The Ballagh GPA

02/06/2026

Thanks once again to everyone that came out and helped with our Spring Clean.

We hope to getout again soon for another litter pick so stay tuned.

30/05/2026

We’ve been busy over the past few days potting and planting around the village.

All of the plants added are pollinator-friendly perennials, which means they should continue to grow and spread over time while adding colour to the village.

They will also provide a source of nectar for pollinators and help support biodiversity in the area.

We would like to thank Wexford County Council for the planting grant that funded the flowers and for giving us permission to plant the beds. Thanks also to Ballaghkeen Community Centre and everyone that helped.

We have applied for the grant again this year and hope to continue the work. Over the coming days, we will be turning our attention to the larger flower bed.

If you are out for a walk in the village, you may notice signs marking the areas that we manage for pollinators. With the recent good weather, these areas have been busy with insect activity. Take a moment to stop and have a look.

🐝 🐝 🌸 🌸 🦋 🦋

28/05/2026

📢 NARGC Óige Training Day – Harbour House Sports Club

NARGC Óige will host a fun, safe and friendly introduction to shooting sports on Sunday, July 26th at Harbour House Sports Club.

This training day is open to NARGC members only and is aimed at novice and beginner shooters aged 14–19 who would like to gain more experience in a safe, welcoming and supportive environment.

Participants will receive:

✅ 25 shots from a shotgun firing at clay pigeons, static and moving steel plates
✅ 25 shots on a .22 rimfire 50m benchrest range
✅ Guidance and support from Harbour House and NARGC staff throughout the day

📍 Venue: Harbour House Sports Club
🕙 Arrive at: 10am
💶 Cost: €25

Fi****ms can be provided, or participants may bring their own firearm.

This is a fun, non-competitive day suited to complete beginners and novice shots looking to build confidence, improve skills and enjoy shooting sports in a safe and friendly learning environment.

To book a place, NARGC members should log in to the NARGC website and purchase a ticket online.

Learn. Improve. Enjoy.
Skills for life. Sport for all.

24/05/2026

A few pheasant chicks enjoying the good weather in The Ballagh.

Great to see club members and their families getting involved in rearing.

24/05/2026

A successful hatch in the wild — and with this week’s weather, these little ones should get a great start in life.

Moments like this are always brilliant to see. It’s not just pheasants that rely on cover and safe nesting habitat — many of our favourite farmland and countryside birds nest on or very close to the ground, not high up in trees as many people assume. Species such as the yellowhammer, skylark, meadow pipit, lapwing, snipe and curlew all depend on suitable grass margins, hedgerows, rough cover and undisturbed nesting areas to breed successfully.

Good conservation work is about balance. Habitat creation and management are vital, but sensible, legal predator control also plays an important role in protecting vulnerable ground nests and newly hatched chicks during the breeding season. Without that balance, many ground nesting birds struggle to raise young successfully.

Our efforts to encourage healthy pheasant and partridge habitat bring multiple benefits for a wide range of wild birds and wildlife. Managing cover crops, maintaining hedgerows, leaving rough grass areas and creating safe nesting areas helps provide food, shelter and breeding habitat for countless species — from songbirds to pollinators and small mammals.

Great to see nature responding positively and another successful hatch out in the countryside.

17/05/2026

The natural camouflage of the hen pheasant on her nest is truly amazing.

This lady is on a clutch of 12 eggs and we have been keeping a close eye.

If everything has gone well there should be a hatch this week.

Some of the eggs that we collected from our own breeding stock have hatched successfully under their surrogate mother.

Always nice to see 🐥 🐥

16/05/2026

Great to see people out volunteering their time, equipment and expertise to help tidy up our local community.

Thanks to Martin J Fortune Transport Ltd., Edward O Connor and the other volunteers.

Onwards and upwards

14/05/2026