EXPLORING WILDLIFE
Kerry’s threatened dune system Gordon D'Arcy on the extraordinary flora and fauna to be found at Inch in West Kerry
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W
est Kerry is a land of west-facing peninsulas. Inch sand spit bucks the trend by sitting at right-angles to the others, virtually cutting off Dingle Bay from the wild Atlantic. The 5km beach, backed by the dune peninsula, harbours Castlemaine’s vast area of mudflats and saltmarsh. Though unsullied by caravan and mobile home emplacements and spared golf links modification – like so many of our dune systems – Inch is nevertheless a recreational magnet. The beach attracts thousands of bucket-and-spade and bathing enthusiasts; a surf school is in constant demand for would-be devotees; wind and kite surfers and paddle-boarders brave the everchanging Atlantic and resolute walkers and joggers undertake the daily ritual out and back along its length. The dune hinterland is relatively unvisited save for courting couples and the odd illicit barbecue or pitched tent. However, a few deeply rutted horse trails and cross-country vehicular trackways caused by dune buggies indicate damaging abuse by a few.
Inch’s sand dune system is a mosaic of habitats and a floral paradise. The long dune ridge facing the sea, topographical testimony to the endless battle between accumulation and erosion, is dominated by marram grass. The peninsula owes its survival to the stabilizing effect of this grass and its associate, sand couch grass. Here and there the pink trumpets of sea bindweed, rocket, radish and the wide leaves of coltsfoot add variety. Yellow swathes of the tiny but delightful dune pansy festoon the leeward side of the dunes. In the sheltered hinterland, the marram gives way to a ground cover of mosses and lichens and more than 30 species of flowering plants. Yellow is again predominant in the carpets of lady’s bedstraw, hawkweeds and ragwort. But clusters of clover, vetch, bartsia and self-heal provide pink and purple relief. Common spotted and pyramidal orchids, like tiny lanterns, illuminate the sward. Speedwell and sheep’s bit add a hint of blue and violet to this watercolour scene. Two delightful dune species add a magical dimension to the array: sea spurge, with red-
Irish Wildlife Autumn ‘20
022_IWT Autumn_2020_IWT Exploring Wildlife_Gordon Darcyv2.indd 22
15/09/2020 12:00
