Address: North Bull Wall, Dublin 3.
Phone: 01-8338341/8331859
Area: North Central
Category: Nature Reserves
Enquiries: 222 5278
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.
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