Seldom seen kid
I believe it must be 25 or 30 years since I saw such a thing. The obvious simple pleasure that the boy was taking in the adventure was heartening, something of an antidote to this age of ubiquitous small screens and people not looking where they're going.
Perhaps there is hope for humanity after all. – Yours, etc,
JOHN DUNNE,
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Enniscorthy,
Co Wexford
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Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Whales in Irish waters face a new threat
Almost a quarter of a century ago, west Cork skipper Colin Barnes gave up commercial fishing to set up one of Ireland's first whale-watching businesses. Now whales have left his search area of the ocean because the sprat they feed on have been fished to near extinction. Barnes recently told The Irish Times he can no longer offer 'world-class whale-watching.' Sprat are clearly being overfished. Objectors in Co Cork plan a march this month against this uncontrolled exploitation. The protest will take place in Clonakilty on Wednesday, August 13th. According to Dr Simon Berrow of the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), whales are moving farther north in Irish waters, probably following changing fish distribution. Thankfully, the Government has resolved to impose a ban from October 1st on the trawling of sprat in Irish inshore waters by vessels over 18 metres in length. READ MORE Among the most spectacular of these giant visitors are the humpback whales, which breach right out of the ocean. The overfishing of one of their main foods could mark the second time in more than a century that whales have come under threat in Ireland. [ Why are Ireland's whales disappearing? Opens in new window ] Few Irish people are aware that this country was once the base for a Norwegian whaling operation that killed and butchered hundreds of great whales from the Atlantic Ocean. I have been to visit the site of this whalemeat factory on the island of South Inishkea off Co Mayo. Here, on the little promontory of Rusheen, lie the remains of an industrial operation based on the giants of the ocean. More than a century after they were abandoned, the brick walls and rusting machinery of the whaling station lie dismembered in the ocean winds. A second station was built on the Co Mayo mainland at Ely Bay but little trace remains apart from a scattering of bricks. Whaling boats from these two locations killed and brought back to Ireland a total of 693 whales of six species over a seven-year period from 1908 to 1914. The most numerous quarry species comprised fin whales but it is hard to believe they managed to catch 66 blue whales, rarely seen in Irish waters but now gradually increasing again in the Atlantic. This fascinating history was researched by the Belfast zoologist James Fairley and described in his book Irish Whales and Whaling. The outbreak of war in 1914 put an end to the whaling operation, although the Ely Bay station was briefly used in 1920 and 1922, during which a further 202 whales were caught. Commercial whaling was banned in 1986 by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) after some species almost became globally extinct. Norwegian, Icelandic and Japanese vessels still hunt whales today but most other countries have banned this barbaric activity. In the early 1990s, then taoiseach Charles Haughey declared Europe's first Whale and Dolphin Santuary in Irish territorial waters. Although it is difficult to estimate population sizes in these animals due to their long migrations, there are signs of recovery in some species. In the 20th century sightings of the distinctive humpback whale in Irish waters were rare. However, since 1999 the IWDG has been collecting humpback whale data in Ireland including sightings by ordinary citizens. [ Ireland's 'hotbed' for whales who have migrated from southern waters Opens in new window ] With ready availability of high-quality cameras, at least 137 individual humpback whales have now been identified from their markings. The repeat matching of photos has confirmed many of these individual whales return to Irish waters annually, with an average resighting rate of about 63 animals in years when 10 or more individual whales were recorded. Dr Simon Berrow says: 'Clearly humpbacks are increasing due largely to an end to killing them and their distribution might also have been affected by climate change . Fin and sperm whale populations may possibly be recovering too. 'Grey whales were extinct in the Atlantic but are now recolonising as the population expanded through the opening up of the Northwest Passage from the Pacific due to climate warming. Among the smaller species, there has been a big increase in common dolphin numbers in Irish waters due to a shift in their distribution rather than a population increase.' The historic whaling operation in Mayo ended when the last whaling station was destroyed by fire in 1923. Still, the demise of this local industry was probably hastened by the replacement of whale oil with fossil fuels that still largely power our economy today. Now it is their key food species that is under threat in our waters. More than three decades after Irish waters were declared a whale and dolphin sanctuary, the unrelenting fishing of sprat here may be more than these giants of the ocean can survive. Richard Nairn is an ecologist and writer. His latest book is Future Wild: Nature Restoration in Ireland
Irish Times
3 hours ago
- Irish Times
Thought fuchsia and montbretia were native Irish plants? Think again
It's humbling to think how many of the different varieties of plants growing in our gardens, allotments, parks and public outdoor spaces are the legacy of previous generations. That much-loved variety of fruit tree? Very likely the work of plant breeders and nursery owners of the Victorian era. Your favourite rose? A thousand unknown hands and hundreds of years of expert plant selection almost certainly played a skilled role in bringing it into existence. Your favourite variety of daffodil, rhubarb, lilac, clematis, dahlia, beetroot or potato? The very same. On the other hand, it's chastening to consider how our insatiable hunger for new, exciting kinds of plants has inadvertently introduced species to parts of the world where some have subsequently become invasive, disrupting fragile, biodiverse ecosystems and threatening native plant habitats. Montbretia's super-tough underground structure enable it to withstand all but the most challenging growing conditions. Photograph: Getty Images Here in Ireland, for example, visitors to our little island could easily assume that the ribbons of scarlet-flowered, shrubby fuchsia (Fuchsia magellanica) and orange-flowering montbretia (Crocosmia x crocsmiiflora) that gaily festoon the damp roadsides, ditches and hedgerows of mild coastal counties such as Kerry and west Cork are native, when in fact nothing could be further from the case. READ MORE Instead, the former is a deciduous shrubby species hailing from South America that first arrived in Ireland back in the 1820s, and which, while technically not formally classed as an invasive, is surely close to being so. The latter, most definitely invasive, is a vigorous and remarkably resilient perennial from South Africa. Montbretia's super-tough underground corms allow it to withstand all but the most challenging growing conditions, making this naturalised hybrid perennial very difficult to control and almost impossible to eradicate once established. Japanese knotweed was introduced into Europe as a much-admired ornamental plant and a fodder crop. Photograph: Getty Images These are just two of a growing number of non-native species whose exceptional vigour and ability to outcompete other plants threatens the delicate balance of vulnerable ecosystems in the wild Irish countryside. Others include: Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica, formerly known as Fallopia japonica); giant hogweed (Heracleum montegazzianum); various non-clumping or 'running' kinds of bamboo, including certain species of Sasa, Sasaella, Pseudosasa, and Phyllostachys; the sprawling evergreen periwinkle known as Vinca major; Rhododendron ponticum; and the appropriately named mile-a-minute vine (Fallopia baldschuanica). Many of these names will be familiar to you already. Type the words Japanese knotweed into any search engine, for instance, and it's certain to come up with an array of articles detailing how this stately perennial plant was introduced into Europe both as a much-admired ornamental plant and a fodder crop. You can read about how, in 1847, it was awarded a medal by the society of agriculture & horticulture at Utrecht for being 'the most interesting new ornamental plant of the year'. And how William Robinson, the famous Irish man who looms large in the history of garden design, described it as 'handsome in rough places'. Dig a bit deeper and you can learn about how the Japanese knotweed plants that now populate large swathes of wasteland, roadside verges and river edges throughout Europe and the US are almost all clones, vegetatively propagated, of a single female parent. Sent to Kew Gardens by the German physician, plant hunter and explorer Philipp von Siebold, it quickly escaped into the greater London area, from where it leapfrogged its way across the city's parks, gardens and wilder spaces into the wider world. Giant hogweed was introduced into Ireland during the Victorian era. It can threaten the stability of river banks as well as human health. Photograph: Getty Images Such are its powers of vegetative reproduction (thankfully it doesn't yet spread by seed), that just a single root fragment can grow into a sizeable plantation within a few years, with the power to potentially undermine roads, driveways and building foundations. It has, without overstatement, been described as the supreme weed, and yet astonishingly was still being sold in Irish garden centres as an ornamental plant right until the 1980s. Many other similarly invasive species were introduced as ornamental plants for garden ponds, but now pose a serious threat to Ireland's waterways. Examples include New Zealand pygmyweed (Crassula helmsii), whose dense, floating, carpeting growth habit is having a devastating effect upon native species by suppressing growth and germination, thus reducing the amount of oxygen in the water. Gunnera Tinctoria, Giant rhubarb, can clog waterways and crowd out native species. Photograph: Getty Images Another is the giant rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria, whose ability to clog waterways and crowd out native species is notorious. So is giant hogweed, another 'garden escape' that I wrote about in a recent column. First introduced into Ireland during the Victorian era, it can threaten the stability of river banks as well as human health. American skunk-cabbage, yet another once-highly prized garden ornamental perennial (Lysichiton americanus), which was adored for its statuesque growth habit and giant yellow flowers, has also become naturalised in some parts of our waterways. Such is its potential negative impact upon vulnerable ecosystems that the European Union has banned its sale and cultivation. It's easy to think of the story of invasive plants like these as a solely historic one belonging to the era of the great plant-hunters of the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. But that would be misguided. Gardeners' curiosity and desire for novelty remain a constant and are now coupled with easy access to an often-bewildering range of species that can be purchased online as plants or seeds, sometimes from irresponsible nurseries or private gardeners blithely unaware of their potential dangers. Others are occasionally smuggled home in hand luggage from trips abroad. While the vast majority won't become invasive, there's always the risk that a handful will. Assessing the true scale of that risk is challenging, especially in the light of climate change, where constantly evolving growing conditions can lead to certain species gaining a foothold. For example, it might be a surprise to many to discover that the popular ornamental deciduous species known as tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima) is on the EU's invasive alien species of union concern. This means that it can't be imported, traded, or released to the wild, while measures must also be taken to prevent the spread of existing populations. While there are no records of it having naturalised in Ireland so far, this could change. If we're to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, then it's clear that gardeners have a key role to play. Practical measures include: sourcing plants and seeds responsibly; avoiding planting non-native species in the wild (this is illegal); avoiding accidentally allowing the seeds and root fragments of invasives to be transported outside our gardens and allotments; and taking decisive action when and if we find an invasive or potentially invasive plant species has inadvertently made its way into our garden or allotment. It's by no means an easy task, admittedly, but an important one. For a more detailed overview of invasive plant species, as well some excellent plant guides, see , , and This week in the garden Keep dahlias regularly deadheaded and liquid-fed, and make a point of regularly shaking any dropped petals off the foliage and stems to prevent disease setting in and spoiling the display. Lavender bushes should be lightly sheared back at this time of year after the flowers have faded, removing all the flower stems along with roughly 2cm-3cm of the top growth. This will help to keep the plants bushy and encourage a great display of their fragrant blooms next summer. But always avoid cutting back hard into old wood which can shock and even sometimes kill the plants. Dates for your diary Farmleigh House Plant Fair Phoenix Park, Dublin; Sunday, August 3rd (10am-5pm). Stalls by many members of the Irish Specialist Nursery Association, and a craft and food market, admission free, see . Wild Garden Adventures: Pond Dipping National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9, Wednesday, August 6th. A hands-on practical workshop exploring 'the weird and wonderful diversity of insects and mini-beasts living in and around the ponds at the National Botanic Gardens'. Suitable for children aged eight and over, pre-booking essential, see . Irish National Vegetable Championships The Showgrounds, Moate, Co. Westmeath, Sunday, August 24th (10am-5pm). The annual championship takes place as part of the Moate Agricultural Show and includes a new junior category. See for schedule and entry form.
Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Red kites have thrived since reintroduction, but motorists remain a threat to their safety
A passing cyclist recently spotted this distressed bird outside my gate, having been struck by a car while feasting on a pigeon. Apart from the large visible tags, the bird was also ringed and I was able to pass the codes to the relevant authorities via Birdwatch Ireland . We also notified an OPW ranger who collected the bird from the garden. I am told it's a kite. These are common in the area and very impressive in flight. I hope he survives. Nigel Murtagh Well, it won't be your fault if it doesn't; you did all the right things. Red kites were once a common bird of prey in Ireland but became extinct as a breeding bird by the 19th century due to poisoning and shooting. They were reintroduced to Wicklow in 2007, to Co Down in 2008 and to Fingal in 2011. They are breeding here now. Nestlings are ringed and given wing tags that allow them to be identified in flight. As well as catching their own prey, they will feed on dead rats, thus accumulating rodenticides and coming into contact with roadkill. This exposes them to speeding cars. The ichneumon is harmless, apart from where caterpillars are concerned. Photograph: Úna Smart This fellow was about an inch long and very thin. It had bright yellow legs and a yellow and brown abdomen. It crawled across my foot as I sat earlier in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo. We wondered if he was some kind of Japanese hornet. Úna Smart What on Earth makes you think there would be a Japanese hornet in Mullaghmore? Neither the Japanese hornet nor the larger sub-species, the Asian hornet, are seen in Ireland or Britain. The creature you have just slandered is a harmless ichneumon, Amblyteles armatorius. Harmless that is, unless you are a caterpillar on which it lays an egg, as the emerging larva will eat the caterpillar alive from the inside out. READ MORE Comma butterflies are relatively new to the Irish landscape. Photograph: P McGinty This comma butterfly landed on my windowpane on a sunny day in mid-July. I have never seen this species in these parts before. P McGinty, Balbriggan Comma butterflies are indeed a new addition to our butterfly fauna. They were first recorded here in Wexford's Raven Nature Reserve in 2000 and were breeding in Carlow by 2011. They have now spread widely due to a warming climate and have been recorded in every county except Donegal and Leitrim. Caterpillars feed on nettles and there are two broods per year. It overwinters as an adult, emerging to breed the following spring. This cluster of fossilised crinoid stems formed about 350 million years ago. Photograph: Frank Folan I found this on the shore near Claggan on Clew Bay in Mayo. Is it a fossilised coral? The rock looks like limestone. Frank Folan, Ballyvaughan This is a fine example of a cluster of fossilised crinoid stems in carboniferous limestone, which was formed 350 million years ago. Crinoids are sea creatures that lived in the shallow tropical sea waters covering Ireland at the time. They were in the group of sea animals called echinoderms – their modern relatives are sea cucumbers and sea lilies. When these crinoids died they became embedded in the lime mud, which solidified into the limestone rocks we find in parts of the Clew Bay area and more famously in the Burren. The bank vole is a common mammal in Ireland. Photograph: Anita Fennelly This little creature is round and a lovely chestnut colour and was sitting on the road by the Barrow Estuary here in Ballinlaw, Co Kilkenny. According to the unsolicited suggestions I keep getting from the artificial [so-called] intelligence on my phone, it is either a bog lemming from Canada or a Californian vole. Hmm! Don't think so! Cad é? Anita Fennelly, Slieverue, Kilkenny Glad you have the wit to doubt this rubbish. It's a bank vole, which is a common small mammal here. Please submit your nature query or observation, ideally with a photo and location, via or by email to weekend@
