QQI (Quality and Qualifications Ireland) Level 5 Handheld (pesticide) knapsack training - 32 farmers - both participants and other farmers in the Project Area.

Practical Rhododendron ponticum treatment. 11 participants trained, both farmers and local people who were trained to support farmers carry out treatment.

QQI Level 4 Chainsaw Operations, nine farmers and local people trained.

Specialist workshops for farmers and the wider public on: Activities requiring consent with the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), succession planning and taxation with a solicitor, habitat awareness training with an ecologist, bracken and scrub management workshops with NPWS, upland cattle grazing workshop, maximising profits from upland hill farming talk with support from the College for Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise.

Facilitated over 20 site visits in the Reeks to groups from: Wildlife Biology Students from Munster Technological University, Ecology and Practical Fieldwork Students, and the Mournes Heritage Trust to Wicklow Uplands Council.

Six primary and post primary school visits (agri-science and transition year students) and online presentations on the Reeks EIP Project.

Five ‘collective groups’ were established with specialist training to support farmers. These groups often consisted of part time farmers and local people who wanted to learn new skills and apply them locally. This action focused heavily on building capacity locally instead of depending on contractors to be brought in. The initiative delivered a strong sense of pride, built strong environmental principles, developed an excellent social element and retained the economic return to the local area.

New technologies explored including: a demonstration event on the ‘Robocut machine’- a remote controlled cutting machine to cut dense vegetation e.g. bracken, gorse, degenerate heather without causing damage to sensitive habitats and ‘No Fence Collars’ using GPS equipment for use on cattle for targeted upland grazing.

Supported the hosting of the first Irish conference on Rhododendron ponticum and publication of a treatment leaflet in conjunction with the Kerry UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. 

Since the start of the project, 14 land parcels improved in their habitat results-based baseline score, five land parcels remained unchanged and one land parcel declined slightly by five points. Improvements across the 14 sites ranged from five point to 55 points, with an average of 16.5 points. 

The MacGillycuddy Reeks EIP Project created awareness of the importance of the habitats and species contained in the MacGillycuddy Reeks. 

It delivered and facilitated specialist training to ensure farmers could carry out management to best practice standards and ensured that capacity is developed locally to carry out required work, therefore being economically, socially and environmentally sustainable in the long term. 

Bracken treatment was carried out across 18 sites, covering over 70.47ha. 

Rhododendron treatment was carried out across 24 sites, covering over 131.20ha. 

Over 4 000 visitor surveys undertaken. 

The Operational Group were runners-up in 2022-2021 International Mountain Protection awards from the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation, which recognised the significant locally led approach and collaborative and innovative work undertaken. 

‘Collective groups’ can support farmers in treating an invasive species which would be unmanageable on their own. They also encourage social networking and reduce the impact of rural isolation. At the same time, they support economic development by developing a skilled local sustainable workforce and providing regular part-time employment opportunities for farmers and other people in the local community. 

Combining results-based and action-based approaches can help ensure and define value for money from CAP funding.

The use of ‘No Fence’ collars have huge potential for supporting targeted conservation grazing of large, unfenced commonages, reducing the potential for wildfire. 

Recreational pressure is having a big impact on sensitive upland habitats and needs the coordinated effort of multiple government departments to be addressed effectively. 

Small scale EIP-AGRI projects have the potential, due to their flexibility, to deliver measurable and positive results when appropriate time and assistance is given to participants.