Know Your Hedgerows: Celebrating the heritage of Kilkenny’s Hedgerows
Introduction
Hedgerows are a distinctive and unique feature of the Irish landscape and a vital part of our shared cultural heritage. Know Your Hedgerows is an initiative supported by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) that aims to celebrate the heritage of our hedgerows and encourage community stewardship across Kilkenny.
Speaking at the launch of the Know Your Hedgerows training project, Kilkenny LEADER Partnership Chairperson, Kevin Mahon invited communities across Kilkenny to get involved in this project.
“ Know Your Hedgerows aims to connect communities to their local landscapes and generate community led stewardship of our hedgerows as a vital resource for biodiversity and connection to our heritage”
Over the coming year, The Acorn Project will collaborate with community groups throughout the county through a series of training events, heritage projects, and celebration events. These initiatives will document and promote awareness of our native hedgerows, fostering a greater appreciation for their environmental and cultural significance.
The Importance of Hedgerows
Hedgerows provide essential habitats, shelter, nesting sites, and food sources for wildlife. They also serve as natural corridors for biodiversity, act as carbon sinks, help mitigate flooding, and provide shelter for farm animals. Beyond their environmental benefits, hedgerows are deeply embedded in our cultural heritage.
Cultural and Heritage Importance of Hedgerows
Hedgerows reflect Ireland’s ancient field systems and townland boundaries, many of which contain archaeological features. As part of this initiative, we invite communities to collaborate on heritage projects that map these ancient townland boundaries and document local customs and traditions related to hedgerows.
Call for Kilkenny’s Oldest Apple Trees
One fascinating tradition in North Kilkenny, as shared by folklorist Patrick Doyle, is the custom of planting an apple tree in a hedge. In keeping with this tradition, we are calling on communities across Kilkenny to help us identify and map the county’s oldest heritage apple trees.
Through this effort, we will graft and distribute these heritage apple trees, enabling communities to reintroduce them into hedgerows across the region. If you have an old apple tree or orchard, or are a community group who would like to host an apple grafting day, we would love to hear from you! office@theacornproject.ie
A Collaborative Effort to Restore Nature
The Acorn Project is proud to be part of the Know Your Hedgerows initiative in partnership with KLP and rural communities across Kilkenny. We hope this project will raise awareness, inspire appreciation, and contribute to the restoration of hedgerows as both a cultural and natural resource. This community led Initiatives will play a crucial role in preserving Kilkenny hedgerows, landscape and biodiversity for future generations. If you or a community group that you are part of would like to get involved or host a hedgerow workshop . call Maura 0863104008 or register on the AcornProject Website https://theacornproject.ie/know-your-hedgerows
For more information contact : office@theacornproject.ie or visit
