Donal Hickey

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A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Our use of rail for freight is the lowest in the EU, with a marked decline in recent decades. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

Rail renaissance: Drive to get freight service back on track

With a growing population, traffic-clogged roads, and a need to reduce transport emissions, a fresh train of thought is necessary when it comes to moving goods

<p>The rare and critically endangered giant mussel lives anchored to the seabed, half of its shell buried in sediment while securing itself to small stones and shell fragments.</p>

outdoors

Donal Hickey: Discovery of rare fan mussel is welcome news

<p>Crows are part of Halloween folklore, being linked to battlefields, the spirit world and as harbingers of death. Picture: iStock</p>

outdoors

Tough old birds: Resourceful crows are true survivors

Close-up of farmer holding potato at farm

outdoors

Under threat: Weather proving a problem for potato growing

Tall Ash tree

outdoors

Under threat: Securing the future of our elm and ash trees

Outdoor School Group Of Diverse Children Studying Together In Green Field

outdoors

Education is key: Heritage scheme hopes to turn learning into action

Kennel dogs locked

Pet peeve: Dog owners can make mistakes from day one

People often fail to give sufficient thought to what they are taking on when choosing a pet which in turn can lead to problems down the road

Thu, 17 Sep, 2026

Portrait of female standing near open fridge full of healthy food, vegetables and fruits.

Donal Hickey: Let’s stop and think to avoid wasting food

The EPA says households could save upwards of €60 per month by making small changes in how they buy, store and cook food. If people are thinking about waste, they will do something to prevent it

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

SCOTLAND Hedgehogs 1

Urban crawl: Number of hedgehogs in cities spikes

Urban populations appear relatively stable, highlighting the critical role that suburban gardens, parks, and other managed green spaces play in hedgehog survival

Thu, 03 Sep, 2026

British Berry Growers Blackberry Spotlight

Donal Hickey: Blackberries ripe and 'ready for the bucket'

People of all ages, often three or more generations together, are out harvesting and moving along the ditches as brambles are well-laden with blackberries ready for picking

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

A Peacock butterfly sitting on Lavender flowers in the sunshine in Hampshire, UK

Donal Hickey: Plants to help our under-threat butterflies

Since 2008, when systemic monitoring of the butterfly population began, there’s been a steep decline, with habitat loss being a critical issue

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

DENIS SCANNELL

Donal Hickey: Local dismay over delays to Killarney sewage plant works

Concerns are growing as essential work to upgrade the town’s underperforming sewage treatment plant will not now take place before 2030

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

Bright metallic blue fly on straw

On the fly: Insects play key role in environmental and human life

The next time you hear someone grumbling about insects causing a nuisance ask them to think again. We rely on insects for many things that go unseen

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Summer weather June 1st 2025

Flower fairies: Foxglove and fuschia feature prominently in folklore

The warn sunny conditions of late have created the ideal climate for our wild plants, such as foxglove and fuchsia, which are growing in glorious profusion across the country

Thu, 16 Jul, 2026

Abandoned

Donal Hickey: Expand grant schemes to beat rural decline

Even if it means doubling the vacant/derelict homes grants and offering other incentives, something needs to be done urgently to tackle ongoing decline in the west and south

Thu, 09 Jul, 2026

Feeling the heat: Challenge to provide cooler spaces in urban settings

Feeling the heat: Challenge to provide cooler spaces in urban settings

Experts suggest we need nature-based solutions to mitigate against the Urban Heat Island effect in cities whereby hard surfaces such as tarred roads, footpaths and buildings trap more heat than rural areas and natural landscapes

Thu, 02 Jul, 2026

House Wooden Frame

Wood from the trees: Timber a route to low-carbon construction

Timber, as a low-carbon construction material, presents a compelling opportunity to rapidly increase housing supply while at the same time taking action on climate change targets

Sat, 27 Jun, 2026

Damage done: Expanding deer population sparks calls for culls

Damage done: Expanding deer population sparks calls for culls

Culls alone will not solve the problem of an expanding deer population but should form part of a comprehensive herd management plan

Thu, 18 Jun, 2026

Woman hiker legs walking beautiful flowering grassland

Head to the hills: Taking steps to maintain our outdoor areas

Getting farmers and private landowners in upland areas involved in maintaining paths is seen as key to restoration projects aimed at creating a more sustainable future for visitors

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Common / Bandit Pipistrelle Bat (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) hunting at twilight, Berwickshire, Scotland, June 2008

Donal Hickey: Going to bat for our flying friends

Bats are often maligned in folklore, but in reality they are a very good measure of how good our habitats are and are an indicator that an area is in good environmental condition

Thu, 04 Jun, 2026

View from dune top over North Sea

Sands running out: Natural solutions to combat coastal erosion

Experts suggest that by investing in restoration and conservation of dune habitats, we can more sustainably protect against coastal hazards

Thu, 28 May, 2026

Thorny tales: Whitethorn may owe its abundance to prickly folklore

Thorny tales: Whitethorn may owe its abundance to prickly folklore

Could it be that the survival of so many whitethorn trees and bushes may somehow be due to an old superstition that it could be unlucky to damage them, or cut them down?

Thu, 21 May, 2026

Industrial Skip, Overflowing

Home free: Saving by clever reuse of building waste

Disposals from construction and demolition make up our largest single waste stream. Yet much of what's thrown out could be recycled or repurposed, with obvious savings for all

Sat, 16 May, 2026

The marsh iris (Iris pseudacorus) feels most at home at the edge of the water.

Ireland's May Day traditions: Welcoming summer with wild flowers and ancient Bealtine customs

May is immersed in traditions relating to nature, growth and the outdoors in general. More than anything else, perhaps, it’s when we welcome summer

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Abstract Weather Concept - Sun In Serene Sky With Flare Effect

Donal Hickey: April a capricious month as we move from showers to flowers

People in medieval times depended on weather lore for their forecasts with many people in rural Ireland still mindful of the old proverbs

Wed, 22 Apr, 2026

Donal Hickey: Glorious weather — but will we be hit by the Scairbhín?

Donal Hickey: Glorious weather — but will we be hit by the Scairbhín?

The anglicised version of the phenomenon is 'scaraveen' and it has been known to strike between the last two weeks of April and the first two weeks of May

Fri, 17 Apr, 2026

Seaweed surrounding a tidal pool at Amble in Northumberland

Growing benefits: Developing a sustainable seaweed industry

The expanding seaweed industry is an asset for coastal communities, however the challenge will be to develop it further in a sustainable manner

Thu, 16 Apr, 2026

Cuckoo Bird

April arrivals: Cuckoo among signs of the advancing summer

Many regular spring/summer visitors to Ireland are already here. Swallows, swifts and house martins, are all getting busy having returned to Ireland where they nest, lay eggs and raise their chicks.

Thu, 09 Apr, 2026

Summertime and the gorse is budding yellow flowers along the country road.

Reading between the lines: Hedgerows enrich the lives of everyone

As well as providing safe nesting for birds, hedges have many other important benefits for plants and animals. The huge loss of this habitat has serious consequences for nature

Thu, 02 Apr, 2026

Illegal Fly Tipping by a Farmers Gate on a Quiet Rural Lane

Messaging being lost under piles of unlawfully dumped rubbish

Despite all the anti-littering appeals, many people still don’t get the message, with unauthorised dumping accelerating as a fundamental cause of litter pollution

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

large school of mackerel

Mackerel boats ‘full to the chin’ no more as quota down by over 70%

Foreign fishers are usually blamed for gross over-exploitation of our stocks. As with many other species, mackerel around our coast are also diminishing because of overfishing

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026

Fresh Potato Harvest

Spring is in the air — here's how you can take biodiversity action from your garden

With spring in the air, more people are getting out into the garden and keeping wildlife in mind by opting for eco-friendly and organic products

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

dirty double wheels of agriculture tractor on dirt road at sunny summer day with green field in the background

Is there any truth in the weather lore around the month of March?

One common belief amongst previous generations was that if March was preceded by dry weather, the month itself would be wet

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Government Shutdown

War powers row deepens after Trump orders Iran strike without Congress approval

While presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war

Sat, 28 Feb, 2026

Irish politics is showing symptoms of the US culture wars — we wanted to know why

Irish politics is showing symptoms of the US culture wars — we wanted to know why

Just like other cultural influences have been exported from the US, so too could the often hateful, toxic rhetoric of this new era of Maga politics, nowhere more obvious than Irish anti-migrant protestors waving Trump flags and wearing ‘Make Ireland Great Again’ hats

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Air pollution problems — you can almost taste the smoke in the air on cold evenings

Air pollution problems — you can almost taste the smoke in the air on cold evenings

There are major challenges at EU level to achieve the ambitious goal of reducing premature deaths from air pollution by 55% by 2030

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Ambitious tree-planting project targets small, half-forgotten spaces

Ambitious tree-planting project targets small, half-forgotten spaces

The 100 Million Trees project uses the Japanese miyawaki method of tree-growing where thousands of trees can be planted close together in relatively small spaces

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

A bus that goes where you ask it to — service being piloted in Limerick, Kerry, and Mayo

A bus that goes where you ask it to — service being piloted in Limerick, Kerry, and Mayo

On-demand shuttle buses and safer cycling show promise, but a cultural shift and investment are still needed

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

Wasteful and dangerous to dump batteries and electronics

Wasteful and dangerous to dump batteries and electronics

Lithium is now used in many batteries, especially the rechargeable ones. But a damaged lithium battery can catch fire, or explode, without warning — so for safety reasons, people are asked not to put batteries into general bins, skips, or street bins

Thu, 15 Jan, 2026

Blow away the cobwebs with these wonderful winter walks

Blow away the cobwebs with these wonderful winter walks

Here's a handy link to lots of long and short walks suitable for varying skills

Mon, 29 Dec, 2025

Donal Hickey: Do try to avoid making pour decisions

Donal Hickey: Do try to avoid making pour decisions

Fats, oils and greases (FOGs) should never go down the kitchen sink. Hot fats cool quickly inside pipes causing hardened blockages in the plumbing

Thu, 18 Dec, 2025

Leaping Scottish Salmon

Helping wild Atlantic salmon overcome man-made obstacles

In the days before electricity, barriers of all sizes were important for using a river’s energy to turn mill wheels and power all sorts of machinery. Many of these barriers are still present but most now serve no purpose, other than preventing salmon from making their journeys between the sea and freshwater

Thu, 11 Dec, 2025

Donal Hickey: A salute to farmers working with nature

Donal Hickey: A salute to farmers working with nature

Making a shift from using every bit of land and ‘driving it hard’ to a work model where climate and nature guide every decision

Thu, 04 Dec, 2025

Russia-Ukraine War-Trump

US envoy to meet Putin for Ukraine peace plan talks

After months of frustration in his efforts to stop the fighting, US President Donald Trump is deploying officials to get traction for his peace proposals

Tue, 02 Dec, 2025

Fox Cub found

Fox-hunting — conflicting attitudes between urban dwellers and farmers

Foxes breed prolifically and a vixen can have five cubs per year, which reach adulthood in about eight months. In ideal conditions, a fox can live for 10 years, but most only last for two, or three

Thu, 27 Nov, 2025

Free the Fifteen protest

Free the 15 penguins campaign highlights captive animals issue

The owners of Sea Life London Aquarium have pledged to listen to "constructive ideas" about the care of their gentoo penguins after a campaign against the birds' captivity

Thu, 20 Nov, 2025

Hedgehogs getting ready for hibernation

Hedgehogs getting ready for hibernation

Studies from Britain and elsewhere in Europe have found that hedgehog numbers are in steep decline due to habitat loss and fragmentation from changing farming practices and development. As the environment in Ireland is experiencing similar pressures the hedgehog population in Ireland may be similarly affected — link to study below

Thu, 13 Nov, 2025

Donal Hickey: Keep your distance from seals — even the cutest pups

Donal Hickey: Keep your distance from seals — even the cutest pups

Every year, well-meaning members of the public approach seal pups on the beach, not realising the harm it can cause

Thu, 06 Nov, 2025

Mink with Wet Fur

Donal Hickey: Mink eradication pilot programme underway in the Midlands

American mink were first recorded in the wild, in Ireland, more than 60 years ago, and have spread countrywide since then. The current population is descended from animals which either escaped, or were released, from mink farms

Thu, 30 Oct, 2025

Donal Hickey: What you need to know about deer rut season at Killarney National Park

Donal Hickey: What you need to know about deer rut season at Killarney National Park

Great nature photo opportunities here — but don't be one of those amateur photographers who wander into the fields and get too close to the herds, disrupting the animals’ normal routines. And definitely don't approach fighting stags... that's a recipe for disaster

Thu, 23 Oct, 2025