Connected News
Latest stories from Irish people and communities making a difference
Bertra Beach Project
The Bertra Connected group work on protecting the sand and grass dunes at Bertra Beach, Co Mayo. The dune system on the beach is shrinking rapidly and does not appear to building back up and recovering naturally as it once did. The very popular beach is under pressure from climate change and from over-use for recreation.
The community in Bertra has come together to find ways within nature to preserve these dunes…
Kerry Earth Education Project’ (KEEP)
From a small organic farm in Ballyseedy a much larger inspirational education project has grown. Ian and Eileen spread the message of permaculture
and sustainable farming. Their farm not only produces healthy food, it also gives spaces where nature can live and grow. They then show how others can follow this sustainable example that cares for people and nature.
Aran Islands DZ (Ceantar Dhícharbónú na hOileáin Árainn)
Galway County Council identified na hOileáin Árann as their decarbonization zone. It is made up by three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around 46 km2. From west to east, the islands are Árainn (Inis Mór), which is the largest; Inis Meáin, the second largest; and Inis Oírr. There is a population of 1,347 (as of 2022) and the area is designated as an official Gaeltacht.
Abbeyleix Bog Project
A local community saw that their bog was being harmed by commercial harvesting of peat for horticulture. They believed this was not in the best interests of local nature and biodiversity. They began a campaign that took eight years to protect the bog with the agreement of the owners. The active raised bog habitat increased by 1,130% from 2009 to 2020. They created a vital local amenity for the community and its visitors.
Mullingar DZ (Decarbonization Zone) Westmeath
Westmeath County Council has named Mullingar Town as the County’s official ‘Decarbonisation’Zone (DZ) Zone (DZ). According to the Westmeath Climate Action Plan 2024–2029, the Mullingar DZ will focus on both climate change mitigation and adaptation , with a strong focus on protecting and improving local biodiversity.
Carrick-on-Shannon DZ
Carrick-on-Shannon is the designated ‘Decarbonisation’Zone (DZ) for County Leitrim. Its vision is that it “…will be a focus for sustainable place-based climate action opportunities — including mitigation, adaptation and biodiversity enhancement — to deliver on the National Climate Objective at local and community levels, and to provide a testbed of learning that can be replicated across County Leitrim.”