Creating an ecological visitor attraction – Cork City Council’s Sustainable Environment and Biodiversity award

This article is part of our series covering the Chambers Ireland Excellence in Local Government Awards 2024 winners. In this case study, Cork City Council unpacks their enhancement of the Clogheenmilcon Fen Bog, to create an ecological visitor attraction, which was awarded the Sustainable Environment and Biodiversity award. 

Clogheenmilcon Fen is a wetland of approximately 100 ha lying to the east of Blarney town. The Fen was originally formed due to the ponding of the River Blarney resulting from a natural blockage of the river in the Gothic Bridge area at the west side of the current site. The area has acted as a natural floodplain for Blarney town since that time. The area had traditionally been used for summer grazing and for game shooting parties from Blarney Castle Estate. Local environmentalist Tom O’Byrne successfully campaigned for the protection of the site during the building of Mallow Road in the early 1990s and has led much of the effort in protecting the site. Currently, the site has good populations of breeding and wintering birds, a diverse range of locally scarce habitats and plants and is probably well used by a range of bat species and aquatic life that includes priority species such as lamprey. The invertebrate populations include some scarce species.

Source: Cork City Council

Since 2019, Cork City Council has been actively taking steps to improve the amenity value of the Fen and protect its unique status as the largest wetland habitat in Cork City.

To secure the long term protection of the Fen, the Clogheenmilcon Fen Ecological and Tourism Plan – 2021 was commissioned by Cork City Council and local partners, such as Brand Blarney. This report documents a baseline ecological study of the site and will form the basis of an ecological plan which will guide effective conservation and visitor management. This plan will be compatible with the site’s pNHA designation and will maximise the biodiversity and conservation value of the site. The report also includes tourism actions to help develop the site’s potential in these areas and enhance its role within the community.

Through ongoing funding secured from the Town and Village Renewal Scheme, Cork City Council has worked with the local voluntary group Brand Blarney, with help from the Men’s Shed, to provide significant upgrades to picnic tables, benches and signage. Also undertaken the implementation of the key recommendations of the Clogheenmilcon Fen Ecological and Tourism Plan – 2021. These included: clearance works; completion of signage elements; preparation of an interpretation and landscape architect overall plan; enhanced branding and Interpretive signage; design and costing for a looped boardwalk, amphitheatre, and dipping pond. The project has now secured funding, under the TVRS, 2023 for the next phase of the project for the construction of a viewing platform for wildlife in the Fen.

Source: Cork City Council

Source: Cork City Council

Source: Cork City Council

The works, to date, are funded by a combination of funding from the Town and Village Renewal Scheme (90%) and Cork City Council (10%). The breakdown of the total expenditure on the Fen since 2010 is as follows. The total expenditure on the Fen since 2019 is €544,700.

The outcome has been the provision of amenities and a shared understanding of current challenges in the management of the Fen. The works to date have enhanced the visitor experience to the Fen, while also protecting and enhancing the ecology of the site. The creation of additional open water through the clearing of vegetation, trees and water has vastly enhanced this part of the Fen and created new habitats for the bird life. The completed landscape plan provides a master plan and vision for the development of the site and will facilitate future applications for further funding. The new signage provides a lot of interesting information.

Source: Cork City Council

The ecological assessments that were completed as part of the project have identified the importance of the Fen as an ecological habitat for birds and other wildlife. Visitor numbers have increased and the feedback from the local community is that the area is extensively used by local people as a place for walking. The enhancement works carried out on the Fen have dramatically improved the resource for use as a year-round outdoor amenity for residents of the Blarney area, opened up the opportunity to interpret the ecological importance of the Fen and improved the product offering for tourists visiting the Blarney area.

The Council also has plans in place for an ambitious programme of sustainable transport initiatives in Blarney. Linkage to the Fen will be a key element of these initiatives and impact measurement is currently being addressed in the preparation of these plans.

Source: Cork City Council

The initiatives undertaken at Clogheenmilcon Fen Bog demonstrate an excellent example of the development of a recreational amenity that also provides a vital habitat for local wildlife. Blarney is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s most picturesque towns. However, The future protection of bogs and wetland areas, such as Clogheenmilcon Fen Bog, as natural flood defence regulators and as carbon sinks, is also an important dimension of the Project. There is a significant educational dimension to the project, which will be further explored going forward with local schools.

Cork City Council has a clear objective of establishing Clogheenmilcon Fen as a key attraction for visitors to experience its unique wildlife and as a major recreational amenity for the people of Blarney. The City Council is also committed to ensuring that the ecological value of the Fen is sustained and protected and that its future is secure and protected.