Dublin Airport operator donates eight-hectare wildlife sanctuary to the public
Daa, which operates both Dublin and Cork Airports, gifted the land in Kilsallaghan in North County Dublin to Fingal County Council for the nominal cost of €10.
The firm had previously purchased the land at market value, they confirmed in a statement, as they announced the donation at the start of Biodiversity Week, which runs from May 16 to 25.
'We are delighted to gift the compensatory habitat at Kilsallaghan to the people of Fingal,' Andrea Carroll, Group Director of Sustainability at daa, said.
daa has gifted the eight-hectare wildlife sanctuary to the public
'This initiative underscores our dedication to supporting biodiversity, nature regeneration, and fostering the connection between community and the natural environment.'
This site is located at Thornton, near Coolquay, approximately six kilometres northwest of Dublin Airport.
Daa was required to remove 15.8km of hedgerow at the site and develop the area to support a variety of native flora and fauna, under conditions imposed when it was granted permission for its North Runway project.
Up until now the compensatory landscape, which has since been effectively rewilded, was not open to the general public.
Now, following daa's donation, Fingal County Council will provide managed and supervised access to the site by arrangement - mainly for educational purposes, to 'ensure the ecological value of the habitat is not compromised'.
The habitat is made up two-thirds woodland and one-third native grassland, while a specially constructed bat roost has been installed to encourage the bat population.
'Fingal has a rich and varied biodiversity and one of the challenges for the Council is to manage the development and growth of Fingal in a way that maintains and enhances our biodiversity for future generations,' Kevin Halpenny, Senior Parks and Landscape Officer with Fingal County Council, said.
'This compensatory habitat, which replaces 15.8km of hedgerow, is a good example of how we can align the protection of our biodiversity with development.'
Áine Kirrane, daa's Group Environmental Manager, explained the collaborative efforts involved in developing the habitat.
"This project has been a collaborative effort involving various departments and local stakeholders, especially Fingal County Council,' she said.
'We are proud to see it come to fruition and to offer this valuable resource to the community.'
See More: DAA, Dublin Airport, Fingal, Kilsallaghan, Wildlife Sanctuary
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kind pedestrians and cyclists given 'I'm sound' badges by Dublin City Council
A bunch of kind pedestrians and cyclists were awarded badges by Dublin City Council's 'soundness detectors' on Wednesday. As part of its public awareness campaign 'Be Sound This Summer', the council renewed its appeal for all road and path users to be more respectful of others. And pedestrians, cyclists and drivers that looked out for others and prioritised safety in the city centre on Wednesday were awarded with an 'I'm Sound' badge. Through social media videos, the council is encouraging people to stop hogging lanes, breaking lights or dangerously dashing. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Ray McAdam, said: "As a city, we're working to make travel safer, cleaner and more connected — not just through infrastructure, but through how we treat one another. ''Be Sound This Summer' is about recognising and celebrating those small, everyday actions that make our streets safer and more respectful for everyone. By adding a bit of fun and positivity to the message, we're encouraging all road users to look out for each other. Whatever way you travel, being sound goes a long way.' Active travel, such as walking and cycling, plays a central role in how Dubliners get around the city. On average, people split their weekly transport time almost evenly between walking or wheeling (41 per cent) and driving (40 per cent), with a further 19 per cent spent cycling, according to the Your Dublin Your Voice survey. In Dublin, 71 per cent of adults walk five or more days a week, while 47 per cent use a car five or more days a week. One in four adults say they cycle at least once a week. According to the Walking and Cycling Index, 530,000 cars are taken off the road every day in the Dublin Metropolitan Area because of those who decide to walk and cycle. If these cars were all in a traffic jam, it would tail back 2,500 kilometres, equivalent to over nine times the distance from Dublin City to Cork City. Over half a million fewer cars on the road generates an annual benefit of €2.39 billion for individuals and the wider city. It also prevents 3,655 serious long-term health conditions each year and saves the health service approximately €64.5 million - equivalent to over 1.17 million GP appointments. Those walking and cycling instead of driving also save greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1.69 million flights from Dublin Airport to London Heathrow Airport. A bicycle traffic light in Dublin There has been a large increase in older residents engaging in active travel in recent years. Some 74 per cent of Dublin residents aged over 66 now walk or wheel at least five days a week, up from 54 per cent in 2021, and 12 per cent of residents aged over 66 cycle at least once a week, up from 10 per cent in 2021. Dublin City Council said it will continue to roll out dedicated infrastructure across the city to keep this momentum up and encourage people to walk and cycle. Within the next four weeks, three active travel schemes will be completed across the city, including the Ranelagh Village interim scheme, Beatty's Avenue to Herbert Park (part of the Dodder Greenway) scheme and the Royal Canal Phase 3 scheme. Director of Dublin City Council's active travel programme office, Christopher K Manzira, said: 'With more people choosing to travel actively across the city, we all have a shared responsibility to look out for one another. 'Be Sound' is a reminder that safety and respect are essential on our streets. "Whether you're walking to the shop, wheeling to work, or driving through town, a little soundness can make a big difference. The data shows that active travel benefits us all, from reducing emissions to easing congestion as well as the additional health benefits. We want everyone to feel confident and safe doing so.' Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Irish Independent
13-07-2025
- Irish Independent
Extra beach clean-ups planned over ‘mini-heatwave' weekend in Dublin
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council (DCC) said it was 'standard practice' for the authority to provide extra waste crews when increased footfall is expected on beaches and parks, or in good weather. 'With regard to Dollymount Beach, staff are in attendance from 6am to have the beach litter free and presentable for the day's visitors,' they said. 'A small number of staff remain until early evening to remove litter and service bins once the majority of visitors have returned home.' Beaches are frequently left heavily littered after bouts of good weather, with drink containers, food packaging and disposable barbecues often left behind. DCC added that Bull Island is a national nature reserve that should be respected by all members of the public. 'All of the litter on the beach is brought there by visitors and it is greatly appreciated if visitors bring their litter off the beach to the banks of bins located at the ends of the two access roads, or ideally home to be properly segregated and disposed of responsibly,' it added. Fingal County Council said its cleaning crew would be on site at Velvet Strand in Portmarnock, a Blue Flag beach, at 6am on Saturday and Sunday. 'With the sunny weather and a large number of people expected at our beaches, Fingal County Council is providing additional large bins and cleansing crews to manage litter and beach cleaning,' said a spokesperson. The council has requested beachgoers to follow their rules around pollution during the weekend, especially when visiting smaller beaches in the Fingal area that tend to get overcrowded in summer. 'We appeal to all beach goers to take all litter home with you and leave the beach clean, safe and free from pollution for everyone,' they said. Outlining some rules for the weekend, they added: 'Take all the necessary safety precautions when in the water, follow directions and instructions from lifeguards at all times, take your litter home, and clean up after your dogs.' This month, councillors in Fingal agreed on a Draft Litter Management Plan that will see more litter wardens and bins installed in public areas like beaches. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown (DLR) County Council has already upgraded their waste management measures and staffing to meet the bin demand for summer. Beaches like Seapoint and Killiney Beach will be cleaned at 7am and 6.30pm between Monday to Sunday, and on evenings during the weekend. 'The council has deployed a number of temporary 1,100L and barrel bins in strategic high-traffic locations from Easter through to the end of the summer period,' said a spokesperson. 'Staffing operations have also been adjusted to meet the pressures of the season. 'DLR has also increased its focus on beach cleanliness, with a dedicated Beach Patrol Operative on duty during the day and additional staff assigned to evening bins.' Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
Irish Independent
10-07-2025
- Irish Independent
‘Suck it up' – Michael O'Leary says he has no sympathy for residents hit by Dublin Airport noise
Speaking to Newstalk's The Pat Kenny Show, Mr O'Leary described the noise complaints as 'utter nonsense', and, when asked whether he has 'any sympathy for the residents', he answered: 'Absolutely none'. 'There are no nighttime flights taking off over your house between the hours of midnight to 6.30am [or] 6 o'clock in the morning,' he said. 'And if you're in your bed and your windows are closed, you won't even hear it. The aircraft today are 50pc quieter than they were five or 10 years ago. 'We put a video up on our website. We sent around a noise measuring site to St Margaret's, to Ballyboughal, and to Ashbourne.' 'There's less noise, with an aircraft directly overhead of those three sites, than there is in any of the main roadways in Dublin during the daytime,' he said. It comes as Dublin Airport noise complaints more than doubled to 71,000 last year, with one person submitting 7,535 complaints in one month alone. The individual, from St Margaret's in north Co Dublin, sent an average of 243 complaints a day, according to the report. Meanwhile, there were 70,939 complaints about noise in 2024, an increase of over 37,000 compared to 2023. Figures from airport operator DAA show the top five individual complainants each month accounted for 46,197 complaints last year, or 65pc of the total number of complaints. Mr O'Leary continued: 'And they talk: 'There's a primary school there. The children can't sleep'. ADVERTISEMENT "The children are only in the primary school from 9am until about 3pm in the afternoon, they're out playing in the playground, and they make more noise than the bloody aircraft overhead." He descibed the concerns as 'all NIMBY nonsense' and that those, who moved or built a house in the environs of Dublin Airport, were aware of the impact it might have. 'You built a house in the environs of Dublin Airport. Dublin Airport's been there since 1942; you either moved to the area or you built a house around the area. Suck it up,' he said. "And in any event, you've now got two runways. So if your house is in St Margaret's, you've 50pc fewer flights over your house because of the second runway. 'The problem is these guys have a disproportionate influence on local county councillors in Fingal, and you have this kind of NIMBYism determining National Aviation policy. 'Dublin is our gateway to an island on the periphery of Europe.' "We want to continue growing in Dublin, where all that growth will take place on much quieter aircraft, but we need the Minister for Transport to be responsible for the growth of airports, not local councils in Fingal or Waterford or Shannon or Cork,' he said.
