Download Nature and Wildlife in Roscommon - The Heritage Council
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Species-rich esker grassl<strong>and</strong>. Photo by Caitriona Carl<strong>in</strong><br />
Early purple orchid<br />
26<br />
esKers<br />
Eskers are glacial features composed of narrow ridges of<br />
s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> gravel that w<strong>in</strong>d their way through l<strong>and</strong>scapes.<br />
Melt water streams runn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a tunnel beneath melt<strong>in</strong>g<br />
glacial ice deposited the s<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> gravel as ice sheets<br />
started to wax <strong>and</strong> wane at the end of the last Ice Age. <strong>The</strong>re<br />
are several eskers <strong>in</strong> south <strong>Roscommon</strong>.<br />
Eskers are important because of their cultural,<br />
geological <strong>and</strong> natural heritage value. <strong>The</strong> dry, well-dra<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g<br />
soil of eskers provides a habitat for many rare plants <strong>and</strong><br />
for species-rich dry calcareous grassl<strong>and</strong>. This grassl<strong>and</strong> is<br />
also considered as a priority habitat for nature conservation<br />
with<strong>in</strong> the European Union. Eskers often have native<br />
woodl<strong>and</strong> grow<strong>in</strong>g on them <strong>and</strong> are often associated with<br />
other habitats such as raised bogs <strong>and</strong> fens.<br />
<strong>The</strong> esker system at Castlesampson, a Coillte property,<br />
is a particularly f<strong>in</strong>e example. <strong>The</strong> importance of the site<br />
lies <strong>in</strong> its almost <strong>in</strong>tact structure, someth<strong>in</strong>g that is very<br />
rare for Irish eskers, <strong>and</strong> the species-rich dry calcareous<br />
grassl<strong>and</strong> present.<br />
Eskers conta<strong>in</strong> a wide variety of plant species <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g<br />
blue fleabane, mounta<strong>in</strong> everlast<strong>in</strong>g, carl<strong>in</strong>e thistle, hedge<br />
bedstraw, early-purple orchid <strong>and</strong> fragrant orchid. Eskers<br />
are also important areas for butterflies <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g the Small<br />
blue <strong>and</strong> D<strong>in</strong>gy skipper, <strong>and</strong> birds such as the s<strong>and</strong> mart<strong>in</strong>.