Corkagh Diary


To learn more about Corkagh Park,
its history, amenities and biodiversity
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May 2023
This month has finished with lots of fine dry weather and so it is a great time to see some of the dragonflies that can be found in and around Corkaghs lakes.  They fly from May to September and are most active on warm sunny days.  After mating the female deposits her eggs in the reeds that surround the lakes.  These eggs hatch as nymphs who will spend a year at least living in the lake and feeding on smaller water insects after which time the adult dragonfly emerges.  
This is a newly emerged male Common Blue Damselfly and the photo was taken near the Walled Garden. From a distance he looked an indistinct grey colour and the lovely pink tones were revealed when I got a close up shot. Over the coming days his colour will change to blue.  Apparently young dragon and damselflies will leave the lakes for a few days as they are safer from predators among the hedgerows and high grass.  

Adult male Common Blue Damselfly at the Fishing Lakes.  The females are a similar size but have a green colouring. 

male and female blue tailed damselflies on rushes.
These are a pair of Blue-tailed Damselflies.  The female has a reddish body.
 
female emperor dragonfly perched on ivy
This striking creature is a female Emperor Dragonfly (the male has a blue tail).  At 3 inches long she was hard to miss even among the Ivy on the back lane.  The Emperor is Irelands largest dragonfly but it is a recent arrival to these shores having been first identified here in the early 2000s! Like other dragonflies she has left the lakes in order to mature in the relative safety of the nearby grassy verges and hedges.  

female migrant hawker dragonfly deposits eggs at waters edge
A female Migrant Hawker deposits her eggs at the waters edge.

The Migrant Hawker is another new arrival to Irish shores.  It was first identified here in 2000.  It is most common in the East and South of the country. 

Male Migrant Hawker Dragonfly.  The Hawker and Emperor like other dragonflies feed on the smaller insects that fly on and near the lakes.  

Migrant Hawkers mating.

darter dragonfly funny face
Common Darter.  This small dragonfly likes to rest on the wooden decks or sun itself on grass stalks and so is easy enough to see.

Common Darter.

Happy dragonfly spotting at Corkagh this summer.



April 2023
The Cypress in the background with only top branches left was saved from destruction when a Herons nest was discovered
The felling of mature trees around the site of the former Pet Farm has angered and saddened many regular visitors to Corkagh.  In particular the loss of the stately old Monterrey Cypress which provided a welcome shady spot to stop for picnics! When queried as to why this was done SDCC replied that a couple of limbs had developed a fungal disease and might pose a danger to park visitors.  Of course this excuse made no sense as the offending branches might easily have been removed.  The truth is that the council plan to commence construction of a cafe on the site at some point this year.  The tree was in the way!  In advance of construction the council also agreed to undertake an archaeological investigation as the foundations of the 17th and 18th century houses lie directly beneath.  Those of us interested in local history were particularly excited only to discover that some shallow trenches had been dug and then backfilled in the space of a morning!!!!  Hardly a thorough investigation??  More likely the council was merely fulfilling its obligations in the most rudimentary way! 


September 2022
Corkagh is well known for its lakes but they are a relatively recent addition to the park having been dug in 2000/2001.  Once they became established the lakes attracted a wide range of new wildlife to the area.  In autumn one can hardly miss the large dragonflies flying over the water.  Interestingly the most often seen is the exceptionally large Migrant Hawker.  This species of Dragonfly is more common in southern Europe and was virtually unknown in Ireland before the 1990s. 
Male Migrant Hawker


October 2021
The new development at Kilcarbery Grange adjacent to 
Corkagh is flying up.  Over a thousand units practically next door
to the park!!  A quick look at google maps will show how 
this area, until relatively recently, was a network of
fields, hedgerows and drainage ditches.  The area was
popular with dog walkers and there was access to the park
through gaps in the ditches.
building kilcarbery grange housing clondalkin
Housing development at Kilcarbery Grange is proceeding quickly. 
This view is from Grange Castle Road
near where the main entrance to the development will be.

Some people might wonder where the name Kilcarbery Grange
comes from.  Much of the development is in the townland of
Kilcarbery which is named after the Carbery family who
owned lands here in the 1640s.  The family at that time was
headed by Alderman John Carbery, a sucessful merchant.
They lived in a house (now gone) located between the Golf Course
and Baldonnel Aerodrome.
The Carberys had left Clondalkin well before Kilcarbery House
was built in the early 1800s.  That house is now part of Grange Golf Course.
The name Grange comes from the nearby ruined Grange Castle
which is located within the Pfizer complex. 

building kilcarbery grange housing clondalkin
Over one thousand units will be consructed here
in the next couple of years.

Kilcarbery Grange stretches from the
Grange Castle Road back towards the
Old Nangor Road so some of the houses will be
in the townland of Deansrath.  This name comes from
the older spelling 'Danesrath' which dates back to medieval
times. The Viking King of Dublin named Amlaith
(pronounced Awley and from the Scandanavian Olaf)
built a fort near here in the 9th century.  
The fort was attacked by local Gaelic
chieftains and all within slaughtered and their heads
mounted on sticks and paraded around Clondalkin!
In revenge Amhlaiths men ambushed and killed
a great number of Irish.

building kilcarbery grange housing clondalkin
Houses and apartments where till recently locals
walked their dogs.
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For several years I have wondered about this carving
on an old wall next to the stream behind the estate buildings.
I posted these pictures to my facebook page: Corkagh Snapshots 
and got a comment from a man who grew up near Corkagh.
He told me that the carving was revealed when the plaster covering it
fell away.  The wall could be as old as 200 years!  
jerusalem cross roughly carved on old wall

A little bit of 'googling' revealed that this shape is called a 
'Jerusalem Cross!   But who carved it?  And when? And why?
I doubt we will ever know!
Jerusalem cross roughly carved

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Now these photos mightn't look much but if you are passing the ruins of the Stewarts House opposite the Baseball pitch go into the yard there and look for this plant. Break off a leaf and crush it between your fingers: Lemon Balm...gorgeous... it smells like the nicest lemon icing ever. This plant isn't native to Ireland but it will grow in any soil so this is probably a 'garden escape'. During the 1950s and 60s the walled garden was leased by the Karstal family and they grew flowers for the Dublin Markets. Perhaps this plant originated there. Lemon Balm is a member of the mint family and can spread if planted in soil but it is perfect for pots and I am going to keep an eye out for seeds (though it will grow from cuttings as well)


July 2021
For more about the Park: Welcome to Corkagh

On warm summer evenings its lovely to stroll about the park as
the sun is setting.
I spotted this plant with its white unopened blooms
as I crossed the wooden bridge towards
the estate buildings.  In the fading light, the flash accentuated
the flowers and created this
lovely effect.  As far as I'm aware it is a 'Turks Cap Lily'
and is certainly not a wild flower!
Its holding its own among the grasses and nettles though
Turks Cap Lily in full bloom.

June 2021
For more about the Park: Welcome to Corkagh

In early summer you might see this frothy stuff on the stalks
of various plants.  Its called Cuckoo Spit but has nothing to do with the bird of
that name but rather because it begins to be seen in May when the Cuckoo arrives. 

If you move the froth with a blade of grass it will reveal a tiny creature
hiding beneath.  This is the nymph of an insect called a Froghopper and is
called a Spittlebug. The Spittlebug feeds on the plants sap and
then 'poohs' it out as a bubbly substance which help to
keep it moist and protect it from predators. 

The Froghopper can jump further than any other insect including the flea.  It can jump
the equivalent of a human jumping over a tower block!   As a result they are very hard to find
and I have never seen one (as far as I know). 
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Walking in Corkagh in recent days it seems like the landscape is awash with colour from all the wildflowers that are at the height of their blooming period.  After a late spring nature has more than made up for the delay.  Yellow flowers like Buttercups and Charlock, the lilac, blues and pinks of Vetch, Speedwells and Herb Robert and the creamy white of Elder flowers and cow parsley are a delight to see.  I think the park is at its best at this time of year.

Elder flowers.  The Elder bushes, of which there are many at Corkagh, are now in full bloom.
The flowers have a lovely scent and have a variety of culinary uses.
The berries must be cooked.  The rest of the plant is poisonous. 
I took this picture near the fishing lakes. 
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May 2021
For more about the Park: Welcome to Corkagh

Anyone visiting the dog run or entering Corkagh from the Naas Rd end will notice that the 
Hawthorn is now in full bloom.

The Hawthorn was known as a Fairy tree and it was considered very bad luck to cut it.  
You will often see hawthorns standing alone in the centre of fields, left there by superstitious farmers. 
People either love or hate the scent of Hawthorn flowers, to some it smells like marzipan but to others it smells like rotting flesh.  Both smells are there, one to attract pollen loving insects, the other to attract flies which also serve to pollinate it.  Which do you smell? 
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This years batch of cygnets hatched near the blue bridge in the first week of May. There are 8 in total and they are delighting visitors to the park.  Unfortunately it is unlikely that all 8 will survive their first few months.
Taking shelter with Mum from the unseasonably cold May weather. 

All eight cygnets...too cute. 
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 I spotted some early Ramsons (Wild Garlic) along the back lane around May Day.  Ramsons grow low to the ground and their leaves are broad.  Pick a flower or crush a leaf and you will get that wonderful garlicky aroma.  This plant is edible and can be used for flavouring.  I also noticed another type of wild garlic on the opposite side of the lane next to the stream.  These are called Three Corner Garlic and are taller with narrower leaves than Ramsons.  To me they look like white bluebells.  They are also edible.
Ramsons

Three Corner Garlic
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2nd May: Nesting season has already started at Corkagh.  A pair of robins who honoured me by building their nest in the ivy nearby have already seen their first brood fledged over a week ago.  They are now scouting for a new nest and will soon be raising a second family.  In the meantime I reckon at least one but maybe two of the first brood have survived and their parents have left them to their own devices.  The young birds will not develop a red breast for several months which means they can still share their parents territory without being seen as a threat. 
Baby Robin about 2 weeks old.

Young Robin 

Welcome to Corkagh
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April 2021
The Swallows began to arrive at Corkagh in the middle of the month.  It is fascinating to consider that these small birds have travelled north from Africa.  Right now they are hungry after their journey and busy feeding on all the many flies that you can see hovering over the lakes and in the grassy meadows.  
Our Corkagh swallows nest in the barns and sheds of the estate buildings.  Each generation returns to their birthplace so the birds we see today may be the descendants of those who made Corkagh their summer home a hundred ago.  
I spent a couple of hours trying to get a shot of the swallows but had to content myself with a still from some slow motion video. 
The Swallows captured in slow motion skimming the lakes.

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The first Herons I spotted at Corkagh almost 2 decades ago were nervous creatures but as their numbers have grown they have also become more confident and you can get quite close to them.  In the background is a year old swan, still with some of its brown feathers and, unlike adult swans, its beak is a much duller colour. There are now 2 young swans on this lake.  The adult female is currently sitting on eggs near the blue bridge and it is very unusual for them to tolerate not just one but two young swans so close to the nest.  Normally the adults would drive them away and indeed have even been known to kill potential competitors.  In recent days I saw the adult male aggressively trying to send them 'flying' but he seem to have a damaged leg so perhaps he is not able to fully defend his patch.  One of the cygnets may be the abandoned one from last years brood but where the other arrived from I have no idea. 
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frog

There are frogs to be found at Corkagh and sometimes not as close to water as you might think.  I spotted this one yesterday in a ditch.  The Common Frog is the only species found in Ireland and they are protected by law. 
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March 2021
Regarding the Corkagh swans:  Last years 3 cygnets have departed.  The parents are now nest building near the blue bridge. As for the abandoned cygnet: I spotted him alone at the adjoining lake a few days ago but today he has disappeared.  Is he gone for good? I suspect so.
The swan has started nest building near the blue bridge
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wild primrose kilcarbery grange
Beautiful wild Primroses were once found in abundance in the hedgerows surrounding Corkagh.  Sadly with the recent clearance of the site for Kilcarbery Grange there are few left.  I rescued a couple of clumps some years back.  They have flourished and are now in bloom.  
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A new housing development 'Corkagh Grange' has welcomed its first residents.  The houses and apartments are beautifully situated overlooking Corkagh Park and its lakes.  There is an entrance directly in to the park from here.  
Snow Crocus, so called because they flower in early spring, can be spotted beneath a mature Copper Beech at the Arboretum. 


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February 2021
Technically spring begins on the first of February, St Brigids Day.  When I was small we were told that during February the birds chose their mates for the coming breeding season.  Well winter still has plenty of fight left and the recent never-ending rain has left the park waterlogged and mucky.  Still there are splashes of colour to be seen as the earliest spring flowers make their appearance.  
Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring,
And pensive monitor of fleeting years! (Wordsworth)
Along the back lane Snowdrops line the stream and in the Arboretum, beneath the old 
Copper Beech, the Snow Crocus appears
Snow Crocus

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Greek Anemone or Windflower will carpet parts of the park in late spring but some flowers have made their appearance early this year. 
Welcome to Corkagh
January 2021
Last spring our pair of swans became parents to six cygnets however only four (this is quite normal) survived the first months of life.  Of the four one was rejected by its parents last summer (it may have an issue with its wings) and it was sad to see it hanging around at the edge of the lake.  Its parents would chase it off if it approached the other cygnets.  It wasn't expected to survive but somehow it has.
The three other cygnets are losing their grey feathers and their beaks are starting to change from black to a pale purple (eventually as adults their beaks will turn orange) but the unwanted cygnet is still mostly grey.  Not only have its parent adopted an aggressive stance towards it but I have also noticed its siblings giving chase as well
UPDATE: A most curious story 26/1/21
The poor cygnet seems to get weaker by the day and I stopped to talk to one of the Park employees about it.  He told me that the cygnet who had been rejected and had been hanging around the side of the lake was killed sometime in early December by a dog which was off its lead.  He said that the park rangers had buried it and that the cygnet we see now is a new arrival having appeared just after Xmas.  Well, indeed, I had noticed that the cygnet had gone missing for a few weeks, when I assumed it was dead but, what are the chances of another weak, underdeveloped cygnet turning up in its place???
Most curious!

abandoned cygnet at corkagh
Abandoned baby.  It is obvious that this cygnet has not developed at the same rate as its siblings.  Its beak is still black and feathers are mostly grey/brown.  Also I noticed that this one is not ringed.
 The Swans at Corkagh have now started the process of pushing last years babies out of the 'nest'.  They will adopt an aggressive pose, with their wings curled, and drive their bewildered offspring to the edge of the lake eventually forcing them to take flight.  The young swans would gladly stay with their parents and so it can be a few weeks before they finally get the message and leave their birthplace.  They will join with other young swans, perhaps along the nearby canal, and after about 3 years they will mate and set up their own territory.  What will happen to the abandoned cygnet I cant say.  The parents will hardly tolerate it once they have driven the other young away.
The parent swans, still in aggressive pose, take a break from chasing their young.
Welcome to Corkagh
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Its only mid January and already Snowdrops are lining the banks of the stream along back lane.
Alongside the Snowdrops the Winter Heliotrope can also be spotted.  This plant flowers throughout winter and has a strong Almond scent.  Like the Snowdrops it is not an indigenous plant but rather a garden escape which has continued to flourish even though Corkagh House and the gardener who first planted it have long gone.
Welcome to Corkagh
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2020 will be remembered as the year of Covid.  Corkagh has been a welcome escape from bad news and provided so much pleasure for so many.  I have never seen the park as busy
as it has been this past summer, and even now, as Winter arrives, people are still enjoying
this wonderful amenity.
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The playground has now reopened (Dec 2020) following refurbishment and the kids are loving the new equipment.
new playground at corkagh clondalkin
My grandchildren enjoying water play at the refurbished playground.

new playground at corkagh
The playground can now be accessed via the Arboretum. 
Kids love the Viking theme. 
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The practice of decorating our homes at midwinter predates the Christmas festival, and in the 'olden days' holly and ivy adorned the mantlepieces and windows of Irish homes. There are plenty of both to be found at Corkagh but by late December it can be hard to find holly with plenty of berries still left (perhaps the birds have eaten them all). 
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Every so often winter sends some proper snowy weather and in these photos taken over the years Corkagh looks magical covered in snow.  



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Winter, when most trees are bare, is a perfect time to spot and photograph Corkaghs' wild birds.

Great tit

Bullfinch

Chaffinch
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There are plenty of Grey Squirrels in the park and they can be seen throughout the year.  Grey Squirrels are not indigenous to Ireland but they have largely replaced our native Red Squirrel population on the east coast..  I would love to see the Red reintroduced to Corkagh.  
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A couple of wandering swans arrived at the fishing lakes but were swiftly seen off
by the resident male. 
Swans chasing swans
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Even though in mid October Autumn colours are not yet at their height.  However on a chilly sunny Sunday morning the arboretum at Corkagh is pretty as a picture.


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The Horse chestnut trees in the 'fairy wood' are hung with bottles and soothers.
So cute and so kind of the little ones to donate their treasures to the fairies. 
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spiders web in morning dew
We spotted this spiders web highlighted by the morning dew.
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orange mushroom in fallen tree
Lots of varieties of Fungai and Mushrooms can be found at Corkagh
throughout the year but Autumn and early Winter are probably the best time.
This beautiful orange mushroom was spotted growing in the rotting trunk of a fallen tree. 
It might be an 'Orange Bonnet' but without an expert opinion...?
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Blue Bridge at Dusk
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blackberries, brambles
Blackberries or in Irish: Smeara Dubh.  Tasty and free
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In recent years the Heron population has grown to at least 6.
The roof of the 19th century stables is a favourite perch.
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The popular Pet Farm has remained closed throughout 2020.  Some of its residents are still there including this exotic looking bird.

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