Publications & Reports

Sharks and rays have been swimming the world’s oceans for over four hundred million years. That’s one hundred million years before the first dinosaurs appeared
on land!

A wide variety of sharks and rays inhabit Irish waters, including 39 species of sharks and 28 species of skates and rays. Members of this diverse group can be found in all our seas, ranging from shallow estuaries down to depths of 2000m or more in the Atlantic.

Ireland has five indigenous jellyfish species: Barrel, Blue, Common (Moon), Compass, and Lion’s Mane. A sixth species (Pelagia noctiluca) also occurs, but as it is an oceanic species it only occasionally makes an appearance in our coastal waters. Contrary to what you may think, jellyfish are not carried at the whim of ocean currents and tides on to our beaches. Many jellyfish maintain their positions by swimming down when the tide is going out, and swimming up when the tide is coming in. In this way they can stay in their preferred habitats.

The island of Ireland has a long and complex coastline in relation to its land area. This interface between land and sea contains some of the finest parts of our natural and man-made heritage. The natural heritage includes rocks, marine and coastal habitats and marine life, including plankton, shellfish, fish, seabirds, whales and seals. Our human heritage is rich and varied including coastal and island communities, traditional boats, historical fishing methods, shipwrecks, and coastal archaeology.

The importance of ecologically friendly management of areas in or around towns or villages is recognised in a number of competitions, awards and grants, including the Heritage Council Wildlife and Local Heritage Grants and the Tidy Towns Competition, organised by the
Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government .If your community group is interested in applying for or participating in either these or similar grants or competitions, this guide will be of relevance to you.

The assessment focuses on the resulting impact of increased development pressures on the heritage within the River Shannon Corridor and the implications for the planning and development system within this area. Four detailed case studies are provided (two case studies each for Counties Leitrim and Roscommon), in order to illustrate the long-term impact that the tax incentive scheme will have on the River Shannon Corridor Area.

Notwithstanding these welcome developments, Ireland’s inland waterways and their corridors

still urgently need a strategic approach. Waterways Ireland’s remit covers most of Ireland’s
waterways although some, in particular several disused navigations, are not clearly the
responsibility of any agency. This document proposes a possible direction for a concerted and
co-ordinated effort to ensure that the heritage, social, and economic value of all of Ireland’s
waterways is enhanced.

The Heritage Council identified the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive as a major work area with particular emphasis on the public participation aspects. To assist in developing policy, Council agreed to canvas opinion on current water quality and current and future water management proposals.

This guide provides information on the nine species of bats found in Ireland, where they can be found and measures that can be taken during construction works to protect them.

Fifteen volunteers surveyed eight survey routes, five of which were repeated. Volunteers contributed 85 hours on the survey. The mean number of encounter rates (per km) for each species/species group were: common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) = 1.94, soprano pipistrelle (P. pygmaeus) = 0.75, Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri) = 0.46 and Myotis sp = 0.06.

The report examined in particular the impact of agriculture on aspects of our natural heritage. It expresses the positive view that certain types of agricultural activity should be more valued because of their tremendous contribution to maintaining diversity within the nation's natural heritage. 

The report goes on to point out that in many instances it is these very activities and the habitats they maintain which are threatened by competition from other land uses.