BALLYHORNAN BEACH RESTORATION PHASE 2

You can see from the picture below and from the satellite imagery that Ballyhornan beach had totally lost its dunes in 2012.  This damage was caused by quads, motor bikes and undirected footfall from visitors to the beach.

Successive projects led by local NGO’s with grant support for Lecale Conservation from the Department of Envirinment, the Council Biodiversity grant scheme and Live here Love here has now restored 300 meters of dunes up to 15 meters deep in places..

Following Ballyhornan Phase One, Lecale Conservation received a grants from Live Here Love Here, and the NMDDC Biodiversity Programme.

Official permiting of the project be seen in these 2 links

Map of Beach area to be worked on – Pat Magee

Ballyhornan Beach Environmental Assent 

 Lecale Conservation, alongside local community group, the Downpatrick Community Collective, coordiunated many volunteers and even hired buses to bring residents association members to Ballyhornan to plant large numbers of locally grown dunes grasses.  A community fesitval was organised on the beach with food and family friendly events.

Fencing was also used prevent further erosion, and build up the dunes. Using sheep wire fencing, and where erosion was worst, chestnut palings zigzagging 90 degrees every 1.5 metres.

The local council, Newry Mourne & Down, also built a rear fence, to stop the use of quads and motorbikes accessing the beach through the dunes. This had been the main casue of erosion,  destroying the original dunes. Lack of desiganted paths though the dunes also caused damage. There are now 2 paths onto the beach and one is wheelchair friendly.

The regrowth of these new dunes is increasingly noticeable and beginning to match the work peveiously done on the Eastern side oo this beach.. See this video:

[Cadogan to film video Nov 6th ’25]