Ten Clare parishes in County Clare are set to carry out biodiversity actions on 12 church grounds.

The 'Return to Nature Clare Church Biodiversity Project' is an ambitious initiative led and funded by Clare County Council, with additional support from the Local Biodiversity Action Fund administered by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

The project came about in 2023 when the Irish Bishops' Conference agreed on a policy that parishes would return 30 per cent of church grounds to nature by 2030. In September of last year, Clare County Council's Biodiversity Officer Barry O’Loughlin gave a presentation of the potential biodiversity actions that could be undertaken on church grounds in Clare to Jane Mellett of the Laudato Si’ Working Group and the Bishop of Killaloe, Fintan Monahan.

As a result, Clare County Council worked with the Diocese of Killaloe and signed up 10 parishes to the Return to Nature Clare Church Biodiversity Project through the diocesan network. The 10 Clare parishes are: Broadford; Clarecastle; Kilmaley; Inagh-Kilnamona; Mullagh; Cooraclare; Miltown Malbay (including Moy); Kilkee; Kilrush; and Killimer.

The project connects local parish priests with community members to implement biodiversity actions on church grounds. These actions include installing nest boxes for barn owls and swifts, developing pollinator plans for each churchyard, placing bat roost boxes, setting up bird tables and feeders, planting pollinator-friendly fruit trees, adding boxes for robins and spotted flycatchers and installing pollinator-friendly signage. The parishes and Clare County Council collaborate with BirdWatch Ireland, the NPWS, Ennis Men’s Shed, Irish Seed Savers, the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, Tidy Towns Groups, local farmers and schools to carry out these initiatives.

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Clare County Council’s Biodiversity Officer, Barry O’Loughlin, said: "The church is one of the main focal points of every town and village in the country and our project in Clare has heightened awareness of biodiversity by introducing this approach within church grounds, which are central to community life. Across the 10 parishes communities have been hugely proactive and involved in every step of the process. Already there is interest in the biodiversity officer network working on a similar project in other counties."

The role of the Biodiversity Officer is supported by the Heritage Council in partnership with the relevant local authorities.

The project focused on educating and upskilling local communities and parish priests on biodiversity, with training organised by Clare County Council. BirdWatch Ireland offered insights into the ecology of barn owls and swifts and assisted with installing nest boxes, including several on a neighbouring farmer’s land near the church grounds. Dr. Tina Aughney conducted bat training, and some events were held during National Biodiversity Week. Additionally, Irish Seed Savers provided three sessions on planting native orchard trees on church grounds.

Fr Anthony Casey, Parish Priest of Cooraclare, stated: "The very practical information and support we received from the Return to Nature Clare Church Biodiversity Project has encouraged us greatly. We are already extending the variety of flowers and trees, to enhance even further our promotion of biodiversity in the church grounds."

Pollinator training was also provided by Giorria Environmental Services, which involved developing a pollinator plan for communities to implement so that every church could be managed to help boost pollinator populations. Parishes developed a small wildflower meadow on church grounds, planted pollinator friendly bulbs and herbs which links in as a faith community action of the 'All-Ireland Pollinator Plan'. County Clare is one of the last refuges for the rare bumblebee, Shrill Carder Bee.

Barry O'Loughlin, Clare County Council’s Biodiversity Officer said: "We are already seeing wildflowers such as oxeye daisy, common spotted orchid, hawksbeard and self-heal return on uncut sections of church lawns. The seeds of these wildflowers have been there this whole time, they just needed the right management measure to establish."

Mike O’Connor of Inagh Tidy Towns said: "We got really involved in the biodiversity project in Inagh Church grounds with our parish priest, Fr Shanahan. We installed bat roost boxes and swift and barn owl nest boxes. We also had Minister Malcolm Noonan and Senator Garvey visit the church grounds. It has been a great journey in our first year working with Barry and Clare County Council."

The project aims to engage the broader community by connecting with local schools and groups for citizen science initiatives, such as Flower Insect Timed Counts and monitoring wildlife that settles on church grounds.

Bishop Fintan Monahan added: "I am very heartened to see the interest and enthusiasm at parish level for the work in promoting the Return to Nature Clare Church biodiversity project. The partnership, synergy and co-operation between the parishes, Clare County Council, the Episcopal Conference Agency and Trócaire have been most productive."