At-risk Ballyshannon hedgerows are 'species rich'
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| Photo from the report by C O’Connell. |
Ballyshannon has a ‘really beautiful rich rural biodiversity’, those attending the recent Ballyshannon Action Group AGM were told, writes Brian Byrne. The comment came in a short presentation about the completed Community Biodiversity Action Plan 2025-2029 which had been commissioned by the group.
In particular, the area’s hedgerows are ‘top quality’, Ballyshannon Action’s Sarah Burke said — “and Kilsaran want to take away our hedgerows.” That was a reference to the reason the group was set up in 2019, to fight a plan from Kilsaran Concrete to open a quarry in the rural community. Widening the L8006/7 road to cope with the quarry HGV traffic would result in the destruction of hedgerows.
The Biodiversity Plan was produced by ecologist Dr Catherine O’Connell. Summarising the work which she had done, Sarah said the Plan offered 71 enhancement ideas for the local biodiversity. In terms of the hedgerows, Dr O'Connell advised planting more, using native hedge species of wild hawthorn and others such as blackthorn, apple, guelder rose, elderberry and wild privet.
The report says that the mature hedges along the L8006/7 'are species rich', and that there is opportunity to create wildflower meadow habitat on the road. "Wildflower meadows have disappeared by 97%," Dr O'Connell says in her Plan. "Roadside verges and how they are managed are vital for pollinators." She says grass cutting along the road verges should be phased out to allow wild plants to grow, flower and set seed and to develop linear wildflower meadows.
The survey for the Plan also found that sparrows are using old buildings along the L8006/7 for nesting. Sparrows are amber-listed due to loss of their habitat and food source in the wide, and they like dense hedges and ivy on old walls. Dr O'Connell said the hedges along the road should be managed to provide this habitat for them.
The full study is available on the group's website here.
The original planning application for the Kilsaran quarry at Racefield, Ballyshannon, was turned down by Kildare County Council. This decision was overturned by Bord Pleanala, despite a recommendation from their own inspector that the appeal should be rejected. Ballyshannon Action have sought leave to have a judicial review of the ABP decision, and are awaiting a judgement on this request.
