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NOIVCO7
The
eardgh
:
il unique
reserued
hven of wldlfe.
Introducton
The Gearagh, on the River Lee, near Macroom, Co.
Cork, gets its name from "An Gaoire", the wooded
river. It is a unigue and ancient forest system
situated on a broad, braided channel where the River
leaves the hills and widens out into an alluvial plain,
formed at the end of the last Ice Age.
The writer Gibbings in his book "Lovely is the Lee"
describes it as follows: "Now the Lee comes to us in
a wide network of interlacing streams, The Gearagh,
haunt of the wiid duck, home of the ring
dove. \ater swirling by a thousand wooded islands,
under the alders and hazels, through tortuous
channels, trailing long grasses, an almost
impenetrable jungle,
certainly one in which themost
knowledgeable man might lose his \ryay".
It is in this respecr then rhat the Gearagh is unique,
being an intricate tangle of narrow channels and
many branching streams that encircle a maze of
islands covered in oak forest. Although about half
the original area has been damaged it still represenrs
the only extensive alluvial forest in Ireland or
Britain and probably Westem Europe west of the
Rhine. The communities, or groupings, of plants
growing together are uncommon and there are some
rare species e.g. Durch Rush (Eqisenm
hyemale)
while the flooded areas attract large concentrations
of wildfowl.
Hstory
The area first came to rhe atenrion
Co[enRinae
of scientists in the 19th Century
Orugonffy
"
and the famous naturalist
Robert Lloyd Praeger stopped here in 1907. After
him came a string of British and Continental
biologists includingTnsley, Balfour-Brown,
Ludi and Braun-Blanquet. The Irish
scientists, O'Rourke and Hewetson
worked here in the 1950's while Dr. Helen
O'Reilly studied the woodlands in 1954 as
they were being felled to make way for the
reservoirs to drive the electricity generating
station at Carrigadrochid.
For about 25 years ir was commonly thought
by the scientific communiry that the enrire
area had been damaged. However, a remnant
of the woodland remained and about 8 years
ago it was listed by the \ildlife Service as
worthy of nature reserve status. In 1987 the
area was declared a statutory nature reserve
under the \ildlife Act,l976, with the acrive co-
operation of E.S.B., who own the land. Local inter-
est in the site paralleled that of the \Tildlife
Service, with the local students, studying
in the area and winning the Aer Lingus
Young Scientist of the Year Comperirion. It was
brought to national attention as a site of major
interest.
te extrevne[y vare
^,*
Folklore
The Gearagh has attracted both writer and renegade.
It was always a safe refuge for past outlaws, like the
locally famous Robin Hood character, "Sean-Rua-
na-Goire", who robbed local gentry and gave to the
poor, but could never be caught from his
impenetrable hide within the forest. One of its more
infamous claims was as the home of the Poitin
makers. The local constabulary could watch the
smoke rise from the stills within the forest, but on
entering, could never locate them, as they suffered
the confusing phenomenon of "Meascn Maraocht".
its rich diversity of herbs were a gift to local farmers,
who drove their cattle in here during the spring, to
feed on the carpets of wild garlic. However, though
the resulting taste of the milk made it undrinkable,
they never had to hire a vet; a small price to pay for
healthy cattle.
Chrcterstic species of the
eragh
The first view of the area from the causeway,
especially if the water level is low, has been likened
to a lunar landscape. However, this sea of mud is
home to a rare and protected plant, Mudwort
(Limosella
aquatica), which forms a short, green
lawn around the margin of the reservoir. Beyond this
are wet meadows full of Marsh
te s1tin[eTree
inFyuit
Ragwort
(Senecio
a4uaticus) which in summer forms a
carpet of gold. Beyond this again are the remains of
the alluvial forest which at present can be visited
only with difficulty.
Contrary to what might be expected the islands are
relatively dry. They are covered in a mixture of Oak
(Quercus robw), Ash
(Frxlnus
excelsior) and Birch
(Betula pubescens) with a shrub layer of Hazel
(Corylus avellana) and \Thitethorn
(Crataegus
monogyna). \Tillows (Salix
secies) and Alder
(Alnus
glutinosa) are confined to the wetter depressions or
stream margins. \Toodland margins support spindle
tree
(Euonymw
etnoeaus), Guelder rose
(Vbumwn
oulus) and Birdcherry (Prwtus padus). There are
over 100 species of flowering plants and ferns. In
spring the ground is carpeted with wild garlic (ALLium
wsinum) whose pungent aroma fills the air, while the
gold cups of Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) line
the stream sides. Later in the year these plants are
replaced by Bugle (Ajuga retans), Enchanter's
Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana), Irish Spurge
(Euphorbia
hyberna), Meadow Sweet
(Filipendula
ulnvLria) and Royal fern (Osmundnregalis).
Under the shade of the trees the streams are almost
devoid of plants but where they are open to the sun
a luxuriant growth of vegetation occurs. In May the
channels may be a sheet of white from water
crowfoot (Ranunculu.s
specles), while Srarworts
(Callitriche
secies) and Pondweeds (Potamogeton
secies) form underwater "forests". Fresh water
sponges are common on the stream beds.
From October onwards migratory birds arrive in large
flocks. Mallards in their hundreds, Wigeon, Tal,
Tufted Duck, Pochard, the elegant Great Crested
Grebe, \X/hooper Swans, Greylag Geese, Golden
Plover, Dunlin, Snipe, Curlew and Lapwing may be
seen on the reservoir and its margins. Other species,
present all the year, include Herons, Cormorants,
Coots, Moorhens
;u/'
and.Kingfishers. Reed Buntings occur in tall
vegetation around the reservoir and
Jays
and
Sparrowhawks in the woodland. In Summer, Swifts
scythe the air feeding on insects with Sand and
House Martins and Swallows rising in warm air
currents while brightly coloured Damsel flies and
Dragon flies dart along the streams and river banks.
The lucky visitor may see Stoats or Otters. Mute
swans in their hundreds visit the Gearagh in
June,
and
July.
Altogether a treasure-trove of nature which
E.S.B. and Wildlife Service, along with the local
community, and local authorities are committed to
conserve.
Vstng the
earagh
The area is more a haven for wildlife than for
humans, being wet, marshy, over-grown and exposed
to the elements. Thus visitors may find
./t
(
2000
1000
500
SEPT OCT NOV DEC JAN
CHART SHOWS THE INCREASE IN BIRD
NUMBERS WITH THE APPROACH OF WINTER
the Gearagh hard and even unpleasant to explore
much of the time. However, when water levels are
low, you can walk right across the central causeway
to emerge at the other side, where many of the
birds, especially in winte can be seen. Failing rhis,
the roads on the southern side can offer more
rewarding glimpses of the many birds. The river at
Toon Bridge gives a good idea of the character of
the streams.
To walk the side-roads about the Gearagh will bring
you in contact with the various plant species rhar
are characteristic of the Lee Valley and the
Gearagh. At present there is no public access inro
the wood and it is not advisable to attempt to enter
because of the danger from the tangle of fallen
branches, deep streams, strong currents and soft
mud. For the same reason you should not leave the
roads or causeway.
(
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