A wetland habitat survey at a GAA club in Co. Louth conducted by Local Authorities Water Programme (LAWPRO), has discovered a wetland mosaic "treasure" that was "preserved by common sensibilities" of the farming culture around it.

The habitat survey, which took place at Kilkerley Emmets Gaelic Football Club, was conducted on Monday (July 7) by LAWPRO community water officer, Eoghan Connaughton.

The idea for the survey came from a previous project ran by LAWPRO in conjunction with Dundalk Tidy Towns on water quality in the Ramparts river.

Dr. Stephen Kneel, a lecturer at Dundalk Institute of Technology who was working on the project at the time, contacted Connaughton to inform him of a wetland habitat at the back of his local GAA club.

Connaughton told Agriland that he initially looked at the area back in February 2025.

He said: "From the pitch, the site looks like an unimpressive wall of gorse with bare, dry soil beneath.

"The willow canopy behind the gorse was indication of life beyond it, so I duckwalked through a tunnel of gorse, which after about 5m opened up into a hidden woodland.

"It was only a short time of walking before I heard the squelching of water beneath my feet - this was a wet woodland - one of Ireland's five protected woodland habitats and very rare in Co. Louth."

The wetland habitat at the GAA club is ground-fed by freshwater rising from the earth and pooling there before flowing east towards Dundalk and into the Ramparts river.

The survey began at 3:30a.m with the community water officer conducting a bird count at sunrise.

He said: "Turns out that overlooked shrubbery at the back of the club is home to dozens of bird species, including the sedge warbler which migrated from sub-Saharan Africa only to nest in Kilkerley. 

"The condition of the site is a testament to the good farming culture around it. Many of these wetland mosaics have been cleared around the island in the past 50 years.

"This site has been preserved by common sensibilities; it's a treasure and I hope it lasts."