2023 County Report for West Mayo

Eoin Mc Greal

Over 4500 records were submitted for West Mayo (H27) in 2023. General fieldwork took place throughout the VC with a greater emphasis on coastal habitats. New hectad records for the VC included Hairy Rock-cress Arabis hirsuta (L89), Brittle Bladder-fern Cystopteris fragilis (G10), Narrow Buckler-fern Dryopteris carthusiana (F82), Bearberry Arctostaphylos uva-ursa (F84) and Common Fleabane Pulicaria dysenterica (M18). Brendan O'Hanrahan recorded a 2nd county record for Slender Cotton-grass Eriophorum gracile at Castlehill near Ballycroy (F80) along with a number of new sites in the general area of the Wild Nephin National Park for Brown Beak-sedge Rhynchospora fusca. In July a BSBI field meeting was held near Bellacorick and despite horrendous weather conditions an enjoyable day on a very exposed bog was enlivened by the finding of such species as Intermediate Bladderwort Utricularia intermedia agg. in flower and Bog Orchid Hammarbya paludosa. At the end of August the find of the year was reported by Simon and Ciaran Elizabeth Doran when they came across the first county record for Green-flowered Helleborine Epipactis phyllanthes at Drummin Woods near Foxford (G20).