Discovering the natural wildlife of Marlay Park in the Dublin suburb of Rathfarnham.
Environmentalist and broadcaster Dick Warner pays a visit to Marlay Park in the foothills of the Dublin mountains in the suburb of Rathfarnham. The park was laid out in the golden age of landscape gardening at the end of the 18th century.
Over the years Marlay has changed hands but in 1972 its 100 hectares were acquired by Dublin County Council. It is Dick Warner's first visit to the park since it opened to the public in 1975.
On a cold day in March, at first glance, it might seem that Marlay Park has lain dormant over the winter. With assistance from botanist Tom Curtis and freshwater biologist Ken Whelan, Dick Warner finds there is more happening than meets the eye.
Ken Whelan is very impressed by Marlay Park,
It’s a beautiful park it may be planted but certainly it's not manicured.
Tom Curtis adds,
Very spectacular trees here, great variety.
The Little Dargle River, a tributary of the River Dargle runs through Marlay Park. The waters have been dammed to create three ponds within the park. A boat trip on one of the ponds reveals a plethora of flora and fauna.
Ken Whelan checks for trout in a stream and to Dick Warner’s amazement finds an abundance of the species. Trout need plenty of oxygen and clean food so the fact they are present shows the stream is unpolluted.
By contrast, Ken Whelan shows Dick Warner a stream polluted by sewage fungus. This stream could harbour e-coli bacteria and cause gastroenteritis in humans.
Since opening to the public, sporting activities have formed an integral part of Marlay Park. The Bodyworks studio holds a free aerobic workout session every Sunday morning. Leading the session is Gladys O’Connor who encourages men, women and children to join in.
Just to improve the quality of life at least once a week.
Eddie McDonagh, a coach for Dundrum Athletic Club uses Marlay for running. He believes parks are vital for developing sporting abilities and other estates throughout the country could be put to similar use.
This is where the champions are made.
The approved line of the Southern Cross Route will see Marlay Park losing 3 hectares and with it 100 mature trees. Ken Whelan points out that Marlay Park is a vital amenity for some 150,000 people residing in the Tallaght, Dundrum and Rathfarnham areas. If bits of the park continue to be removed, eventually Marlay Park will disappear.
A model amenity, it is the nearest thing to a wilderness park that you are going to find.
If there is an alternative to removing a section of the park to construct the motorway, he is adamant it should be taken.
The episode of 'Anything Goes’ was broadcast on 31 March 1984. The reporter is Dick Warner
