Protecting the beauty and nature of Baldoyle

THE Chair of Baldoyle Tidy Towns, Joan Hopkins, has said that while Baldoyle Bay is a place of international importance, it is subjected to all sorts of man-made pressures. Our best form of defence is education, Joan says, adding when people know how valuable the place is they are motivated to protect it.

Baldoyle is a coastal town situated on the south east part of Fingal County. It is a former fishing village and is now a busy residential town that is undergoing development and renewed interest as a place to live and work.

Baldoyle is fortunate to look out over Dublin Bay and have views of Howth Head, Ireland’s Eye, Portmarnock Point and Cush Point in Sutton.

Natural biodiversity features in Baldoyle include the Mayne River, Baldoyle Bay and Racecourse Park which supports important habitats like Saltmarsh and Salt Meadows.

Internationally protected Light-bellied Brent Geese (Branta bernicla hrota) feed on grasslands in Seagrange Park and Racecourse Park each year.

The Tidy Towns group in Baldoyle is very active and involved in biodiversity initiatives locally. It has already implemented many useful biodiversity actions and identified a number of locations that should be conserved and interpreted.

Baldoyle Tidy Towns are all about biodiversity and protecting our environment — given Baldoyle Bay, itself is designated a UNESCO protected site.

Baldoyle Tidy Towns organise litter picks every month as plastic pollution is so widespread and has a very negative impact on our waters.

Founding member of Baldoyle Tidy Towns Aoife Cannon says that “while community groups do fantastic work, we need the Government to do more about reducing plastic packaging and waste, the majority of