merrion street

The National Parks & Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs has announced that it is developing a new management plan to design a way forward for the conservation of Corncrakes on the Falcarragh to Meenlaragh Special Protection Area (SPA) in County Donegal.

The plan will be developed in full consultation with the local community and landowners. The corncrake was once widespread but is now found in Ireland only along the North coast of Donegal and in the west of Mayo and Connemara.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department will work with the Golden Eagle Trust, which has extensive experience working with local communities on conservation. Consultations will be held in the coming months and a draft plan will be issued for comments before final publication.

Dr. Barry O’Donoghue of the NPWS:
“It is very important to the NPWS that local people to have a say in how this Special Protection Area should be managed for the Corncrake. Through this consultation process we hope to develop a workable management plan for the area which will benefit local people and the corncrake population. This will ensure the area’s natural heritage is protected and enhanced as well as its cultural, social and linguistic heritage.”