Lecale Conservation Association has received funding from the Department of Infrastructure (DfI) ‘Living Places and Spaces Fund’ which has enabled it to continue an ongoing project of sand dune restoration at Tyrella Beach on the Lecale Coast.
Lecale Conservation have been restoring degraded dunes on beaches around Lecale for the last 8 years with the permission of Newry Mourne and Down Council and the Department of the Environment (DAERA), building up considerable knowledge and expertise in this area. Project leader Cadogan Enright welcomed the ‘Living Places and Spaces’ funding said “Tyrella Beach is one of NI’s best-known public beaches and its popularity has led to erosion along the front edge of the Dune systems with sections being under-cut and falling into the sea. The Department of Infrastructure’s funding has been more than matched by Newry Mourne and Down District Council who have also drawn funding from the NIEA Environment fund.
SLLP Manager and Lecale Members including Secretary David, Treasurer Cadogan and Youth Member Cathal.
Cadogan Enright explained, “We use posts and fences to protect the front edge of dunes from footfall or motorised vehicles; and by planting new dune plants behind the fence, grown from locally sourced seed by seed conservation charity True Harvest Seeds, this allows the front side of the dune systems to re-establish. Once the new front edge of the dunes is strengthened and established, erosion is stopped.
Sand dune systems are also a vitally important habitat for local wildlife.” This will be an ongoing project over the next few years, and we will need lots of volunteers to help plant out the new plants this Autumn and next Spring.
If you are interested in working on this project, please
contact www.lecaleconservation.org or via Facebook.
See how tyrella beach looked when we started this project. We will take new pictures every year to show the progress in the same way we do before and after pictures for all our beach restorations.
