BALLYHORNAN BEACH RESTORATION PHASE 2

You can see from the picture below and from the satellite imagery that Ballyhornan beach had totally erosion of dunes in 2012.  Successive projects 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 grant from Live Here Love Here, and the NMDDC Biodiversity Programme.  The award for Lecale to complete work on the beach can be seen here:

Map of Beach area to be worked on – Pat Magee

Ballyhornan Beach Environmental Assent 

Lecale Conservation, alongside local community group, the Downpatrick Community Collective, many volunteers came to Ballyhornan to 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.

After Phase 2, the success of Ballyhornan’s dunes have been increasingly noticeable. See this video:

[Cadogan to film video Nov 6th ’25]