Cherry Laurel Clearance Works in Ward River Park To Commence.

Cherry Laurel clearance works are set to commence at The Usher’s Lake area of Ward River Park on Monday 18th September. The entrance to the park on The Old Brackenstown Road will be closed on the 18th and 19th September and small areas of the park will be closed to the public while works are ongoing.

Cherry Laurel Ward River Valley

Cherry Laurel clearance works are set to commence at The Usher’s Lake area of Ward River Park on Monday 18th September. The entrance to the park on The Old Brackenstown Road will be closed on the 18th and 19th September and small areas of the park will be closed to the public while works are ongoing. These works are carried out in accordance with recommendations contained in the Woodland Management Plan produced for The Ward River Regional Park.

Cherry Laurel is a non-native invasive shrub that creates dense shady conditions. This makes it very difficult for other plants and trees to germinate or grow underneath the Cherry Laurel. If left to their own device, the Laurel will eventually dominate the entire woodland. The Council is keen to restore native woodland in the park with wide variety of trees and plants. By removing the Cherry Laurel sunlight will reach the soil again, which will allow for the natural germination of trees and typical woodland plants.

The works are part of the ongoing Ward River Regional Park Development Project which aims to create a vastly enhanced Ward River Regional Park covering an 80-hectare (200 Acres) area between Swords town centre and Knocksedan Bridge.  The delivery of the Regional Park Project will help meet the demands of a growing population in the county town as well as providing an appealing destination for visitors to Swords.