Ireland

Upcoming events in Ireland

This weekend we have two wonderful field events lined up in Co Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The first of these, on Friday 6th September, is suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to experienced botanists, and will be held at Castle Cauldwell, near Belleek, where there will be a chance to see, among other things, the endemic Irish Whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica), native Yew trees (Taxus baccata), and the only known specimen in Ireland of the hybrid willow Salix x friesiana, as well as - hopefully! - some Yellow Bird's-nest (Monotropa hypopitys) and perhaps a few Bird's-nest Orchids (Neottia nidus-avis).

Then on Saturday 7th September, join us for an outing to the Correl Glen, one of the best temperate rain forests in the North of Ireland, where we will see a diverse variety of fern species including both Tunbridge and Wilson’s Filmy-ferns (Hymenophyllum tunbrigense and H. wilsonii). We will also visit some north-facing sandstone scarps in Lough Navar Forest to see such delights as Shade Horsetail (Equisetum pratense) and One-sided Wintergreen (Orthilia secunda). This field trip is suitable for improver and experienced botanists who are relatively fit and agile.

These two events, along with the remaining programme of summer BSBI field events in Ireland, can be viewed and booked here - places are free of charge but places are limited.

Local BSBI groups will also host their own events: for more information on local botany events, contact your local group (see below), or alternatively check out our Local Botany page to find out about events near you, and to contact your County Recorder.

Aquatic Plant Project

There have been seven aquatic plant project field days during summer 2024, including both training days and dedicated rare species hunts - visit the Aquatic Plant Project page for more details on what's been happening

If you want to learn more about aquatic plants, or brush up on your i.d. skills in advance of the field season, from the comfort of your home, check out the wide variety of online resources, training videos and webinars from previous years of the project, which are all available to view on the Aquatic Plant Project page.

Irish Autumn Meeting and AGM

This will be held on Saturday 12th October 2024 at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre, Oxford Island, near Craigavon, Northern Ireland. For more information, and to book a place, visit the Irish Autumn Meeting and AGM page.

If you would like to attend, we recommend you book as soon as possible: the event is free of charge, but spaces are limited and will fill up fast!

Irish Botanical News

Take a look at the 2024 issue of Irish Botanical News! This magazine provides a wealth of fascinating information about botany in Ireland, as well as what's been happening in botanical circles across Ireland over the past year. You can also browse back issues of this magazine here.

Events of the past year

New Year Plant Hunt

Our thirteenth New Year Plant Hunt was held from 30th December 2023 to 2nd January 2024, when thousands of plant lovers went out plant-hunting across Britain and Ireland, to see what plants could be found flowering in mid-winter and contribute to important climate change research. Thanks to everyone who joined in, and if you missed out, there is always next year! Whatever your skill level - whether you are a complete beginner or a Professor of Botany! -  you can help us build up a clearer picture of how our wild and naturalised plants are responding to changes in autumn and winter weather patterns - and have fun in the process. Read about this year's findings here.

The New Year Plant Hunt generated lots of interest in the Irish media in early 2024: read these articles in the Irish Independent, the Irish Examiner and the Irish Times. Radio interviews with given with Connemara FM ('The Great Outdoors', 8th February) and RTE's 'Mooney Goes Wild' (19th February).

Irish Conferences in 2023

After a summer  of exciting field meetings and Aquatic Plant Project field days, our final event of 2023, the annual Autumn Meeting and AGM, was held on Saturday 21st October. This was a great success, with around 75 botanists from all corners of Ireland congregating in the beautiful, autumnal setting of the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin, to meet up with one another and enjoy the fascinating line-up of speakers and workshops.

To see what you missed, or to revisit some of the talks and workshops, visit the Autumn Meeting and AGM page.

Last year's BSBI Irish Spring Conference was held on Saturday, 22nd April 2023 at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. The full programme of excellent talks and workshops enjoyed at this event can be viewed here.

Plant Atlas launch

Plant Atlas 2020 went live in May 2023 - the most in-depth survey of the British and Irish flora ever undertaken. The results for Ireland are summarised on the Plant Atlas 2020 in Ireland page, and you can browse the findings to your heart's content, online, here.

The beautiful 2-volume printed Plant Atlas 2020 is available in bookshops or direct from the publishers - BSBI members can claim a 30% discount when ordering print copies or eBooks. More details can be found on our Plant Atlas 2020 in Ireland page.

Huge thanks are due to everyone who has contributed over the last 20 years to make the Atlas a reality.

2022 Irish Autumn Meeting & AGM

This was held on Saturday, 24th September 2022 at Glasnevin National Botanic Gardens. Fifty botanists really enjoyed meeting up in person and participating in the programme of talks and workshops. All the talks were recorded and you can see them on the Irish Autumn Meeting & AGM page.