Speaker: Alec Reid

From the Bluestack Way - Part 1 playlist.



You're now moving away from the main traffic as the road narrows. It's a great place to tell you about the flora of the area. You should be looking out for the following along this section: -

 

 - Whins, ferns (whins and ferns give the area its most typical colours gold and bronze)

 - Bluebells (in woods in late April/early May especially near nearby Ardnamona)

 - Montbretia (import now naturalised around ditches, lovely in August/September)

 - Lichens ( grey lichens on old stone walls evidence of purity of air of Bluestacks)

 - Marsh marigolds, cuckoo flowers, meadowsweet, umbellifers, irises

 - Buttercups in moist meadows

 - Selfheal, bird trefoil, oxeye daisies, clovers in drier fields.

 

 It's said that lichen could tell early man of which direction he was facing - with lichen growing on the southern face of rocks as it got its daily sun! Come the Autumn, this whole area is an excellent place to forage - just make sure you know what you're picking.

 

 In our audio piece, Alex Reid tells us to celebrate the microcosm of Ireland that is Lough Eske.