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.

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.