Barrack Hill urban wetlands project

The Barrack Hill Town Park steering committee in Carndonagh is asking the community in Inishowen, and beyond, to help to create a five kilometre off-road walking and cycling trail and a wetlands area including a wildlife pond. 

The committee is seeking funding for a wildlife pond and a wetlands area with a five kilometre off-road walk and cycleway loop adjacent to the Ballywilly Brook in Carndonagh. To allow the committee to make funding applications, it needs to raise seed funding from the community. 

An urban wetlands area was recommended by the Biodiversity Action Plan, which resulted from  the biodiversity audit commissioned by ECO Carn, of which the Barrack Hill Town Park steering committee is a member.

Carmel Doherty, chairperson of the Barrack Hill Town Park steering committee said: "This development will have multiple benefits for our community. It will enhance the biodiversity of the whole area where native flowers, hedges and trees will be protected and more will be planted providing food and shelter for many of our endangered pollinators and animals.

"It will also provide access and a pathway along the Ballywilly Brook, which will enable the removal of the invasive species of Himalayan Balsam, and it will help to mitigate flooding by catching surface water in the pond and through the deep-rooted flowers and native trees in the wetlands, which will assist water to sink into the ground.

"The five kilometre cycling and walking route will be fully accessible to all and will allow the community to enjoy the beautiful blue and green spaces of the park. Families can enjoy the freedom and safety of an off road walking and cycling space with their children, while improving quality of life and physical and mental health.

"We aim to link up the local schools, the town and housing estates again adding to our Decarbonisation Zone plan and the development of active travel in our area” added Carmel. 

Flooding of the Millbrae is a perennial problem, and this development should help mitigate this problem using nature-based solutions. This development will also provide educational benefits to our young people in the form of biodiversity education, water testing and wellbeing benefits. In addition it will act as a tourist attraction bringing economic benefit to our area and allow tourists and locals alike the opportunity to spend more time in an attractive and sustainable town centre. 

According to Carmel, the project already has the support of much of the community, including the schools, local businesses and sporting organisations

She added: "We now need the whole community to get behind the steering committee, as it will take a collective effort to make this happen. We have circulated a GoFundMe page to raise seed funds that are necessary to apply for additional funding. 

"The committee was over the moon on Wednesday when it received a very generous donation of €2,000 from a local business ContactCentre.ie. The committee would like to thank everyone who has donated so far. 

"Anyone interested in being involved in the campaign can email bhtpsc@gmail.com."