Glenribbeen Bat Walk

Glenribbeen Bat Walk

Glenribbeen Eco Lodge no longer takes paying guests but we maintain the core principles the helped us pass the NSAI 12001 with 27 points where 18.5 were needed. From there we were awarded the E.U. Flower Award, the Portuguese 4-Petal Award and the Green Innovation & Future Technology award for Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Tourism; 2014 https://www.wit.ie/research/centres_and_groups/gift

I meet and greet people (all ages) in the car-park at Glenribbeen Eco Lodge and offer 20 minute discourse on Irish bats. I ensure everyone has good walking shoes, a torch and bug-repellent. 

We walk along country boreen (L5023) towards the N72 with wide barley field (Nyctalus leisleri - Leisler's bats) and hedgerow on the left (Pipistrellus pipistrellus and Soprano pipistrelles)  120m to the N72 where we cross to the Fisherman's Path on the opposite side and walk along raised (dry) dike built around 1765 and study more pipistrelles and talk about the Land Enclosure Act and the use of the 'Inches' to collect ice for the salmon industry in Lismore - which in turn lead to the 'London - Lismore Rail' which closed  in 1967. Salmon nurseries and netting, transport and packing provided much employment in the area as did the building of sophisticated ice-houses many of which are still in situ.

At the Blackwater River we can talk more about social history while awaiting the (later) arrival of the Daubenton's Bats (the water-bat) and if the evening is planned correctly we sometimes get to see the ISS rise over Lismore Cathedral SW and set over Drumrue (birthplace of St Declan - Ireland's first bishop) is SSE in about 13 minutes transit. All bound to interest some.

That basically is it -but to return the same way and perhaps note the difference in bat numbers as the night progresses - average trip time is 90 minutes.

Note; bats don't like wind and rain any more than we do.

If you need anything else - please don't hesitate to ask

I will once again be leading interested persons along the 'Fisherman's Path' to the Hutpool during Heritage Week  - any and all can contact me for news, updates and to book (free) batwalk.

Peter 0866017176