The Cuckoo and the Curlew are back!

The first reporting to us of the Cuckoo call in Kilteevan this year (2020) was April 15th. The call was heard in Cloontogher. The Cuckoo was heard  again today at the top of Tom’s Road Cloonlarge. These records are few days earlier than last year.

The Curlew was also seen and heard April 16^th. Very exciting news for Kilteevan.

And of course the amazing swallows have arrived too.

Go mbeirimid beo ar an am seo arís.

Posted 18 April 2020

Cloonlarge Primrose -A Marvel of Endurance

In these strange, challenging and very tough times , we can see messages of the power of endurance in nature. Look at the simple Primrose.

The arrival of this beautiful, simple, lemon coloured, sweet smelling, native flower brings a message of endurance, and hope . Please keep your head up and your heart open, better days will come.

“In all things of nature there is something of the marvellous”. Aristotle

 Posted 11 April 2020

Thanks to Declan Donlon we know that we have our White Fronted Geese back in Kilteevan. Declan spotted about 12 White Fronted Geese in Clooneigh /Cloonlarge area. We really appreciate the fact that members of the community are observing and reporting interesting wildlife to Kilteevan Tidy Towns .

Our photo is courtesy by Alyn Walsh NPWS and is featured in our 2020 Biodiversity Calendar. The calendar was funded by the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht under the Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme 2019

White Fronted Geese make a 3,000 km journey from Greenland to visit our wetlands from October to April.

Adult birds are medium-sized and grey in colour, with orange legs, a long orange-yellow bill with a prominent blaze around the base of the bill.

They make a high-pitched, musical sound.

Greenland White-fronted Geese are categorised as ’Endangered’ using the IUCN’s global Red List criteria; are listed on Annex I of the EU Directive on the conservation of wild birds.

Posted 23 March 2020

Very Well Done to the organisers and orderly participants in Ithe Global Climate Strike event in Roscommon today.

The event was well organised and supported.

We were addressed by three adults and one very young speaker.

They delivered strong messages-

Climate Change is REAL

We must listen to Scientists

There is NO PLANET B

We need action NOW

We are all climate change activists

We can all bring about change.

Let us all remember -I AM THE CHANGE

Kilteevan National School, Kilteevan Tidy Towns, Kilteevan Straws Suck Campaigners and Kilteevan Junior Tidy Towns were represented at the event

_{Posted 20 September 2019}

This species is more commonly seen in south-east and east coast of Ireland but it was spotted in Kilteevan today by a member of Kilteevan Tidy Towns.

The Painted Lady a migratory species, is widespread throughout Europe.  Its main breeding ground is in Southern Europe and North Africa but it regularly migrates to all parts of Europe including Ireland, where it is seen especially in August and September.

The Painted Lady is and can travel from as far away as Morocco. Our biodiversity never ceases to amaze us. The record was submitted to Biodiversity Ireland.

The foodplant of this butterfly is Thistles.

Posted August 4th 2019

Marsh Fritillary a rare, beautiful and protected butterfly was recorded in Cloonlarge Kilteevan today (July 7^th 2019) by a local very vigilant citizen scientist and member of Kilteevan Tidy Towns. The record has been submitted to Biodiversity Ireland.

The presence of this butterfly highlights and reinforces the importance of the work Kilteevan Tidy Towns are doing in protecting this habitat. The group is currently engaged in Biodiversity Planning for Kilteevan.

_{Posted July 7th 2019} 

Today was an amazing day in the history of Kilteevan. The Cloonlarge Loop had new life breathed into it big time!

Kilteevan Tidy Towns hosted an Eco Talk and Walk for 85, yes 85 6^th class pupils and their teachers from St. Coman’s Wood National School Roscommon.

While Tidy Towns has been developing the Loop for the past three years – the request to host this event was a few years premature. Nevertheless, in true Kilteevan style, we rose to the occasion.

The children arrived at the Community Centre to learn about our precious Raised Bogs and our unique wildlife habitat. Then we set off on a 5km walk and went out on to the bog to meet BOG THE BUILDER and other wildlife.

And what can we say. We had a wonderful day which we all thoroughly enjoyed.

 Our thanks to;

Nollaig Feeney Heritage Officer, Roscommon Co Council and Laura Gallagher Conservation Ranger, National Parks and Wildlife Service for providing us with magnificent resources which undoubtedly inspired the art work.

Annette Gaffney(Artist) for adjudicating the art competition.

Noel Maguire, Lena Coyle and Michael Fahey for acting as stewards on the route ensuring our safety at all times.

Marguerite Croghan for the most welcome post- walk refreshments and for preparing and presenting the certificates to each child for completing the 5km walk.

Teachers- Miss Mc Neill, Miss Mannion and Miss Crehan- Thank you for your faith and trust in Kilteevan Tidy Towns.

The pupils for being so kind, polite and friendly. There is hope for the future with the interest these young people have in their environment.

Noel Maguire for the photos. More photos to come from the school in time.

_{May 17th 2019}

Kilteevan Tidy Towns  new information panel on Birds of Kilteevan on the Cloonlarge Loop  is receiving major praise.

Kilteevan Tidy Towns has been very busy all winter.

Thanks to the support of the Pilot Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme three outdoor Barn Owl boxes were installed on the Cloonlage Loop recently.

We installed these boxes as there is grave concern over the population decline of barn owls over the past 40 years. We are doing our best to reverse this situation in Kilteevan.

Our Thanks to;

The Men’s Shed Newbridge- Co Kildare.  Everyone is impressed with the standard of your box(in the photograph).

Brendan Kavanagh Birdwatch Ireland , Newbridge Co Kildare.

Laura Gallagher NPWS for helping us to source the other two boxes.

Niall Cribbon NPWS for installation advice.

We all hope we will have new barn owls resident on The Loop soon .

_{Posted Jan. 21st 2019}