Pictured at the launch of the wildlife signs along the Bulwarks Walkway in Mallow last Friday: Minister of State Sean Sherlock, John McDonnell, Tim Sheehan, Liz Donovan, Alison Murphy, Bill Kelly, Margaret Desmond, Mehaul Magner, Mayor of Mallow John Griffin, Brendan Glynn and Mayor of County Cork Noel O’Connor.
Mallow Development Partnership Ltd were delighted to receive Local Agenda 21 funding from Cork County Council to put two flora and fauna signs on the river walkway near the Bulwarks in the town, and they were unveiled on Friday last. The research was the work of Brendan Glynn over many months of bird watching and species identification. At the launch Brendan referred to the task as a labour of love. Also in attendance to mark the occasion were Minister of State Sean Sherlock, County Mayor Noel O’Connor and Town Mayor John Griffin and members of the Partnership. In his address to the group, Brendan informed the group that Ireland’s railway network provides mixed wildlife habitats either side of the railway lines. They are a natural resource in Ireland since the construction of the railways in the 1840s, a vital green asset which provides a home to an abundance of flora and fauna across the length and breadth of the country. As well as providing vital urban greening and screening for residents near railways, much of this land provides a variety of wildlife habitats, as well as having significant areas of urban biodiversity. It can also benefit the ecology and provide a ‘wildlife corridor’, allowing movement and expansion of a wide range of species.
Rail-sides like this one need to be carefully managed. They must operate efficiently and safely, but vegetation and the species living in these habitats also need protection because of their environmental and amenity value. Please enjoy this precious amenity and be respectful of its many inhabitants.
The River Blackwater rises in the Mullaghareirk Mountains in Co. Kerry and flows east through County Cork, enters Co. Waterford, before abruptly turning south at Cappoquin, finally reaching the sea at Youghal, 169 kilometres later.
Rivers are an integral part of our landscape, being of particular value for many people living in towns and the countryside for leisure activities such as bird-watching, fishing, boating, walking the dog, or simply enjoying the timeless quality of flowing water.
River habitats like this one are important for biodiversity, acting as ‘wildlife corridors’, linking together other habitats which have been fragmented as a result of land-use change. This is particularly the case where riverside trees occur along rivers flowing through urban landscapes. Please enjoy this precious amenity and be respectful of its many inhabitants.