2020 County Report for Co. Limerick

Sylvia Reynolds

Taking advantage of the first lockdown in the spring at home in Dublin, I compiled and submitted over 2500 historical Limerick records for the DDb, and validated them in July. When travel restrictions were lifted in the summer, my husband Julian and I met up with Limerick colleagues to check four raised bogs, and they independently did more botanising and recording than we were able to do. During the second lockdown, another outstanding project, ‘pro bono publico’, was to prepare an annotated ‘Inventory of Limerick sites of botanical and habitat interest’, with background and explanatory notes, and including over 160 sites. This document is intended for use by Limerick County Council, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, and other interested parties.

Details of Limerick botanical work in 2020 will be published in Irish Botanical News (2021).

Alisma lanceolatum (Narrow-leaved Water-plantain)

Several new sites for Alisma lanceolatum were found by Mike Quirke, Paul Murphy and Tom Harrington along the River Shannon, first noted by Sylvia Reynolds in the county in 2019.

Lithospermum officinale (Common Gromwell)

Lithospermum officinale with flowers and characteristic fruits was growing sparingly near the limestone lakes, Kilbreedy Loughs, found by Mike Quirke, Paul Murphy and Tom Harrington. This uncommon species was last reported in Limerick in 1902.

Filago minima (Small Cudweed)

Many tiny plants of the protected species Filago minima, new to Limerick, were found in one place in a gravel’/sand pit in east Limerick by Sylvia Reynolds and Julian Reynolds.