2022 County Report for Co. Longford

Ciaran Bruton

The absence of restrictions on travel allowed normal service to resume in 2022, and recording visits were made to the county (from my base in Galway) on almost every weekend throughout the spring, summer and early autumn.

The highlight of the year was undoubtedly the July field meeting at Lough Ree. A group of seventeen gathered at Cashel Commons and explored the lakeshore and adjacent habitats, with numerous superb plants, Paul Green’s find of Callitriche truncata (Narrow -fruited Water Starwort) the star.

New VC records for the year included the above mentioned Starwort, as well as Geum ×. intermedium (Hybrid Avens), Cotoneaster salicifolius (Willow-leaved Cotoneaster)and  Rubus armeniacus (Giant Blackberry).

With another field meeting in the north of the county planned for 2023, hopefully the momentum created this year can be sustained.