Flora & Fauna

About Flora & Fauna

The Curragh racecourse occupies a spectacular location in both an ecologically and archaeologically valuable area at the heart of Kildare. The Curragh is recorded as a monument under the National Monuments Act and is a Special Environment location, and a proposed Natural Heritage Area.

The Curragh is an extensive flat plain with grassland as the dominant vegetation cover, with extensive clumps of gorse, and copses of trees both coniferous and deciduous vegetation is made up of typical indigenous trees and shrubs.

Situated in the heart of County Kildare the Curragh is a truly unique landscape. The circumstances by which this remarkable natural feature was created are fascinating and the combined forces of humankind and nature have shaped the Curragh over many millennia. What has resulted is an exceptional array of flora and fauna which is of international importance.

The Curragh team adopts a proactive approach towards conservation and towards sustainable methods of racecourse and gallops maintenance. Over a long period of time, the Curragh team has created significant areas of biodiversity and natural habitats for birds and animals – “Brown” areas . This has been achieved by not cultivating or mowing these areas and by leaving them in their natural state.

The Curragh’s wintering population of the protected Golden Plover

The protected Golden Plover species are attracted to the Curragh Racecourse because of their ability to observe any predators from safe distances on the open plains and because of the supply of food available – largely invertebrates that occur in large numbers because of the natural state of the Curragh sward (it is not ploughed or fertilised and the grass cuttings are left to be absorbed back into the earth). Their countries of origin include Scandinavia and Iceland.

Audioguide

Crafted with the help of local historians and experts and narrated by actor Gerry O’Brien, The Story of the Curragh audiobook helps to tell the story of this remarkable landscape. You’ll find chapters on the physical geography, flora and fauna, archaeology, history, folklore, myths and legends, the military history, the equine industry and more.