Protected bats take up residence in County Limerick stately home

by Alan Jacques

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IF Curraghchase House were to be restored and reopened as a restaurant it would put the County Limerick forest park on the map and give Muckross House in Killarney a run for its money.

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That’s the view of Fine Gael councillor Stephen Keary, who feels it is “shameful” that the West Limerick birthplace of poet Aubrey de Vere “remains idle”.

However, during a presentation from Coillte’s Bernard Burke at an area council meeting, it was explained that the abandoned stately house is home to a population of Lesser Horseshoe Bats who use it as a “winter and summer roost”.

The entire forest park area of Curraghchase is an internationally important Special Area of Conservation for this rare and protected species.