Person: Pádraic Fogarty

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p> The International Union for the Conservation of Nature says that “an ecosystem is collapsed when it is virtually certain that its defining biotic [living] or abiotic [non-living] features are lost from all occurrences, and the characteristic native biota are no longer sustained”.</p>

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Pádraic Fogarty: Ecosystem collapse is real and is happening here now

Ireland can breeze through the collapse of our own ecosystems because of the stabilising effect of much larger ecosystems elsewhere. Now those ecosystems too are at risk of collapse, due principally to livestock farming and industrial fishing but supercharged by the burning of fossil fuels and the pollution of waterways, writes ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

<p>Washed-up tangle netting on the Kerry coast. Picture: Pádraic Fogarty </p>

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New study on indiscriminate death traps known as tangle nets

<p>Pádraic Fogarty: "The impression that water quality is improving and that farmers simply need more time for measures which have been adopted to take effect is widespread. However, this is not supported by any data." Pictures: EPA Ireland </p>

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Ireland's lax approach to inspecting farms and enforcing rules

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This could end up being the most radical of all our national parks...

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One of the largest Irish animals is at imminent risk of further decline — new report

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The Burren: a magical place — but with eco pressures such as goat grazing

S Ireland's first marine national park has a name... but does it have much else going for it yet?

Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara Ciarraí incorporates a combination of lands already in State ownership, either by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) or the Office of Public Works including Sceilg Mhichíl and the former home of Daniel O’Connell at Derrynane

Sun, 03 Aug, 2025

Large trawler restrictions welcome but careful management still needed

It has been a long road to get to this point, but will it finally result in pressure being lifted on important ecosystems and in particular the small whale populations that have abandoned the south coast in recent years for want of food asks ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Tue, 29 Jul, 2025

S Pádraic Fogarty: There are signs of positive change at Wild Nephin

Far from being ‘unspoiled’, the landscape has been seriously degraded over many decades by a combination of sheep grazing, turf-cutting and plantation forestry — but now there are encouraging signs of renewal notes ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Sun, 13 Jul, 2025

S Wicklow Mountains Park really could be great again with some careful planning and management

We should seize the opportunity to create a greatly expanded National Park using Coillte and other public lands where rewilding and nature restoration could be undertaken at an impressive scale, says ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Sun, 23 Feb, 2025

S Pair trawling: Sieving the life out of small bays and estuaries

Pair trawling involves two boats dragging a single net through the water column to scoop up shoals of small fish, usually sprats, which are no more than a few centimetres in length. The practice illustrates everything that is wrong with how the seas around Ireland are managed says ecologist, Pádraic Fogarty

Mon, 30 Dec, 2024

S Take the pressures off Killarney National Park — and expand it

Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty says it would not take much to tip the balance in favour of nature here... and we’ve already waited too long

Sun, 03 Nov, 2024

S Irish State should declare it is keen to see new nature reserves established — and is open to applications

More nature reserves are needed here — on public land as well as privately-owned property, says ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Mon, 22 Jul, 2024

When rewilding works — a visit to the Alps to track wolves

Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty enjoys a close-to-nature experience where wolves are thriving thanks to legal protections and natural rewilding

Mon, 15 Apr, 2024

S Wildlife crime is a real crime and a serious problem

The Wildlife Act dates to 1976 and was last amended in 2000. It’s a weak law that needs updating — something the Government itself has acknowledged

Sun, 24 Mar, 2024

S Is it time for Ireland to recognise and protect the rights of nature in our Constitution?

The question of a referendum to protect the rights of nature within the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hÉireann, may be an issue that has reached its time, debates ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Sun, 07 Jan, 2024

S Crunching the numbers on pollution monitoring at Timoleague

Water quality analysis is welcome but may be missing some crucial factors, warns ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Sun, 19 Nov, 2023

S Why are there farm animals in our National Parks?

Ireland is going to get a new National Park — but are we properly looking after the ones we already have, asks ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Mon, 23 Oct, 2023

John Gibbons: New fund could be the turning point environmentalists waited for

Despite what the naysayers would have us believe, the green transition is in fact gathering pace in Ireland

Thu, 12 Oct, 2023

Bears: the ultimate rewilding success

Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty looks at how the reintroduction of brown bears to France has worked out so far

Sun, 08 Oct, 2023

Forest path in the Killarney National Park in Ireland

Pádraic Fogarty: Society has a ‘values crisis’ when it comes to Nature

What happens when nature comes up against the stubborn power of vested interests, asks ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Mon, 21 Aug, 2023

S Pádraic Fogarty: Sheep farming hits the end of the road

There are alternatives to 'sheep wrecked' landscapes, writes ecologist Pádraic Fogarty

Tue, 01 Aug, 2023

S John Gibbons: Science is continually rejected by farm bodies. Who will shout 'stop'?

Ireland had largely escaped the worst of the 'counter-factual' debating around science up to now, but there are indications that the virus has jumped the Atlantic and is now infecting our own institutions

Tue, 01 Aug, 2023

Marine Protected Areas must control fishing to be effective

"The aim will be to protect at least 30% of Ireland’s seascape within MPAs by the end of this decade."

Tue, 11 Jul, 2023

3D Isometric Flat Vector Conceptual Illustration of Energy Legislation And Policy

The State must take responsibility for the restoration of nature

How on earth can we ask farmers to make long-term commitments for nature when the State itself seems to have no interest?

Tue, 23 May, 2023

Our seas are not in good shape but sea life could rebound with a network of 'marine protected areas'

On land we have national parks and nature reserves and Ireland's territorial sea area is around 10 times that of our land — now we have a target of protecting 30% of our marine waters by the end of the decade

Mon, 20 Feb, 2023

New Irish wildlife documentary is a hymn to nature and a cry for help

Even in producing such a beautiful celebration of nature, the filmmakers do not shy away from including scenes of its devastation, too — a beautiful white swan swims in a pool of litter and a seal has a noose of plastic netting around its neck

Tue, 10 Jan, 2023

Metal gate Rural lane, edged by hedges, leading towards mountains in the distance

Donal Hickey: Can nature survive being squeezed into thin ribbons of land?

Wildlife could rebound if we reinstated hedgerows, and cut down on chemical fertilisers and pollutants — but we need to be ready to do this

Thu, 05 Jan, 2023

Ireland has 'stacks of homework to do' in order to meet environment requirements

Nearly 200 countries signed an agreement to put humanity on a path to living in harmony with nature, but Ireland is lagging behind

Mon, 19 Dec, 2022

New report highlights extent of Irish habitat and species extinction crisis

A new report on the status of our habitats and species paints a dire picture for Irish biodiversity and stresses the extent of the extinction crisis.

Thu, 22 Aug, 2019

Bohemian FC Sponsorship Launch for the 2014 Season

Wonderful year for our trees

As we move towards autumn, people everywhere are remarking how magnificent trees look this year.

Sun, 11 Aug, 2019

Irish Wildlife Trust object to Co Longford windfarm

The Irish Wildlife Trust is objecting to a wind farm in Co Longford.

Thu, 28 Mar, 2019

litter washed up on a beach in county cork, ireland.

Opinion: Our seas are wrecked, but not beyond repair

This week, news swept the internet of yet another doomed whale, this time off the coast of Thailand, which is believed to have eaten up to 80 plastic bags weighing 8kg.

Sat, 09 Jun, 2018

We pay lip service to ecology

ONE of the many ironies of Irish life is that most people — 97%, according to an EU Commission survey — agree we have a responsibility to protect nature. 

Mon, 21 Aug, 2017

Pádraic Fogarty not crying wolf as he warns that we are wrecking our landscape

The lesson I take from ‘Whittled Away’ is to make this country a hostile environment for politicians of every hue who fail to protect our environment, writes Victoria White

Thu, 17 Aug, 2017

Environmental efforts: Ireland has a rapidly disappearing natural environment

A new book analyses our relationship with the country’s rapidly disappearing natural environment, writes Anne Lucey

Mon, 07 Aug, 2017

Trouble as Kerry bids to retain ‘biosphere status’

A further push to secure an internationally-based biosphere status for Kerry, and Killarney in particular, continues to face objections from a conservation organisation.

Sat, 10 Jun, 2017

Nature bouncing back with lots of positives going on in Irish environment and wildlife

DESPITE the downbeat and often valid warnings about the state of the Irish environment and wildlife, lots of positive things are going on, writes Donal Hickey.

Mon, 01 May, 2017

Doyle cautions landowners on seasonal risk of wildfires

Farmers, forest owners, managers and the public are again being alerted to the risk of wildfires over the coming months.

Mon, 10 Apr, 2017

Irish Wildlife Trust highlight 15 'illegal' wild fires over the weekend, eight in conservation areas

The first dry spell of spring over the weekend brought 15 wild fires across Ireland, according to the Irish Wildlife Trust.

Mon, 27 Mar, 2017

Calls to end Killarney’s Unesco status due to lack of conservation

The Irish Wildlife Trust has asked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to suspend the designation of the Killarney National Park as a world biosphere reserve.

Wed, 28 Dec, 2016

Irish Wildlife Trust asking public for help to chart wildfires

Campaigners are charting wildfires across Ireland this year over fears they threaten to wipe out entire wildlife species.

Tue, 19 Apr, 2016

Restored bogs could solve some of our flooding problems

AS experts and government departments seek ways to resolve our flood problems, they might also take a look at what some of our fellow Celts are doing. Restored bogs, acting as a sort of sponge, can provide part of the solution.

Mon, 18 Jan, 2016

Should we think again before giving in to a political call for deer cull?

BEFORE a trigger is pulled in the latest cull of native Red deer, in Killarney National Park, should the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) think again, asks Donal Hickey

Mon, 16 Nov, 2015

Wildlife Trust seeks full upland burning ban

The Irish Wildlife Trust opposed to calls for a relaxation of scrubland burning restrictions, is seeking a complete ban on the destruction of upland vegetation.

Fri, 09 Jan, 2015

Fish bonanza possible, but only with conditions

In response to Donal Buckley’s recent opinion piece in the Irish Examiner (Agri-business, April 8) the Irish Wildlife Trust would like to point out that within Ireland’s “abundant fishing grounds” less than half of assessed fish stocks are considered by the Marine Institute to be exploited sustainably.

Fri, 12 Apr, 2013