Launch of New Flora of Monaghan Book

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Flora Of Monaghan Bio DiverstiyFor the first time, the complete botany of the county has been recorded in one place and is now available for purchase. This is the result of ten years of effort by author and ecologist Alexis FitzGerald. Alexis FitzGerald is a botanist and ecologist who runs his own ecology consultancy business, FitzGerald Ecology, based in Dublin, Ireland. He is an expert at vascular plant, charophyte and bryophyte identification and habitat surveying, developed over ten years of experience in university, professional ecological surveying and with natural history groups such as the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) and the Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club (DNFC). He has been the BSBI County Recorder for Co. Monaghan in Ireland since 2015, and the Editor of Irish Botanical News since 2021.

The blue and white of the Monaghan county flag has its own natural counterpart in the blue and green of its rolling drumlin countryside. Looking from a bird’s eye view, Monaghan will be seen as a land of green pastures, scrub, woodlands and heath, intertwined with endless blue lakes, rivers and streams. This region of Ireland is rightly famous for it’s wetlands, and their outstanding diversity and quality are on full show in this extended love letter to the Monaghan landscape.

This is the first Flora of County Monaghan, imbued with a wide variety of introductory chapters on the geology, vegetation history, climate, land-use history, botanical recording history, habitats and best botanical sites of the county. These introductions are followed by over 1,200 plant species accounts, in which are descriptions and photographs of the many wild plants that make or have made Monaghan their home. This Flora is the result of almost 10 years of recording and research work by botanist and  ecologist Alexis FitzGerald and an invaluable addition to the literature of the county.

The book is available to buy online here >>

Community Heritage Grant Scheme 2024 – Now Closed

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Our Community Heritage grant scheme is now open for applications. The scheme supports community/voluntary groups nationwide with heritage projects- built, natural, and cultural. The maximum amount available per organisation is €25,000. The closing date for applications is Monday 25th March at 5pm. A zoom information webinar about the scheme will be held on Monday 4th March at 12 noon.

Our Community Heritage grant scheme is now open for applications. The scheme supports community/voluntary groups nationwide with heritage projects- built, natural, and cultural.  The maximum amount available per organisation is €25,000. The closing date for applications is Monday 25th March at 5pm.

A zoom information webinar about the scheme will be held on Monday 4th March at 12 noon.

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Wetlands are a vital component of the water cycle

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The complex interaction of their elements – water, soil, plants and animals fulfil many important functions and provide important ecological services. Wetlands are providers and users of water. They maintain their structure and functions, and they provide water for us and other animals and plants.

  • Wetlands mean wildlife
  • Wetlands mean water
  • Wetlands mean flood control
  • Wetlands mean climate change mitigation
  • Wetlands mean landscape

That’s it folks for another year!! Our aim for World Wetlands Day 2023 is that the Monaghan County Heritage Office will be able to host some “live” event on our wetlands for you to enjoy.

We hope our speakers have given you some interesting and valuable information about our wetlands.

And remember we need to VALUE, MANAGE, RESTORES and of course LOVE our Wetlands

Happy World Wetlands Day 2022

Paul Sherlock, Conservation Officer

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  • Value wetlands for the multiple benefits and nature-based solutions they provide for human well-being and a healthy planet.
  • Manage wetlands wisely and use them sustainably so we can conserve them and maintain the health of these critically important ecosystems.
  • Restore lost and degraded wetlands to revive the rich biodiversity and life found in these life-sustaining ecosystems.

Next Up we have Paul Sherlock, Conservation Officer on the CANN project (www.thecannproject.org)

Paul is also a keen footballer

World Wetlands Day – Billy Flynn, Ecologist

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World Wetlands Day is the ideal time to increase people’s understanding of these critically important ecosystems.
This is an urgent call to act. It is an appeal to invest financial, human and political capital in order to save the world’s wetlands from disappearing altogether — and to restore those we have already lost.

Our next video features Billy Flynn, Ecologist
Billy Flynn works in the area of environmental consultancy and is no stranger to the countys wetlands

Wetland Statistics

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Wetland Statistics

Wetlands are critically important ecosystems that contribute to biodiversity, climate mitigation and adaption, fresh water availability, world economies and more.

It is urgent that we raise national and global awareness about wetlands in order to reverse their rapid loss and encourage actions to conserve and restore them.

Our second video this morning is by Rory Sheehan.

Rory is the Co-ordinator for the CANN (Colleberative Action Natura Network) project on Sliabh Beagh. www.thecannproject.org

He works in Monaghan County Council and is also interested in Athletics.

Wetlands Facts

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Nearly 90% of the worlds wetlands have been degraded since the 1700’s

We are losing wetlands 3 times faster than forests

Our first video features Enda Fields who is from Emyvale, Co Monaghan.

Enda is a member of the Emyvale Tidy Towns and is a community activist for water quality and the environment

He works in Dundalk IT in the Department of Built Environment/School of Engineering

Heritage and Biodiversity Actions for Climate – A new webinar series

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The Local Authority Heritage Officers Network invites you to a new series of Climate Action webinars. Join us for four one-hour sessions every Thursday, starting on 27th January at 9.30am.

You will hear about positive actions for climate from the heritage sector. Topics will include nature-based solutions, adaptation of heritage structures, risk assessment and will focus on methods that we hope will ignite action for climate right across the country.

Malcom Noonan, Minister for State for Heritage will launch the first seminar this Thursday.  Paddy Woodworth, journalist will chair this webinar entitled “Embedding Climate in Heritage”. This webinar focuses on how we work to embed the climate crisis, and mitigation and adaptation approaches into the heritage agenda.

The series is supported by the local authorities, City and County Managers Association and the Heritage Council.

The themes of the other webinars are – Wetlands, Community and Climate; Nature-based solutions for Climate; People, Heritage and Climate.

Further information and links to register for the webinars –

kilkennyheritage.ie/2022/01/save-the-dates-heritage-biodiversity-actions-for-climate/ LAHON Webinar Climate – Click to see full list of Webinar details (PDF)


Webinar Recordings Available here:

Hedgerows in County Monaghan – A Decade of Change

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A recent survey of hedgerows in County Monaghan has found that only 12% of hedges are in favourable condition.  The survey, undertaken for the Monaghan County Council Heritage Officer and co-funded by The Heritage Council, was outlined today 6th December at the Teagasc Hedgerow Week webinar by Shirley Clerkin, Heritage Officer.

The survey is a re-survey of sites that were first examined in 2010.  Since 2010, almost 11km of hedges have been removed from the sample squares.  This means that 0.9% of hedges in Monaghan may be removed annually, far more than the EPA estimate of 0.3%.  75% of the removals are attributable to agriculture.

Species diversity has declined since 2010, with 30 species recorded overall in 2021, five less species than in 2010.

In 2010, 37% of hedges were considered to be species rich. This has declined to 23%.

The main tree species at 70% is ash, and of trees examined 90% displayed evidence of ash dieback.

Adjacent land use has become more intensive.  In 2010, 28% of adjacent land was semi-natural grassland.  This has halved to 14%.

“Urgent action is required for our hedgerow resource.  The report sets out sobering results for County Monaghan.  All stakeholders must act now to do what they can to improve the future for our hedges, in recognition of their supporting role for a healthy and resilient countryside.” – stated Shirley Clerkin, Heritage Officer.  At the Teagasc Hedgerow week webinar, she highlighted the need for a results based payments scheme for farmers that included quality result indicators for hedges as a potential way forward.

The survey work was undertaken by Flynn Furney using the Hedgerow Appraisal System.  The survey is part of the implementation of the Monaghan Biodiversity and Heritage Strategic Plan, and was funded by the Heritage Council and Monaghan County Council.

Monaghan Hedgerow Report 2021 (PDF)