Over a five year
period, approximately 100,000 native Irish trees were planted by the people and
schools of Galway city, thus creating an expansive natural habitat for a wide
variety of flora and fauna located not far from the city centre that connects
into the vast Lough Corrib waterways, one of the most cherished areas of
biodiversity in the country.
Within its
grounds or on the park’s periphery, lies a rich fabric of Galway city’s history
that includes working farmlands, the ruins of medieval castles, forgotten
canals, the remains of a Georgian garden and WW2 urban allotments, Victorian
railway lines and engineering waterworks.
A multi-sectoral steering committee was re-established in 2012 to help promote
community engagement and to develop a long-term strategic plan for this
wonderful green resource. Under the auspices of Galway City Council, it
includes representatives from the City Parks’ department, Galway Education
Centre, HSE, An Taisce, the Community Forum, GMIT and NUI Galway.
Unfortunately it was cancelled by city council in 2014 but it is expected to reconvene later this year with a new format.
Regular annual events include nature detective walks, native tree plantings, wildflower seed dispersal projects, third level science research programmes, organic gardening and a harvest festival. One particularly interesting initiative is ‘Slí na gCaisleán’, a pioneering pedestrian and cycling Greenway connecting Terryland Castle to six other castles that has the potential to become a world-renowned amenity to be shared by tourist and local alike.
From the early
years of its formation, a programme of family picnic days, outdoor theatre, art
workshops, community tree and school children bulb planting days took place in
the park that often attracted thousands of participants.
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