Ecology and Sustainability

Today immediately East of Thomastown House's grounds is Turlach Na Rua, a 100 acre disappearing lake, or turlough, within a 121 hectare wildlife sanctuary designated as Belclare Turlough pNHA (Willmot 1939, Higgins & Gibbons 1987, Bunachar Logainmneacha na hÉireann 2008, O'Sullivan 2022, National Parks and Wildlife Service 2023).

Just West of Thomastown House's grounds is “Cnoc Meadha” or Knockma Forest Park, the forested circular hill walk featuring Castle Hackett, a 13th-century tower house, and two Cairns, one folklore believes to be the burial ground of Queen Medhbh of Connacht and the other where the fairy king Finvarra or Fionnbharr King of the Connacht Sidhe holds court (Yeats 1888, Fáilte Ireland 2023).

The National Biodiversity Data Centre records the following birds, flowering plants, horsetails, insects and mammals as being present on and near Turlach Na Rua: Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Black-billed Magpie (Pica pica), Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus), Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), Common Blackbird (Turdus merula), Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Common Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), Common Whitethroat (Sylvia communis), Common Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus), Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Eurasian Jackdaw (Corvus monedula), Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca), Eurasian Wigeon (Anas penelope), European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), European Robin (Erithacus rubecula), Gadwall (Anas strepera), Great Tit (Parus major), Greater White-fronted Goose (Anser albifrons), Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea), Hedge Accentor (Prunella modularis), House Martin (Delichon urbicum), House Sparrow (Passer domesticus), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Northern Lapwing (Vanellus vanellus), Northern Pintail (Anas acuta), Northern Shoveler (Anas clypeata), Rook (Corvus frugilegus), Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula), Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus), Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus), Winter Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes), Amphibious Bistort (Persicaria amphibia), Apple (Malus pumila), Ash (Fraxinus excelsior), Black Bog-rush (Schoenus nigricans), Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), Bog-myrtle (Myrica gale), Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), Compact Rush (Juncus conglomeratus), Creeping Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans), Creeping-Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Dewberry (Rubus caesius), Festuca rubra agg., Gorse (Ulex europaeus), Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia palustris), Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), Heath Dog-violet (Viola canina), Heather (Calluna vulgaris), Knotted Pearlwort (Sagina nodosa), Lady's Bedstraw (Galium verum), Lesser Marshwort (Apium inundatum), Marsh Arrowgrass (Triglochin palustre), Meadow Thistle (Cirsium dissectum), Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), Northern Bedstraw (Galium boreale), Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea), Reed Canary-grass (Phalaris arundinacea), Sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica), Spindle (Euonymus europaeus), Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea), Tawny Sedge (Carex hostiana), Tufted Hair-grass (Deschampsia cespitosa), Unbranched Bur-reed (Sparganium emersum), Whorled Water-milfoil (Myriophyllum verticillatum), Marsh Horsetail (Equisetum palustre), Agabus (Gaurodytes) nebulosus, Anacaena lutescens, Colymbetes fuscus, Helophorus (Atracthelophorus) brevipalpis, Helophorus (Helophorus) minutus, Helophorus (Megahelophorus) grandis, Hydrocyphon deflexicollis, Hydroporus palustris, Hydroporus tessellatus, Hygrotus (Hygrotus) inaequalis, Ochthebius (Homalochthebius) minimus, Rhantus (Rhantus) frontalis, and last but very much not least the West European Hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus).

Beyond those listed above the Kane family have spotted the following further flora and fauna: butterflies, bats, badgers, pheasants, frogs and foxes

More information on the birds of Turlach Na Rua can be found at ebird: https://ebird.org/hotspot/L6789428

The Kane Family is committed to a Dark Sky and maximum wilding of the lands to promote a shared enjoyment of Thomastown House’s Grounds between the Kane Family and the animals and plants of Turlach Na Rua.

Thomastown House is powered by 100% Green Energy.