THE operator of Dublin Airport has donated eight hectares of land it owns to the local authority to provide public access to the wildlife sanctuary.
Daa, which operates both Dublin and Cork Airports, gifted the land in Kilsallaghan in North County Dublin to Fingal County Council for the nominal cost of €10.
The firm had previously purchased the land at market value, they confirmed in a statement, as they announced the donation at the start of Biodiversity Week, which runs from May 16 to 25.
“We are delighted to gift the compensatory habitat at Kilsallaghan to the people of Fingal,” Andrea Carroll, Group Director of Sustainability at daa, said.
daa has gifted the eight-hectare wildlife sanctuary to the public“This initiative underscores our dedication to supporting biodiversity, nature regeneration, and fostering the connection between community and the natural environment.”
This site is located at Thornton, near Coolquay, approximately six kilometres northwest of Dublin Airport.
Daa was required to remove 15.8km of hedgerow at the site and develop the area to support a variety of native flora and fauna, under conditions imposed when it was granted permission for its North Runway project.
Up until now the compensatory landscape, which has since been effectively rewilded, was not open to the general public.
Now, following daa’s donation, Fingal County Council will provide managed and supervised access to the site by arrangement – mainly for educational purposes, to “ensure the ecological value of the habitat is not compromised”.
The habitat is made up two-thirds woodland and one-third native grassland, while a specially constructed bat roost has been installed to encourage the bat population.
“Fingal has a rich and varied biodiversity and one of the challenges for the Council is to manage the development and growth of Fingal in a way that maintains and enhances our biodiversity for future generations,” Kevin Halpenny, Senior Parks and Landscape Officer with Fingal County Council, said.
“This compensatory habitat, which replaces 15.8km of hedgerow, is a good example of how we can align the protection of our biodiversity with development.”
Áine Kirrane, daa’s Group Environmental Manager, explained the collaborative efforts involved in developing the habitat.
“This project has been a collaborative effort involving various departments and local stakeholders, especially Fingal County Council,” she said.
“We are proud to see it come to fruition and to offer this valuable resource to the community.”