Bat species can be tricky to identify, but reports suggest that Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) and Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) species may have undiscovered populations here. Exciting times.

All Irish bats are protected and are listed in the Red Data Book of Irish Vertebrates. It is an offence under the Wildlife Act (1976 & 2000) to intentionally disturb, kill or injure a bat or its resting place.

Find out what bat species live in your area using the interactive bat distribution maps compiled by Bat Conservation Ireland.

Ireland vital statistics

Check out the Ordanance Survey of Ireland (OSI) website for facts and figures on Ireland's tallest mountains, longest rivers, largest lakes and physical dimensions:

• Kerry has 4 of Ireland's 8 highest mountains, ranging from the 951m Mount Brandon to 1038m Carrauntoolhil. At ninth position is Donegal's Errigal at 749m.
  
  
• Ireland's longest river is the Shannon (360km) followed by the Barrow (193km), the Suir (184km) and the Blackwater (168km).
  
  
• Northern Ireland claims Ireland's largest lake, namely Lough Neagh at 381 sq km. County Galway's Lough Corrib is second at176 sq km and Lough Derg (which straddles Counties Tipperary, Galway and Clare) third with 118 sq km. County Fermanagh's Lough Erne covers 112 sq km and Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath share Lough Ree at 105 sq km.
  
  
• Depending where you measure to and from, Ireland is 486km from top to tail and 275km wide.

Only 1 native reptile, plus 1 recent arrival

Ireland has only one native reptile, the common lizard. While thought to be widespread in Ireland, to confirm this and pinpoint their most frequented habitats, the Irish Wildlife Trust is doing a National Lizard Survey. Anyone can take part - just don't confuse it with the smooth newt!

Slow worms were introduced to Ireland
Our second reptile, the slow worm (a legless lizard) is a recent arrival to Ireland. Many sources still claim that it is absent from Ireland, but it has been spotted in parts of the Burren in Co. Clare. It is a protected species in the UK.

• Find out what the BBC say about the common lizard and the slow worm

National Parks in Ireland

There are six national parks in Ireland, covering a combined area of 596 sq km, or only 0.86% of Ireland's total land area (68890 sq km). The criteria and standards for national parks are laid down by the World Conservation Union (also known as IUCN - International Union for the Conservation of Nature). Much of the land is also designated as a SAC (Special Area of Conservation (PDF format)) under the EU Habitats Directive.

Travelling clockwise around Ireland from Dublin the national parks:

1. Wicklow Mountains National Park, Co. Wicklow (159 sq km)
2. Killarney National Park, Co. Kerry (103 sq km)
3. The Burren National Park, Co. Clare (17 sq km)
4. Connemara National Park, Co. Galway (30 sq km)
5. Ballycroy National Park, Co. Mayo (118 sq km)
6. Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal (170 sq km)

Ireland’s First Local Biodiversity Plan

In May 2006 Clare County Council became the first local authority in Ireland to produce a Local Biodiversity Action Plan. The Plan was produced by the Clare Biodiversity Group, a voluntary group, whose members include Clare County Council, Irish Seed Savers Association, Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation, National Parks and Wildlife Service, IFA, and the Forest Service. According to the Group farmers have a very important role in the success of the Biodiversity Plan. Most farmers know what plants and animals are on their land and how best to maintain habitats on their land. A crucial source of information, their involvement is valued. All local authorities in Ireland are required to develop such a strategy, under the Government’s National Biodiversity Plan 2002.

• Copies of Clare's Plan and other biodiversity related publications and information are available at http://www.clarebiodiversity.ie
• Read the Heritage Council's Draft guidelines for the production of Local Biodiversity Action Plans (2003) (PDF, 35 pages, 460KB)
• Read Ireland's National Biodiversity Plan (PDF, 49 pages, 3.4MB)
• and the Interim Review of the National Implementation of the National Biodiversity Plan 2002-2006 (PDF, 80 pages, 1782KB)