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Ballyseedy Wood public consultation

Ballyseedy Wood is a mainly broadleaf woodland near Tralee, County Kerry. Part of the wood is flooded by the River Lee and is a habitat of European importance. The trees of Ballyseedy Wood are said to have been planted by Arthur Blennerhassett in the early 19th century.

Ballyseedy Wood has recently been opened by Kerry County Council for recreation. This website is to collect your ideas about what sort of activities and information should be part of the Ballyseedy Recreation Plan.

About Ballyseedy Wood

Ballyseedy Wood candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC, Site Code 2112, Co. Kerry) is located on the southern bank of the River Lee, and part of the site is within the floodplain of the river.  The site is approximately 2km south-east of Tralee.  The majority of Ballyseedy Wood cSAC comprises residual alluvial forest (a priority habitat listed on Annex 1 of the EU Habitats Directive). 

The woodland as owned by Kerry County Council is approximately 34 hectres and now contains approximately 4 km of track ways. Approximately 17 hectares of the Kerry County Council-owned woodland is alluvial woodland. A further 16 hectares of  mixed woodland remains in private ownership.

Ballyseedy is a valuable public recreational resource and careful management will be required to ensure that it can be conserved and secured for the present and future generations to enjoy.  Ballyseedy Wood is not only an important asset to the town of Tralee and its environs but is a welcome retreat for residents and visitors alike. Attractive and accessible woodlands encourage people outdoors to take regular physical exercise, which is a key component in strategies aimed at tackling heart disease and obesity. 

Phase 1 of the improvement of the woodland is complete – the woodland has been developed as an amenity for the people of Tralee and its surrounds.  The provision of an access road to the site and a number of pathways within the wood itself were improved and developed. This consultation is to find out what sort of recreation you'd like to see in Ballyseedy Wood.

Send us your thoughts on recreation in Ballyseedy

Any comments are welcome.

Some of the following questions might help you get started on telling us what you'd like to see in Ballyseedy:

(click here to download these questions as a rich text Word document)

• What’s the most special feature of Ballyseedy Wood?

• What else do you like about these woods?

• What don’t you like in Ballyseedy Wood (What could be improved?)

• What sort of recreation is suitable for Ballyseedy Wood?

• Are the current paths accessible for buggies, elderly people, wheelchair users and others who would enjoy the wood?
• How should they be improved?
• What other types of facilities would you like to see in Ballyseedy Wood?

• How would you know if there were too many people using Ballyseedy Wood?
• What should the County Council do to prevent overuse?

• What sorts of species living in Ballyseedy or aspects of the heritage of Ballyseedy would you like to learn about?

• What should be done, if anything, with the open grassy space inside the woodland?

• Many of the old trees in Ballyseedy are non-native species. As these get old and need to be replaced, should they be replaced with the same species, or with native species?

• What would children (how old?) like to learn about in Ballyseedy?

Teachers: click here for a list of questions about school trips

Contact Sasha Bosbeer with your suggestions:
sashatrees at hotmail.com
087 6685836
or post in your suggestions: c/o Kevin Boyle, Kerry County Council, Tralee
Please send in your ideas and responses before 15 July 2008.

Seol do smaointe maidir le caitheamh aimsire i mBaile Ó Síoda chugainn

Fáilte roimh thuairimí.

Seol r-phost nó litir chugainn, nó cuir glaoch fóin orainn, faoinar mhaith leat a fhoghlaim agus a fheiscint i gCoill Bhaile Ó Síoda.

Seans go gcabhróidh cuid de na ceisteanna seo leat tabhairt faoina rá linn cad ba mhaith leat a fheiscint i mBaile Ó Síoda:

Cliceáil anseo chun na ceisteanna a íoslódáil mar dhoiciméad méith-théacs Word

• Cad é an tsainghné is suntasaí de Choill Bhaile Ó Síoda?

• Cad eile a thaitníonn leat i dtaobh na gcoillte seo?

• Cad é nach dtaitníonn leat i gCoill Bhaile Ó Síoda? (Cad a d’fhéadfaí a fheabhsú?)

• Cén sórt caitheamh aimsire atá oiriúnach i gCoill Bhaile Ó Síoda?

• An bhfuil na cosáin ann oiriúnach do bhugaithe, cathoireacha rothaí, seanóirí agus daoine eile a dtaitneodh an choill leo?
• Conas is cóir iad a fheabhsú?
• Cad iad na háiseanna eile ba mhaith leat a fheiscint i gCoill Bhaile Ó Síoda?

• Conas ab eol duit é dá mbeadh an iomad daoine ag úsáid Coill Bhaile Ó Síoda?
• Cad is cóir don Chomhairle Contae a dhéanamh chun ró-úsáid a chosc?

• Cad iad na speicis i mBaile Ó Síoda, nó gnéithe d’oidhreacht Bhaile Ó Síoda, ar mhaith leat foghlaim ina dtaobh?

• Cad is cóir a dhéanamh, más cóir rud ar bith, leis an spás oscailte féarmhar laistigh den choillearnach?

• Speicis neamhdhúchasacha is ea cuid mhaith de na sean-chrainn i mBaile Ó Síoda. De réir mar a théann na crainn seo in aois is gá athphlandáil: ar cheart na speicis chéanna, nó speicis dhúchasacha, a athphlandáil ina n-áit?

• Cad ba mhaith le páistí (luaigh aois!) a fhoghlaim i mBaile Ó Síoda?

Múinteoirí: cliceáil anseo le haghaidh liosta ceisteanna faoi thurasanna scoile.

Seol do chuid moltaí go dtí Sasha Bosbeer:
sashatrees at hotmail.com nó info at sylvaneco.com
087 6685836,
nó cuir do chuid moltaí sa phost go dtí: f/c Kevin Boyle, Comhairle Contae Chiarraí, Trá Lí. Seol do chuid smaointe agus freagraí chugainn roimh 31 Iúil 2008, led’ thoil.

Gura maith agat as do chuid ama.