the See overleaf Living for quick in Clare with nature a guide farming to the reference Living Contents Farmland Farmland a guide to farming with nature in Clare “This book for farmers is a valuable reference work providing simple advice on nature conservation and the protection of important habitats in the context of practical farming. IFA is very pleased to have a collaborative role in the publication and I would recommend it to all our members.” Padraig Walshe, President, The Irish Farmers’ Association “This user friendly book sets out best practices for sustainable farming, recognising the farmer’s role as food producer and guardian of the environment. The guide is factual and can be referred to time and again for helpful information on environmental practices at farm level, helping to secure the future of agriculture in Clare for generations to come.” Seamus Murphy, Chairman, Clare IFA 2004 - 2007 RRP €5.00 the Living p146 Andrew Killeen Farmland 3 Foreword Kilkee p158 Christy O’Grady 5 The Background 6 Navigating this Book Tullagher Bog Lough Tullagher Doonbeg 7 General Introduction p136 Shane Casey Kilrush Kilrush Wood 9 Using the Book C r e e g 13 Section 1 h p182 Martin Murphy R . An Introduction to County Clare A More Bog i Aughiska l l e S 15 Landuse—A Step Back in Time l Kilmihil i R e Ennistymon . v G e S l c l i e a e Lisdoonvarna n l v Fanore l na Minna Bog a e i Slieve Elva n n E 35 Section 2 lv a g Bog Lough a C h u Farming the Living Farmland l l M e B n GALWAY BAY e a t n n g h 37 Agriculture in County Clare . D R a . s Ballyvaughan h M 55 Water G o o r t n a c e 77 Waste l a e Ballynacally r n Ballygriffy e M M Wood t n S t Dromore n Ballyallia l . i Wood e . p170 John O’Connell 97 Section 3 v Lough Ennis e c a Ballyeighter Enhancing the Living Farmland Shannon Estuary r r a Wood R . n F Wood Ballyallia e r s g u 99 Nature Conservation Lough Dromore 119 Habitats Mooghaun Wood 121 Grassland Habitats p180 Brendan Considine Cloonloum More Bog 133 Rock Habitats Sixmilebridge 139 Peatland Habitats Cratloe M Wood a g 151 Freshwater Habitats p192 Liam Walsh W h T e ulla o ra o M 161 Coastal Habitats d Doon Lough t c n o . c 173 Woodland Habitats k H i l 187 Cultivated Land and Built l S Habitats Atorick l Lough i e Bog v Raheen e R 197 Wildlife Corridors . S Wood Sh li A a ev u n e Scarriff g no B h n e t rn y a g M 207 Appendices h t Killaloe s . p202 Mark Donnellan 208 Protected Species Mountshannon Lough Derg Mixed Woodland Semi-Natural Woodland Bog Limestone Pavement Uplands 209 Legislation p128 Sean Bugler 212 Useful Contacts 214 Web Addresses 220 Bibliography 221 Acknowledgements 222 Glossary of Terms 226 General and Species Index an Talamh Curaíochta Beo Treoir ar fheirmeoireacht leis an dúlra i gContae an Chláir 1 Published by Acknowledgements Rural Resource Development Ltd To undertake the research, compilation and drafting of the Shannon Business Centre book, we appointed environmental consultants Keville & Town Centre O’Sullivan Associates Ltd from Galway. Our sincere thanks Shannon are due to Corina, Derval and Paula for their hard work, their County Clare enthusiasm and their many great ideas which contributed to www.rrd.ie this publication. and Much appreciation is due to Seamus Murphy, Chairman of Clare Clare County Council IFA and the farmers profiled in this book for their support of the Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, County Clare project from the very earliest stages and for their willingness to be put in the spotlight. in association with Clare IFA and Teagasc We are indebted to John Murphy, Biodiversity Officer with Clare ISBN 0–9547353–1–9 County Council for his editorial assistance and for contributing so generously to the photographic content of this book. Text: Keville & O’Sullivan Associates Ltd Design: Optic Nerve Design Group, Limerick. The importance of design cannot be underestimated in a publication of this type. We greatly appreciate the contribution Copyright © 2008 Rural Resource Development Ltd. of David Rice of Optic Nerve Design Group whose hard work, skill No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, and patience transformed this book into something which we in any form or by any means, or stored in any retrieval system or can all be proud of. any nature without prior written permission of the publishers. Many thanks are due to Gloria Callinan for her painstaking proof This publication has been funded by the National Rural reading of the book and editorial assistance. Development Programme (LEADER) and by Clare County Council. A wide range of individuals and organisations were consulted in the course of compiling and drafting the material. We greatly appreciate all of the feedback, suggestions and assistance which we received from voluntary and statutory organisations, from farmers and community interests, much of which helped us to reshape and improve the publication. 2 Réamhrá / Foreword Tá cáil mar is ceart ar chontae an Chláir – ní hamháin in Éirinn ach go hidirnáisiúnta – mar áit sáráilleachta nádúrtha agus sároidhreachta. Tá tírdhreacha breátha tuaithe sa chontae, a chuireann flúirse gnáthóg nádúrtha ar fáil do réimse flóra agus fána atá uathúil in Éirinn. Ní ón nádúr amháin, dar ndóigh, a fuaireamar oidhreacht tírdhreacha iontach chontae an Chláir a bhfuil an oiread sin measa againn uirthi. Tá lorg coise daonna na feirmeoireachta le feiceáil beagnach i ngach áit inár dtírdhreacha. Léiríonn an t-idirghníomhú agus an t-idirspleáchas idir feirmeoireacht agus an nádúr i gcontae an Chláir éabhlóid a théann siar 6,000 bliain nuair a lonnaigh na chéad fheirmeoirí anseo agus nuair Clare is rightly renowned—not just in Ireland but also a ghlan siad coillearnach chun barra a shaothrú agus beostoc a internationally—as a place of great natural beauty and outstanding choinneáil. heritage. The county is blessed with magnificent rural landscapes, Is ceiliúradh é The Living Farmland sa chéad áit ar thírdhreacha which provide a wealth of natural habitats for a range of flora and agus ar thailte feirme tuaithe an Chláir. Is leabhar faisnéiseach fauna that is unique in Ireland. é le léiriúcháin áille a shainaithníonn agus a dhéanann cur The wonderful landscape heritage of Clare that we all admire is, síos ar réimse leathan gnáthóga fiadhúlra i gCo. an Chláir, of course, not solely a product of nature. Virtually everywhere, our lena n-áirítear go leor gnáthóg atá mar thoradh ar chleachtais landscapes bear the human imprint of farming. The interaction feirmeoireachta. and interdependence of farming and nature in Clare represents an Is treoir phraiticiúil atá sa leabhar seo go bunúsach ar evolution that stretches back over 6,000 years when the first farmers “feirmeoireacht leis an nádúr” i gcontae an Chláir. Is éard a settled here clearing woodlands to cultivate crops and keep livestock. bhí mar aidhm leis an leabhar seo lámhleabhar a chur ar fáil The Living Farmland is in the first place a celebration of Clare’s rural d’fheirmeoirí a bheadh ina shaothar tagartha luachmhar le landscapes and farmlands. It is an informative and beautifully comhairle shimplí ar chaomhnú an dúlra agus cosaint na illustrated book that identifies and describes the great variety of ngnáthóga tábhachtacha i gcomhthéacs na feirmeoireachta wildlife habitats in County Clare, including many which are the praiticiúla. Áirítear sa leabhar seo, ocht bpróifíl ar fheirmeoirí product of farming practices. i gcontae an Chláir a insíonn a scéal maidir leis an gcaoi ar éirigh leo bainistíocht chomhshaoil a iomlánú ina bhfiontair The book is primarily intended as a practical guide to ‘farming with feirmeoireachta ar bhealaí a spreagfaidh daoine eile. nature’ in Clare. The aim was to produce a book for farmers that would be a valuable reference work providing simple advice on Cuirim an-fháilte roimh an bhfoilseachán seo, ar nature conservation and the protection of important habitats in comhthionscnamh é idir Rural Resource Development, grúpa the context of practical farming. The book includes eight profiles LEADER i gCo. an Chláir, Feirmeoirí Aontaithe na hÉireann of Clare farmers who tell the story of how they have successfully i gCo. an Chláir, Teagasc agus Comhairle Contae an Chláir. incorporated environmental management into their farming Léiríonn cur chuige tionscnaimh an leabhair seo an treo ar enterprises in ways that will inspire others. cheart a thógáil le hoibriú le chéile ar bhealach cuiditheach chun talmhaíocht beomhar a chothabháil a chosnaíonn agus a I very much welcome this publication which is a joint initiative leasaíonn an comhshaol. between Rural Resource Development, the LEADER group in County Clare, Clare IFA, Teagasc and Clare County Council. The partnership Padraig Walshe approach symbolised by the book points the way forward in how we Uachtarán, Feirmeoirí Aontaithe na hÉireann can work together constructively to maintain a vibrant agriculture President, The Irish Farmers’ Association that protects and enhances the environment. 3 4 The Background Trying to capture the relationship between farming and nature Nowadays, much of the farmer’s interaction with the is never easy. In truth, our living landscape has largely been environment is bound by regulations, directives and a long list shaped by centuries of farming and settlement. Farmers and of requirements, focused mainly on what not to do. Not enough nature have lived closely with each other for a very long time.