Visitors to the ancient site of the world-renowned Poulnabrone dolmen in the Burren, Co Clare, which attracts over 100,000 people a year, will soon have to vie for space with a herd of eco-friendly cattle hired by the State.
This follows the Department of the Environment entering an agreement with a local farmer, Mr Pat Nagle, to have his cattle graze the 16 acres of State-owned land around the 5,800-year-old dolmen.
The Department made the move following a recommendation in a recently-published conservation plan for the dolmen to use cattle to conserve the site.
According to the Department spokesman, the State is to pay Mr Nagle €500 for his cattle to graze the lands.
Yesterday Mr Nagle said the €500 was just to cover his expenses in carrying out the job.
He said: "The important thing is that the land is grazed in order to restore it to what it was."
According to a conservation plan drawn up by Dúchas, the Heritage Service, the use of livestock "is considered the most ecologically environmentally sensitive option to control vegetation".
