Address: North Bull Wall, Dublin 3.
Phone: 01-8338341/8331859
Area: North Central
Category: Nature Reserves
Enquiries: 222 5278
The North Bull Island Nature Reserve's Discover Primary Science Programme (DPSP)
The North Bull Island Nature Reserve’s Discover Primary Science Programme (DPSP) incorporates a range of Learning Activities that are designed to stimulate learning in the 8-12 yr age group.
All Activities place emphasis on the SESE curriculum, with consideration of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic methods of learning. The North Bull Island Nature Reserve Discover Primary Science Programme was funded by Discover Primary Science, which is a flagship project run by the Discover Science & Engineering (DSE) awareness programme.
DSE is managed by Forfás on behalf of the Office of Science & Technology at the Department of Enterprise Trade & Employment.
We hope that teachers will be encouraged to use the Activity Pack and to bring their students to visit the North Bull Island Interpretative Centre.
North Bull Island Management Plan
Dublin City Council are delighted to make available the North Bull Island Management Plan to the people of Dublin .
North Bull Island is a unique site in Ireland and also in an International context not only in terms of its amenity value to the people of Dublin but also in terms of its wealth of habitats that exist side by side with public recreation.
It is hoped that the Management Plan will illustrate to all concerned how the island is a living dynamic entity that requires careful monitoring and management. It is the intention of the Plan to ensure that this unique site will cherished for generations to come to appreciate and enjoy.
Dublin Biodiversity Audio Tour
The Dublin Biodiversity Audio Tour brings together stories on 11 sites of interest to nature-lovers, from community gardens and city parks to collections in museums and botanic gardens. The DBAT is a series of short, free-to-download pod-cast audio clips. By downloading individual audio files to your personal audio player or smart phone, the Dublin Biodiversity Audio Tour - Trinity Centre for Biodiversity Research : Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Ireland will lead you on a journey of discovery through Dublin. This park is included in the Audio Tour.
Facilities
- Historical
- Leisure Walks
- public toilets
- River Pool Sea
- Shelter
- Swimming
- Visitors, Interpretive Centre
- Wildlife
In 1821, the 1 kilometre-long North Bull Wall was constructed and gradually sand accumulated behind the wall leading to the formation of Bull Island which means that it is younger than City Hall. In the 1880's the Royal Dublin Golf Club developed a golf links and in 1927 St. Anne's Golf Course was developed. In 1955, Dublin Corporation acquired the entire island from the Royal Dublin Golf Club apart from the club itself. Following the construction of the Causeway Road in 1962/1964 to increase access to the Island, the Corporation granted St. Anne's Golf Club a lease sufficient to increase this course from 9 to 18 holes.
The island, which reached its current length around 1902, is now 5 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide at its widest point and is a site of both national and international scientific interest. It was declared a Bird Sanctuary in the 1930's, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981, a Nature Reserve in 1988 and a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. It also qualifies for designation as a Nature Heritage Area: , Special Protection Area: and Special area of Conservation and was declared a Special Amenity Area: in 1994.
As part of the making of the Special Amenity Area, Dublin City Council published a management plan in 1995, with conservation objectives, for North Bull Island. This plan was updated by the Council in 2001, and is available to download here.
The specific areas of ornithological and botanical interest include the sand dune system, the spit head and hook, the aldermash, the mudflats and saltmarsh. The Island is home at various times to 8,000 wild fowl and 26,000 waders with up to 180 different bird species being recorded. Over 300 species of plants also have been recorded including some rare and officially protected species. In addition to its ecological uniqueness the Island with its much loved Dollymount Beach is a marvellous recreational resource valued by generations of Dubliners. A Visitor and Interpretive Centre was built in 1986.
Other Information: Interpretive Centre Scientific Interest