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Terryland River |
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Terryland Forest
Park in Galway city is a unique natural resource within Ireland, a parkland of over
100,000 native Irish trees in the heart of a modern city that was initially developed
and managed when it started in 2000 by an active partnership of Galway city
council, neighbourhood communities, artists, state agencies and environmentalists
in an ambitious endeavour to create a harmonious blend of outdoor leisure
amenities for all ages and of wildlife sanctuaries that would form a vital
ecological corridor (‘Green Highway’) linking into areas of prime biodiversity
importance across the west of Ireland.
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Jordan's Island, River Corrib |
With climate
change, deforestation, loss of wildlife habitats and the sedentary lifestyles
becoming issues of growing concern to governments, scientists and ordinary
people worldwide, the realisation of this urban forest park came at an
opportune time.
During its
heyday, the enterprise captured the imagination of the city’s population as it quickly
gained national and international media attention.
It was referred too by
officials and citizens alike as the Lungs of the City and the People’s Park as
hundreds and thousands of volunteers regularly participated in annual tree and
flower planting events. As well as the woodlands, the catchment area also now embraces
wetlands, rivers, pasture lands, a neighbourhood organic garden, two medieval
castles and a Victorian engineering waterworks.
Criss-crossed by traditional
field boundaries of hedgerows and drystone walls, there also exists ancient
rural pathways (or botharíns or boreens) on the periphery of the park that are presently
being converted into vital arteries of a urban/rural Greenways network that has
the possibility of connecting into walking and cycling routes across the counties
of Mayo and Galway.
After a period of
stagnation, community input into the Terryland Forest Park (TFP) project has
dramatically increased in the last year with the re-establishment of the
council-led multi-sectoral steering committee and the involvement of a number
of eco-neighbourhood NGOs that working together have the enthusiasm and
expertise to make the original vision of the park project a reality by metamorphosing
into an outdoor classroom for local schools; a college research laboratory for botanists
and zoologists; a scenic location for family picnics, concerts, arts
exhibitions, heritage tours, nature trails, cycle routes; and a major diverse
mix of native wildlife habitats of national and international significance.
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Stephen Walsh, Supervisor of Galway City Parks |
Different
sections of the local authority are involved, each bringing specialised
expertise into the project mix, from Greenways (Rosie Webb), environmental
(Sharon Carroll), cycling (Cathy Joyce), Arts (James Harrold), Heritage (Jim Higgins) to of course the
core elements of biodiversity, recreational and parks management (Stephen
Walsh).
The know-how from
the diverse groups working in the Park is also quite impressive and includes:
Cumann na bhFear (blacksmithy and drystone walling), Ballinfoile Mór Community
Organic Garden (planting organic vegetables, fruits & herbs), Galway Civic Trust
(heritage preservation), Conservation Volunteers TFP (clean-ups, digital
mapping, Greenways development), Castlegar Connect (social heritage, opening up
boreens), RAPID (leisure facilities planning).
Since May, the recently
formed Conservation Volunteers TFP has for instance organised or participated
in the following community initiatives:
a) Tree
and wildflower planting events
b) A
Litter Clean-up (where large amounts of cans and bottles were collected)
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Clean-up of Castlegar Mass Path |
Series
of clean-ups of Castlegar Mass Path that links Castlegar Church to
Ballybrit Racecourse.
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Clean-up of Carrowbrowne Bog Road |
Renewal
and resurfacing of an old bog road (botharín) in Carrowbrowne in preparation
for a number of ‘Off the Beaten Track’ heritage cycle tours that went from
Terryland Castle, to Castlegar Castle and onto Cloonacauneen Castle (c.10km
round trip). The bog botharín was an key element in our campaign to
establish a network of trails emanating from Terryland Forest Park that
would link into county Galway and Mayo Greenways.
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Summer Sunday Cycle Through the Terryland Forest Park, Galway Bike Fest Week, 2012 |
A Sunday
Cycle and Picnic in the Park event that took place along the full length of
the Terryland Forest Park as part of Bike Fest Week 2012 (June). The trip
comprised a series of stopovers: Castlegar Castle; Ballinfoile Mor Community Organic Garden (where cyclists had beverages
and ice-creams); Cumann na bhFear premises (for a blacksmithy demonstration);
Terryland Castle and finally the Oak Grove (in the original March 2000 Plantathon
site) where we had a Big Picnic with marquee, barbeque, Latino dancers,
singers, DJs, clowns. etc. Over 120 people participated.
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Salsa Dancing, Oak Grove, Terryland Forest Park, Galway Bike Fest Week, 2012 |
To build on this work, we now require
increased numbers of volunteers who are prepared to commit themselves for a few
hours (or more!) each month to develop further this precious green eco-treasure
for the benefit of locals and wildlife alike.
So we require gardeners, cyclists,
folklorists, heritage enthusiasts, traditional stonewall masons, botanists, zoologists,
tree lovers, herbalists, blacksmiths, wood-turners, artists, community
activists, business people, tourism advocates, concerned citizens….
A meeting with take place at 7.30pm on
Tuesday (Aug 28) next for those people interested in becoming part of the Conservation
Volunteers Terryland Forest Park and environs group. The venue is the Lus Leana Community House (just off the
Headford Road and adjacent to the Ballinfoile Community Organic Garden).
A programme of work for 2012/2013 will be discussed
and agreed upon. All are welcome to attend.
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Online Heritage Trail Map |
Ideas for Regenerating the Terryland
Forest Park
1. Volunteer
Park Rangers
One of the biggest challenges facing
the project is how to minimize the level of illegal drinking taking place
within the park, a problem that is endemic to modern Irish society where such anti-social
behaviour, oftentimes perpetuated by under-age drinkers, is impacting
negatively on beaches, forests, graveyards and other public spaces nationwide.
The high level of litter generated, the unsightly and environmental damage to
the park such as burnt trees and polluted waterways, and the presence of
sometimes aggressive drunken people can frighten the general public away from
using precious green spaces.
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Fire damaged tree |
One possibility is to establish a
corps of volunteers who would patrol the parklands during daylight hours whilst
undertaking appropriate duties such as litter collection, tree maintenance,
coppicing and acting as information guides for visitors. In conjunction with
other initiatives such as installing information signage and hosting public
events (see below), the presence of rangers would act as a deterrent to
anti-social behaviour. The volunteers would wear identifiable garb (jacket
and/or teeshirt) bearing a clearly identifiable park emblem.
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Litter seeping in Terryland River |
2. Monthly
Clean-Ups
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Illegal Dumping, Terryland Forest Park |
The excellent Glan Suas Gaillimh
(Clean Up Galway) scheme was launched in the Terryland Forest Park in 2010. It
should be re-introduced based on an annual calendar schedule with a programme
of regular clean-ups in certain areas of the park assigned to specific groups such
as a local business, a residents’ association or a school.
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'Glan Suas Gaillimh' volunteers, Terryland Forest Park |
The park could host an annual Can-the-Can Day where the beverage cans
collected by volunteers would be left into Galway city council with the payments
received being used to buy tree saplings for planting in the park during
spring-time.
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Area of Terryland Forest Park near Woodys |
A serious issue that needs to be tackled is the amount of pallettes and other mainly flameabale materrials tbeing removed from the Woodys and other businesses in the Galway Retail Park into the forest park at weekends to be used as fuel for fires for drinkers.
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Area of Terryland Forest Park near Woodys |
This activity causes considerable damage to the park's biodiversity and is made easy by the lack of any type of barrier sperating the forest park from this commercial area.
3. Populating
Park Signage with Information and Art
There is a series of high quality
signage units located at most of the main entry points to the Forest Park.
However they are sadly underutilized.
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Present Signage |
What should be done is to use one
side of each sign to provide relevant informative folklore, social and natural
heritage text and images to benefit the visitor. The format and layout should
be attractive with a reputabale eco-artist such as Gordon D’Arcy being commissioned
for the task.
There is also a need to place colourful maps of the forest park oen some of thse signs.
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Follklore Signage, Slieve Gullion Forest Park, County Armagh |
The second side of each sigh could
be used to exhibit eco-artwork projects carried out by Galway schools, local
community (e.g. youth, active retirement) groups and artists. These exhibits
should be regularly promoted through the media.
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Blackrock, County Louth |
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Market Square, Clarinbridge, County Galway |
4. Redesigning
Picnic Tables
The seats and table bench units are located
only in certain areas of the parklands where they tend to be primarily used by alcohol
drinkers. The resulting detritus of cans and bottles is not a pretty sight. Of
course the proposed introduction of park rangers should reduce this phenomena.
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Newport, Co. Mayo |
But to increase the attractiveness
of these units, game-boards could be carved into the table tops; game pieces
(chess, draughts) could be rented from a neighboring retail outlet and an
educational/community group such as the Galway NUIG chess clubs could be requested
to take advantage of this feature.
5. Biodiversity
Research and Survey
Forests provide a haven for a huge variety of wildlife.
As well as their role in protecting biodiversity, trees provide us with the
oxygen for sustaining life and in absorbing the man-made carbon emissions that
are the main factor in global warming.
The
planting of 100,000 native Irish trees in this urban woodland must have had a positive
impact on the number and type of flora and fauna in Galway city. The third
level colleges NUI Galway and GMIT should be requested to consider carrying out
an annual survey of the species living in the forest park. In particular they should
supervise volunteer involvement in the compilation of data on mammals for the
National Wildlife Atlas presently being compiled.
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Dundalk Bay, Dundalk, County Louth |
Dr. Colin Lawton of NUIG
Zoology, one of the instigators of this Atlas and renowned expert on Irish wild mammal populations, undertook a mammal survey in the forest park during the period 2003-2006. He has expressed strong interest in helping to organise another survey with some of his undergraduate student(s) being involved .
A
selection of the most interesting animals (drawings and text) from this survey
with associated facts should be placed on the information signage located at
the entry points, thereby generating public interest and awareness of the vital
contribution that this collection of natural habitats has in biodiversity conservation.
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Dundalk Bay, County Louth |
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Giant Children's Mural Ballinfoile Mór Community Organic Garden, Terryland Forest Park |
Arts was central to central to the original ethos of the project. Artist Lol Hardiman actively took park in all of the early public plantathons and school bulbathons where the motto was "a spade in one hand and a paintbrush in the other" as children would paint or draw their vision of the park onto huge shared canvases after planting trees and flowers. In fact one large arts forest project was at the time (2000) the largest mural in the world totally encircling the construction site of the Raddison Hotel.
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Lol Hardiman's drawing of the proposed Terryland Forestry Interpretative Centre & Arts Amphitheatre, 2000 |
Today, there are still high hopes of re-engaging with the arts community and establishing a cultural programme. Parts of the park could provide very
suitable locations for hosting certain types of eco-arts shows, pieces and
exhibits.
The willow sculptures created earlier this year by artist Jen Hesnan
and the GAF youth group are presently on display in St. Bridget’s Garden (see photo above). But similar
type works would find a natural home in the Terryland Forest Park.
Furthermore, trees such as willows
could be grown in certain areas to be harvested in the future to provide
materials for artists and crafts workers.
City Arts Officer James Harrold
should be communicated with on this issue.
7. Community Tree Planting
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Tree Planting, Terryland Forest Park |
Subject
to funding availability, an annual programme of tree and bulb planting
festivals should continue for the benefit of biodiversity and community engagement.
The council’s Arts office came up with the excellent idea of designating a
section of the park for the planting of trees by artists visiting the city.
This concept would revive the Celtic bards’ associations with the world of
Nature as well as in reinforcing Galway’s cultural identity.
8. Deadwood
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
Nature field work organized by the
Conservation Volunteers TFP could include workshops on the importance of the
provision of deadwood for insect life, hedgerow planting, litter clean-ups,
wildflower planting, wild edible food foraging, bird watching trips...
9. Greenways
Hub
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'Off the Beaten Track' map, Ballnfoile-Castlegar-Ballindooley-Menlo |
Over the last few years, the Friends
of Galway’s Forests and the Galway City Community Forum have worked with the
Galway Transport Unit (GTU) to introduce a series of ‘Off the Beaten Track’ heritage
cycle tours along the botharín network that still exists on the north east side
of Galway city. The different routes normally start from the Ballinfoile side
of the Terryland Forest Park and continue on towards the castles of Castlegar,
Menlo, Cloonacauneen and Ballybrit.
These routes are presently being
digitally mapped in order to provide a series of online routes as part of a new
community tourism initiative.
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'Off the Beaten Track' group, Castlegar Castle, May 2012 |
The existence of these eco-tours
along with the work being undertaken by Castlegar Connect, Cumann na bhFear and
residents of Parkmore and Carrowbrowne supported by Councillor Frank Fahy is
bringing an exciting new tourism dimension to Galway city and in the process
transforming Terryland Forest Park into a major walking and cycling Greenways hub that could over
time embrace Connemara and east Galway and further onto into Mayo. After all,
the defunct Galway-Clifden railway, which is presently being developed in north
Connemara as a national rural cycle route, starts at the ‘Plots’ Dyke Road adjacent
to the Forest Park.
10. Outdoor
Classroom
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
The forest park should serve as an
integral part of the science curricula in primary and post-primary
schools. It is an appropriate
location for environmental, ecological, health and heritage studies not just
for city schools but also for students of external educational institutions
visiting Galway.
Of course the introduction of park
rangers, the installation of information signage as well as other works would have
to be completed before schools would start to use the park on a regular basis.
An annual programme of schools’
engagement with the park could be based around a series of seasonal events
e.g.
- Can the Can Clean Up clean up
(Winter)
- Tree Planting (Spring)
- The Big Picnic (Summer)
- Wild Fruit Harvesting or Heritage
Cycle Trip or (Autumn)
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
But consideration should also be
given to the construction of an actual classroom feature based on tree trunks
and large limestone rocks (worked on by stonemasons) seating in an area of the
parkland that has a child educational ethos.
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
11. Re-constructing
Stone Walls and Hedgerows
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Dyke Road |
Drystone Walls and Hedgerows have been
a traditional feature of the Irish countryside for generations. They also serve
as import conduits for wildlife. The repair and re-introduction of these man-made
constructions along the park’s perimeter would enhance the facility’s
attractiveness and functionality.
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Terryland Castle locality, Dyke Road |
Of particular significance would be
the reconstruction of the drystone wall near the entrance to Terryland Castle
which was dismantled a few years ago during road widening works.It was never
rebuilt and was sadly replaced by unsightly concrete blocks. But thankfully,
the original stone pieces are left lying nearby.
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
The Tús community employment government scheme
should be untilised to provide workers that act as stone masons, tree planting
and hedgerow coppicing.
The Galway Civic Trust and Cumann na
bhFear (Community volunteer skiils and crafts club) are involved in helping
Galway City Council undertake this
acvitiy along the Spring Well botharin at the north end of the Terryland Forest
Park. Cumann na bhFear have also fabricated metal signage and repaired old
style field gates.
12. Foraging
for Wild Edible Plants
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3 generations of a family collecting Hazelnuts, Botharín, Menlo |
Hedgerows could also provide a rich
harvest of wild edible foods, particularly in the autumn for hazelnuts and
blackberries. Schools and communities should be encouraged to participate in an
annual Wild Fruit Harvesting Sunday where the collected wild fruits could be used in tarts
and cakes recipes (granny’s food). Participants would also understand important
aspects of sustainability and ecology by ensuring enough wild foods are left to
benefit wildlife such as birds.
Mushrooms, nettles and wildflowers
are already harvested by members of the Ballinfoile Community Organic Garden
and used as to make soups and salads.
13. Wildflower
Meadows
There is a perception amongst the
general public that a grassland needs to regularly cut in order to give the
appearance of a domestic garden lawn.
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Terryland Forest Park |
Parts of the park could be developed as
wildflower meadows with signage explaining the benefits of such a habitat to
insects, birds and animals.
The cutting of the grasses could be done by
volunteers using traditional farming methods and implements.
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Blackrock Park, County Louth |
14. Develop the Old Waterworks as an Interpretative Centre
The old Waterworks is of great historical value and represents a fine example of Victorian hydrological
engineering. At present, the premises is mainly used as a storage facility.
The Heritage Plan designates its use ultimately as an interpretative centre dedicated to the Corrib waterways. The Terryland Forest Park and Castle would fall within this remit.
Unfortunately the buildings have suffered a lot of damage recently due to vandalism and theft.
It is felt by the Heritage Officer that some remedial works under his supervision could be undertaken by Cumann na bhFear and the Conservation Volunteers at both the castle and the Waterworks.
However funding permitting, consideration long term should be given to revamping and extending the Waterworks complex to include a range of facilities such as a café, toilets, Greenways information section, a bike hire and repair shop, a tree
nursery and a crafts and skills workshop for Cumann an bhFear. It would be an ideal hub for walking and cycling tours of the forest and the Greenways network.
The latter facility would
facilitate the teaching of traditional coppicing, tinsmithing, blacksmithy
woodturning, carpentry, leatherwork, drystone walling and other skills/crafts that
could then be used within the park.
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Cafe in converted farmyard building,: Slieve Gullion Forest Park, Co. Armagh |
15. Terryland
Castle
The Terryland Castle and adjacent
Yew Maze are extremely unsightly.
Whilst the decay of the castle is
too far advanced and will always remain in a ruinous state, nevertheless an
attractive informative piece on this historical building (and on adjacent
Jordan’s Island) should be provided on the large sign located at the nearby
park entrance.
The Yew Maze planted in 2005 will
unfortunately probably never grow on its present site due to the unsuitability
of the soil. If that is the case, thought should be given about its removal to
another location and alternative uses for the ground area.
16. Increasing
water flow in the Terryland/Sandy River
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Terryland River |
The Terryland/Sandy River is almost
choked with plant growth at a number of locations behind Dunnes Stores and near
to the Quincenntennial Bridge. The OPW should be requested to undertake
immediate remedial action. Talks should also take place with Inland Waterways
Ireland about how they can increase the aquatic life in the river.
17. Outdoor
Fitness Equipment
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Slieve Gullion Forest Park, County Armagh |
The funds previously provided by the
HSE to the project should be used to purchase and install physical equipment in
appropriate sites within the park.
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Slieve Gullion Forest Park, County Armagh |
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Exerciise equipment, Tenerife, Spain |
18. Hosting
Eco-Community Festivals
Well publicised Plantathons,
Bulbathons, family picnics and eco-festivals were the lifeblood of the park
project during its early days.
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Summery Cycle & Picnic in the Terryland Forest Park, June 2012 |
Groups should be encouraged to apply
to hold appropriate and eye-catching community events in the park such as a
family Teddy Bear Picnic. In late June a successful Latin Fiesta Party was held
in the Oak Grove as part of Bike Fest 2012.
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Summery Cycle & Picnic in the Terryland Forest Park, June 2012 |
19. Organic
Farming
Consideration should be given to
retaining the fields at the northern side of the Terryland Forest Park as
grazing land for cattle.
Discussions should take place with farmers and Teagasc
about best practice possible for using only organic fertilsers in the farm
lands within the park’s boundaries.
20. Neighbourhood
Organic Garden
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Harvest Festival, Ballinfoile Mór Commniuty Organic Garden |
The Ballinfoile Mór Communithy
Organic Garden located within the perimeter has been an outstanding success.
Thanks to the support of Galway City Council and the involvement of local
residents, the garden contains herbs section, vegetable plots, an orchard,
native tree hedgerow, drystone walks, willow tunnel, toilets, kitchen, clay
oven, polytunnel, performance stage, seating, bug hotel and pond (under
construction). A Harvest Day and other public festivals are hosted in the
garden.
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Ballinfoile Mór Commniuty Organic Garden |
21. ‘Adopting’
Park Space
Due to the road network, the
Terryland Forest Park is unfortunately split up into isolated sections. Consideration should be given as to how
these segments can be linked up to benefit visitors and local residents as well
as wildlife.
However in the interim, it might be
best to investigate the possibility of he different stand-alone areas being
adopted and maintained by neighbouring groups or organizations such as NUIG,
GMIT, schools, business park management/staff, youth groups and resident
associations.