Minister for Heritage takes 'last field trip' to Black Islands of Lough Ree

Minister for Heritage and Electoral Reform Malcolm Noonan has made his last trip as a Minister of State, as he paid a visit to the Black Islands in Lough Ree on Sunday, January 19.

The Black Islands, including both Kings Island and Nut Island, were acquired by the state in 2023 for habitat management works.

The islands act as the top breeding place for wading birds, including curlew, lapwing, redshank, oystercatcher and others, which are red-listed birds of conservation concern in Ireland.

The works will remove scrub and protect grasslands that the endangered species need for nesting and foraging.

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Taking to social media, Minister Noonan wrote: "My last field trip as Minister. The water was calm at first light as we headed out to the Black Islands on Lough Ree. Recently acquired by the state, the islands are being managed by Breeding Waders EIP to help revive numbers of our most endangered birds.

"I got to see Lorg, the predator detection dog, in action. Lorg is playing a vital role in the management of the islands. Conservation grazing will help maintain open habitat for birds once scrub has been cleared.

"The abandoned cottages of fishing communities who made a living from freshwater fishing are a poignant time capsule of a bygone time. Míle buíochas to the EIP and NPWS teams for their work to conserve, document and restore these special islands."

Lough Ree is a designated Special Protection Area and a Special Area of Conservation, and was recently identified as the most important site in Ireland for breeding waterbirds.

To find out more about the restoration of the Black Islands, go to: https://www.npws.ie/ or https://breedingwaders.ie/