The State has purchased private land adjacent to the Glen of the Downs in Co Wicklow which could lead to the expansion of a large nature reserve in the area.
The Irish Wildlife Trust (IWT) has welcomed the purchase of 100 acres of forestry land by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS).
“It is very encouraging to learn of public funds being used to purchase land for nature restoration,” IWT chief executive Kieran Flood said.
“We hope to see the NPWS resourcing an ambitious native woodland restoration project at this site, to help Ireland meet its nature restoration goals and to expand the precious old oak woodland habitat of the Glen of the Downs,” he added.
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The Glen of the Downs is a national nature reserve protecting rare native oak woodland. However, it is cut in half by the N11 dual carriageway “and is hemmed in by monocultures”, he added.
“Nature restoration protects our natural heritage, restores ecosystems and their wildlife and helps fight climate change. It’s a win for wildlife, people and the planet,” Mr Flood said.
Glen of the Downs, near Delgany, was the focus of prolonged protests by environmentalists 25 years ago in response to a proposal to widen the N11 between Kilmacanogue and Kilpedder on the main road from Dublin to Rosslare port in Co Wexford.
Protesters camped out for almost three years from May 1997, holding up the road project with a High Court judicial review and a subsequent Supreme Court appeal – both of which they lost. The dual carriageway was finally completed in 2003 with reduced speed limits of 80km imposed on traffic passing through the glen, which are still applied today.
Last year, environmental campaigners and local politicians called for the land to be purchased by the NPWS. It is understood that it bought half of a 200-acre lot that was for sale for €6.5 million.
In a statement, the Department of Housing which has responsibility for the NPWS said for commercial reasons it was not in a position to comment on the land sale, but added “the NPWS occasionally purchases land for strategic and conservation purposes. Such acquisitions are always carefully considered on a case-by-case basis and in line with public procurement requirements.”
Under the programme for government, there has been significant acquisition of land by the NPWS to enable expansion of national parks and nature reserves.
Significant acquisitions in recent years include the purchase of the World Heritage Dowth Estate in Co Meath in 2023. Along with 552 acres of land, the purchase included historic buildings, walled gardens and other assets.
In 2024, the NPWS purchased 1,400 acres of land on the Conor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula, as part of a commitment from the State to protect unique natural heritage sites on the Dingle Peninsula under the newly established Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí.
The Glen of the Downs acquisition was “a major and long-awaited step that finally secures public ownership of this vital land”, Wicklow TD Jennifer Whitmore told RTÉ News.
The Glen of the Downs is “not only an iconic Wicklow landscape but also a vital ecological corridor”.
“Over the past year, the community has been incredibly active and vocal in demanding that this land be protected, restored and placed firmly in public hands. Today’s announcement shows that sustained community pressure works,” she added.
