Irishtown Nature Park, Dublin

Irishtown Nature Park is a small man-made[1] park between Irishtown and Sandymount Strand in Dublin 4, Ireland that offers several kilometers of walking trails along the Poolbeg Peninsula.

Irishtown Nature Park
Irishtown Nature Park
Irishtown Nature Park
LocationDublin, Ireland
Nearest cityDublin
OSI/OSNI gridO 20236 33191
Coordinates53°20′9.23″N 6°12′2.4″W
Area21.60 acres

History

Development

The park was devised during a building boom in the 1970s, where rubble and waste was dumped in its current location. The Sandymount and Merrion Residents Association suggested turning the waste dump into a nature reserve. During the 1980s, Dublin Corporation, along with local residents, developed the park and planted seeds, trees, and tall grasses.[2]

Notable References

During the Wood Quay build and excavation in the early 1980s, up to 30 lorry loads of potentially significant archaeological rubble were dumped in the original location of the nature park.[3]

Access

The nature park can be accessed in two locations. An offroad path located on the Beach Road, opposite Marine Drive, meanders across the edge of Sandymount Strand for 1.4 kilometers up to the park entrance. A second entrance is located on Pigeon House Road near the Poolbeg Generating Station.

Environment
Red tailed bumblebee

Fauna

Many species of birds including skylarks, linnets, dunnocks, stonechats, herons, and Brent geese[4] visit the park every year. The park is also home to the Pyramidal orchid, red-tailed bumblebee, and a rare beetle, Oedemera lurida.[5]

Flora

The park is rich in plant species. Grassland species in the nature park have included Lolium perenne, Festuca rubra, Agrostis stolonifera, Cirsium arvense, blackberry plants, Prunus spinosa, Sambucus nigra and Fraxinus excelsior. Two exotic species are also present; Acer pseudoplatanus and Reynoutria japonica.[6]

References
  1. "An Bord Pleanála Oral Hearing Reference 29S.EF2022" (PDF). Dublin Waste to Energy. 19 April 2007. p. 17. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  2. Oran, Hugh (8 September 2017). "From rubble to an urban oasis". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  3. Quinn, Helen (1 March 1988). "Wood Quay hero's millennium award". Irish Press.
  4. Oran, Hugh (8 September 2015). "From rubble to an urban oasis". The Irish Times. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  5. "Dublin City Biodiversity Action Plan 2015-2020" (PDF). Dublin City. November 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
  6. "Dublin Waste To Energy Project: Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). www.dublinwastetoenergy.ie. 22 June 2006. Retrieved 20 March 2017.
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