County Monaghan Hedgerow Surveys

Hedgerows are vitally important yet underappreciated ecological habitats and heritage features that are widespread in Ireland but are consistently under threat. Flynn Furney Environmental Consultants were chosen to carry out extensive hedgerow surveys around County Monaghan on behalf of the Monaghan County Council Heritage Office and The Heritage Council. Surveys were completed by the Flynn Furney team on 130 hedgerows across Monaghan during the summer of 2021. This was intended as a follow-up to the first hedgerow surveys carried out in 2010 by Neil Foulkes, a founder member of the Hedge Laying Association of Ireland.

The aim of the study was to record information on the extent, species composition, structure, condition and management of hedgerows around the county. By recording this valuable data, a more robust picture on the state and health of our hedgerows can be created. The 2021 survey results were analysed and a detailed report was completed before being published online. This outlined the key findings, which were compared with those from the 2010 report. A link to the 2021 report can be found here. While hedgerow surveys have been completed in the recent past for other counties in Ireland, this is the first comparative study of its kind on hedgerow surveys in the country.

Flynn Furney was delighted to undertake the 2021 hedgerow survey and to be a part of the effort to record, study and protect these precious habitats and ecological corridors in County Monaghan.