\u201cWe\u2019re giving it our best shot. We\u2019re not magicians. We can\u2019t turn back sea-level rise [but] we can make it as liveable for people as possible,\u201d she says. <\/p>\n
The Maharees is like a large \u201cY\u201d separating Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay. The 5km-long tombola \u2013 Ireland\u2019s largest \u2013 is described as a bar or finger-like spit. It is, in effect, the community\u2019s only protection, Farrell says, and yet its most fragile asset links offshore islands located at the top of the Y. <\/p>\n
Marram grass, which they have planted extensively, stabilises the dune system and yet is fragile: \u201cIt can be destroyed by just 10 footsteps\u201d. It captures wind-driven sand. Chestnut fences meanwhile, stretching 800m to the west and in parts to the east, designate beach access routes and prevent grass from being trampled. <\/p>\n
As if that is not challenging enough, Maharees has a unique ecosystem created and constantly changed by wind, rain and sea. It is home to Ireland\u2019s largest amphibian, the natterjack toad. It is at the heart of a special area of conservation spanning over 25km of coastline with the highest number of protected habitats (16) and third highest number of species (28) of any area in the country. Tralee Bay is an important breeding site for critically-endangered species such as angel sharks and white skates and an-EU designated special protection area for birdlife. They are in \u201ca living lab\u201d, Farrell says. <\/p>\n
But its vulnerability was becoming glaringly obvious, and the association emerged from this. The sea side was being lost and human activities \u2013 raves and parties in the dunes, \u201cwild parking\u201d \u2013 were accelerating its demise. Over the winter of 2015-2016 the only road in and out of the Maharees peninsula was impassible on 17 occasions as raging seas threw up vast amounts of sand. <\/p>\n
With little protection, power outages are frequent, highlighting the need for energy independence using renewables and battery storage as back-up to maintain quality of life.<\/p>\n
Visiting on a sunny June day, its beauty and fragility is evident with large numbers of holidaymakers, watersports enthusiasts and day-trippers. A survey in August 2019 recorded 23,040 cars travelling the narrow Maharees road in one week. <\/p>\n
Group members are at Magherabeg Cut, having completed a beach clean. They stumbled across a nesting ringed plover and are concerned beach users will encroach. <\/p>\n
![\"Locals](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/BIVAHTAEKVERJN4GVUJNB6MOCY.jpg\")
Locals Janne Spillane and Zoe Rush at work on the sand dunes. Photograph: Domnick Walsh <\/p>\n
Polite \u201cplease keep off dunes\u201d have given way to more blunt signage: \u201cSand Dunes: They protect us! Let\u2019s protect them … no wild camping.\u201d Aerial photos show this has been successful. <\/p>\n
Maintaining the dynamic of the dunes is critical, Farrell says. It requires wrestling with evolving processes of sand erosion and natural deposition. Seaward facing dunes are in constant battle with the sea. And yet Marram planting and fencing is now revealing growback to levels last seen before human influence. <\/p>\n
The conversation began with two questions. \u201cWe asked the people, \u2018what do you value about the place? What do you want the future Maharees to be?\u2019 There was no mention of climate change. Our vision came out of that,\u201d she adds. <\/p>\n
Through an alliance with Creative Ireland and local development agency the Dingle Hub<\/a>, the Neart Na Machair\u00ed<\/a> project has brought their efforts to the next level. It has embedded creativity \u201cto help rethink behaviours and take action to ensure the Maharees is well-adapted in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss\u201d, says project designer Zo\u00eb Rush \u2013 neart being Irish for strength. <\/p>\n Three artists \u2013 \u201ccreative practitioners\u201d \u2013 Emer Fallon, Silke Michels and Zo\u00eb U\u00ed Fhaol\u00e1in-Green \u2013 help facilitate a creative and collaborative exploration of the future of Maharees. This will inform a community adaptation plan that will benefit many others directly facing the prospect of 1m sea-level rise this century. It has got strong backing from State agencies (particularly the National Parks & Wildlife Service); Kerry Co Council, academics and NGOs. <\/p>\n \u00a0\u201cCoastal resilience requires an integrated approach, drawing from deep place-based knowledge\u202fof\u202fthese\u202fhabitats and the customs and traditions of people who live within them, [with] expert guidance and collaboration with State agencies to support and incorporate community visions of change within strategic and financial planning provided by Dingle Hub,\u201d Rush says. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is far more than artists just listening to communities and then illustrating their needs,\u201d she says. It is working closely with \u201ca conservation group who have such a good connection with the people\u201d. <\/p>\n A steering group of four conservation group members was enhanced by locals from different sectors, going beyond the 50 people out of a population of 300 already active volunteers. Through intensive circulation of information and invites to events, 10 \u201ccommunity partners\u201d were added; people ranging across tourism\/hospitality; watersports, farming, fishing and long-term visitors. <\/p>\n The first year was \u201ca climate learning journey\u201d, bringing in different experts with knowledge on habitats, ecology and coastal erosion, explaining risks to the community and \u201chow they make those decisions that will then affect their long-term prospects\u201d, Rush says. <\/p>\n After a year \u201call the community partners said, \u2018it\u2019s great listening and learning all this but we want action\u2019.\u201d Informed by workshops, the project was rejigged. Long-term visitor Mairead Kinsella wanted to share learning in a flyer for other visitors, Airbnbs and local businesses. <\/p>\n This is not a typical \u201ccome and visit this lovely place\u201d guide. It represents a creative response to the unique biodiversity of the region and its vulnerabilities to climate change. It encourages visitors to consider their role in preserving the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the places they enjoy; the essence of regenerative tourism. <\/p>\n Association chair Aidan O\u2019Connor praised her contribution at a launch event in April: \u201cShe listened to our story, learned about the challenges we face due to climate change, and created something that supports and uplifts us.\u201d <\/p>\n Farrell says it\u2019s about sharing their identity: \u201cshowing we are doing this already; you can go here, you can go there and learn about this place with us.\u201d They want sustainable tourism as it is the lifeblood of the community, whether that\u2019s camper vans in the right place, people coming to their holiday homes or surfers in September \u2013 but not gentrification. <\/p>\n Striking the right balance is endlessly challenging, not to mention the vulnerability of local heritage to climate change and need for resilient local food supplies. Farrell highlights the precarious location of the graveyard where her father\u2019s remains are buried. It is on an exposed mini headland beside a 13th century church looking out to Oile\u00e1n tSeanaigh with its ancient monastic settlement. She was relieved to hear recently it is to come under the protection of the Heritage Council\u2019s \u201cAdopt a Monument\u201d scheme.<\/p>\n A total of 22 groups have visited their area seeking guidance. \u201cSome are looking for the magic wand but it\u2019s really about persistent graft, raising awareness and networking.\u201d <\/p>\n Yes, there are fears about runaway climate change, but what is more immediately scary, Farrell says, is working out how they can buy a rundown schoolhouse so it becomes their \u201ccommunity resilience hub\u201d; a place for people to gather and a haven when extreme weather and power outages strike again. After all, this is a group of committed volunteers \u201cwith just 21 binoculars and a fold-up tent\u201d in their possession. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Knowing that in a matter of minutes a storm surge could mean something close to obliteration of the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":210018,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3843],"tags":[4675,2311,728,83970,45125,83969,83971,729,70,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-210017","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-biodiversity","9":"tag-climate-change","10":"tag-environment","11":"tag-eu-habitats-directive","12":"tag-kerry","13":"tag-kerry-county-council","14":"tag-national-parks-wildlife-service","15":"tag-nature","16":"tag-science","17":"tag-uk","18":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114737633421854441","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=210017"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/210017\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/210018"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210017"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=210017"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=210017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Chestnut](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/KSFRQPYHMJECJMLGS6ZPMUBGL4.jpg\")
Chestnut fences designate beach access routes and prevent Marram grass from being trampled. Photograph: Domnick Walsh <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/5CXKXVF3LJDBTAXNIQ7T2VXX3M.jpg\")
The Maharees in Co Kerry separates Brandon Bay and Tralee Bay. Photograph: Domnick Walsh <\/p>\n