Marram Grass planting event takes place in Rush to protect sand dunes

The community in Rush, Co. Dublin, came together for a marram grass planting workshop on Rush South Beach as part of the Clean Coasts Roadshow on Saturday, April 15.

Marram grass planting is the process of transplanting Marram Grass from a healthy and sheltered area of the sand dunes to an area at the front of the dunes which is suffering from erosion.

This process helps to strengthen the sand dunes as marram grass has long roots which hold the dunes together, helping to protect against coastal erosion, Clean Coasts says.

Aine Lawless, Clean Coasts Development Officer, who coordinated the event said: “Rush Tidy Towns noticed the sand dunes on Rush South Beach were starting to show signs of coastal erosion so together we decided to run a marram grass planting session to help protect the sand dunes and encourage new growth.

“A dedicated bunch of volunteers of all ages came along on the day and we planted up a section of the dunes as a pilot project.

“Hopefully this area will take well and we’ll be able to go back out next spring and replicate the process on the next section of sand dunes.”

The Clean Coasts Roadshow are a series of free talks and workshops for coastal communities which take place all around the coast of Ireland between February and May each year, with the aim to bring together all those with an interest in protecting their local beaches, seas and marine life and environment.

The Roadshow events are a mix of talks and workshops covering topics such as biodiversity, dune systems, marine litter, wildlife, sustainable developments, work by local groups and organisations, and more.

In 2023, Clean Coasts is celebrating its 20th birthday.

“Since 2003, Clean Coasts has been working with communities to help protect and care for Ireland’s waterways, coastline, seas, ocean and marine life,” a spokesperson said.

“In 2023, the Clean Coasts Roadshow represent the first opportunity for the programme to connect and celebrate the communities and volunteers who have contributed to the growth and success of Clean Coasts over the years.”