A new report has identified where State, semi-state and local authority lands can support the expansion of Ireland’s most important remnant woodland habitats and aid the country’s restoration plan.
The Environmental Pillar’s Restore Nature: Native Woodlands project supports Ireland’s National Restoration Plan by identifying high-conservation-value native woodlands with strong potential for restoration and improved connectivity on public lands.
Using GIS analysis, the project maps the most important native woodlands and highlights opportunities to expand and reconnect those fragmented remnants. It identifies 29 native woodland clusters nationwide, 14 of which are prioritised because of their scale, ecological value and potential for expansion on public land. These include iconic sites like Killarney National Park, Glendalough and Clara Vale, the Avoca Valley and Glengarriff Woods. The project provides a strong evidence base to help Ireland meet its native woodland restoration targets under the EU Nature Restoration Law.
The project has identified 274.52 km2 of native woodland, of which 129.28 km2 is on public land and 72.71 km2 is immediately adjacent (within 200m) to public land. Additionally, we’ve identified 1942.30 km2 of public lands adjacent to native woodland. While not all of this land will be suitable for native woodland restoration the project does highlight the immense potential for public lands, particularly those managed by Coillte and the National Parks, to support ambitious native woodland re-establishment.
Senior Landuse Officer with the Environmental Pillar and co-author of the report Fintan Kelly said. “Ireland’s remaining native woodlands are small, fragmented, and often isolated, yet they are critical for biodiversity and climate action. This project identifies opportunities to deliver ambitious nature restoration by identifying the most important native woodlands in the country and where the opportunities are to expand and re-connect them.”
“Given Ireland’s highly fragmented land ownership, achieving large-scale woodland restoration is challenging. Public land, across state, semi-state, and local authority ownership, offers a key opportunity to overcome these constraints. By cross-referencing priority woodland clusters with public land datasets, the project identifies adjacent areas with strong potential for rapid restoration and expansion.”
“By linking ecological data with land ownership, the project clearly maps out where the low hanging fruit is for ambitious native woodland restoration using public land. It offers a robust evidence base to inform the design and implementation of Ireland’s Nature Restoration Plan and to support targeted action that strengthens woodland connectivity, biodiversity, and long-term ecosystem resilience.”