A public meeting is being held to discuss the impact of PFAS chemical exposure and noise from Dublin Airport, next Thursday. The St Margarets The Ward FORUM group, is organising the meeting following the news that Fingal County Council have used their regulatory powers to force the Dublin Airport Authority to release all the information…
The old brick archway, which was part of a cluster of structures linked to an old mill, has been almost entirely restored. The archway was used as a bridge and was at risk of collapse last year when conservation experts started work to restore it. Now the structure, and works to restore the riverbanks around…
Excavation at an enormous scale is being carried out at Dublin Airport to remove 150,000 tonnes of contaminated soil. The soil is contaminated with a family of chemicals known as PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances) and they pose a serious health risk and are linked to the development of kidney and testicular cancer. PFAS chemicals can…
A recent ecological survey of the Ward River, as part of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan, has found evidence of otter, kingfisher, and dipper. Sadly, the survey failed to find evidence of salmon along the river from Knocksedan Bridge to Balheary, despite it appearing in previous surveys. A senior ecologist from Rivus Ecological Engineers, who…
Can the council do more to halt climate change? Should it be setting a better example? Is the management of your area sustainable? These are some of the questions that can inform what Fingal County Council should be doing on climate and this is the time to ask them. Fingal County Council is currently consulting…
Nesting boxes designed to lure the newly reintroduced Osprey to the Swords area are being considered as part of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan. Ecologists are due to assess sites on Fingal estuaries to see where would be the most approapriate place for the placement of osprey nest boxes. As this year an osprey from…
A large area of the Ward River Valley is dominated by the non-native Cherry Laurel shrub. Work is due to start this week to remove the invasive species and this work is likely to have a dramatic effect on certain parts of the park. The Cherry Laurel shrub which is very common in gardens around…
The campaign to stop excessive aircraft noise are holding a protest at Fingal County Council offices next Monday, during the council meeting. The protest is being organised by FORUM (Fingal Organised Residents United Movement) and Fingal and Meath East Residents Groups and aims to pressure Fingal County Council to stop the DAA breaching their planning…
An outflow pipe near the Seatown Road was found to be pouring oil into the Broadmeadow Estuary. Fingal County Council staff worked to stop the flow of oil from the pipe, using oil absorbant ‘booms’, and have started an investigation to locate the source. The Special Area of Conservation, where recently an Osprey bird was…
A plan to increase, or stabilise, the population of otter, kingfisher, dipper, bats, salmon, brown trout and badger in the Ward River Valley is now part of Phase 1 of the Fingal Biodiversity Action Plan 2023-2030. This plan, which was originally unfunded and effectively shelved, is now one of the first 20 projects prioritised in…