Wicklow Mountain Views No.28

Wicklow Mountain Views – The Newsletter of the Wicklow Uplands Council.
Issue No. 28

A Letter From The Chair

Having served in the role of Chair of Wicklow Uplands Council for the last three years, Sean Byrne has written the chairs letter for the final time.
His words offers some great insights to the many projects undertaken by the council, both recent and past.

Nostalgic Dog Control Campaign

By reintroducing the Department of Agriculture’s ‘Bonzo Wants to Go Out’ ad to build an awareness campaign seeking dog owners’ assistance in preventing sheep attacks, the Uplands Council was surprised to discover that they had created an instant hit on social media and with the press.

Litter Pick of the Wicklow Gap

The evening event which was held in conjunction with The PURE Project and the An Taisce National Spring Clean, saw teams of volunteers scattered along the well- known scenic route, filling bags of discarded waste scattered along the roadside and surrounding lands.

Sustainable Uplands Agri-environment Scheme (SUAS) Pilot Project.

For the past number of years, Wicklow Uplands Council has researched and highlighted the declining conditions of the biodiversity found in the Wicklow uplands and advocated the need for targeted support for upland farming.

In direct response to that body of research, the Uplands Council has recently secured funding for a new pilot project for the Wicklow/Dublin uplands called a Sustainable Uplands Agri-environment Scheme (SUAS).

Co. Wicklow’s Rural Recreational Officer

The Rural Recreation Officer (RRO) works closely with community groups, small business enterprises and tourism bodies to access advice, support and funding for the development and enhancement of recreational projects, activity tourism and related infrastructure.

Continued Success of the PURE Project

The PURE Project, a regional environmental initiative operating in the Wicklow/Dublin uplands, recently published the figures of its 10 years of operation, which demonstrates an overall 45% reduction of the quantity of waste removed.

County Wicklow Public Participation Network (PPN)

The Co. Wicklow Public Participation Network consists of community groups from all the municipal districts in Co Wicklow that focus on environmental, social inclusion and other community activities across the county.

Official Opening of the Roundwood Reservoir Vartry Trails

Under a blue sky and glorious sunshine, the official opening of the new Roundwood Reservoir Vartry Trails took place on the 9th of June. In attendance to mark the occasion, were several special guests including An Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar.

New Maps for Co. Wicklow

East West Mapping has recently published three new 1:25,000 scale maps for County Wicklow which present the landscape and its sites with very high levels of detail. Thanks to local community involvement, they also feature placenames found in each locality and highlight principal recreational facilities.

Celebrating Heritage in West Wicklow

In March, the Baltinglass Courthouse provided the landmark setting for a celebration of west Wicklow’s heritage and the official launch of both the County Wicklow Heritage Plan 2017-22 and three new Heritage Trail brochures for west Wicklow.

Wicklow Heritage Trails Recording Project

Wicklow Uplands Council in partnership with the Heritage Office of Wicklow County Council, have recently launched an exciting new heritage recording project along the existing and developing network of walking trails in the east of the county, from Bray to Woodenbridge.

New Promotional Brand ‘Wicklow Outdoors’

Wicklow County Tourism, working in partnership with Wicklow County Council has developed an exciting new promotional brand: Wicklow Outdoors!

Three Interpretative Panels in Development

Adding to the network of 13 heritage interpretative panels found in towns in villages across the county, three new interpretative panels are currently in development in the villages of; Ashford, Lackan and Shillelagh.