COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF TALLAGHT AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

QUESTION NO.

QUESTION: Councillor D. Donnelly

"I am asking for some information from TAC, Is there any wildlife specific to the Tallaght area?"

REPLY:

In Tallaght and its surrounding areas, the presence of large parks like the Dodder River Valley, Sean Walsh Park, and Tymon Park supports a significant number of different habitats and species. 

While the habitats and species found in these parks would not necessarily be specific to the Tallaght area, their presence in a busy urban location could be considered highly unusual and even unexpected.

For example, the River Dodder supports iconic species like Otter, Kingfisher, bats and Lamprey, along with a wide range of other bird, flowering plants and insect species.  Wetlands, including wet woodland habitat and freshwater springs, also occur along the banks of the Dodder.  While these habitats and species would also be found nationally, their presence in a built-up location like Tallaght could be considered to be special.

In Tymon Park, the Council’s revised management of its grassland meadows has significantly increased the range of flowering species that now bloom every year.  Recent surveys of pollinating insects in Tymon Park also indicate the presence of nationally vulnerable bumblebee and hoverfly species that rely on the species-rich meadows.

While these flowering species and pollinating insects will also occur in counties outside of South Dublin County, their presence and abundance in Tallaght is highly unusual and unexpected, and has resulted in Tymon Park being placed on a list of national grassland sites to visit (Great Irish Grasslands Trail » All-Ireland Pollinator Plan).