2006 Fungi of Fingal Woodlands - Fingal Biodiversity
2006 Fungi of Fingal Woodlands - Fingal Biodiversity
2006 Fungi of Fingal Woodlands - Fingal Biodiversity
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Ecological Study <strong>of</strong> the Countryside Habitats in County <strong>Fingal</strong> Woodland fungi<br />
1.3.4 St. Catherine’s Park<br />
View <strong>of</strong> River Liffey from footbridge<br />
St. Catherine’s Monastery was founded by Warris de Peche in 1219 for the Canons <strong>of</strong> St.<br />
Victor. The site was already the location <strong>of</strong> a holy well to St. Catherine and appears to<br />
have been an important place <strong>of</strong> pilgrimage.<br />
On the 1830s 6 inch map <strong>of</strong> the area St. Catherine’s Park and St. Catherine’s wells to the<br />
north <strong>of</strong> the Park are represented. Within the present park are St. Catherine’s Chapel, a<br />
flat area <strong>of</strong> open grassland, broadleaf woodland, mixed and plantation coniferous woods,<br />
a sluice on the river, along with paths or rides running through the wood.<br />
St. Catherine’s Woods were described in ‘A Preliminary Report on areas <strong>of</strong> scientific<br />
interest in County Dublin by Roger Goodwillie for An Foras Forbartha (1973).<br />
That report states:<br />
‘This area is …. Estate woodland…… with natural vegetation…. The area extends to the<br />
banks <strong>of</strong> the River Liffey. Some <strong>of</strong> the characteristic species <strong>of</strong> river banks are present<br />
e.g. Viburnum opulus (Guelder Rose), Crepis paludosa (Hawksbeard) and Scrophularia<br />
umbrosa (Figwort). In the ground cover <strong>of</strong> the woods, which include few coniferous<br />
trees, there are…. Lamiastrum gabobdolon (Yellow Archangel), Veronica montana<br />
(Wood Speedwell) and Melica uniflora (Wood Melick Grass) are common and tree<br />
interesting non-green plants occur:- Lathraea squamaria (Toothwort), Monotropa<br />
hypopitys (Yellow Bird’s Nest) and Orobanche hederae (Ivy Broomrape). These woods<br />
are attractive to birds and mammals’.<br />
The woods are still attractive to birds and animals including many human visitors who<br />
walk through the park daily. In fact, each <strong>of</strong> the sites in this survey draw many visitors.<br />
There is no playground at St. Catherine’s as yet but it is a well utilized green space.<br />
Previously published information on fungi in St. Catherine’s Park - Lucan Demesne is<br />
sparse. The most significant paper is a report by Carleton Rea <strong>of</strong> a British Mycological<br />
Society/ Dublin Naturalists’ Field Club Meeting in the area (1898 Irish Naturalist vol. 7<br />
pp. 286-289).<br />
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