IR24 MSTE - Kilmore quay : South Wexford Coast, a natural heritage coastline and RNLI Station

The students discovered the natural environment of Kilmore Quay (dunes and beach) with the help of a guide who isalso a former assistant principal at Bridgetown. This 227 ha area has been classified as a nature reserve since 1987.

Along the 4.5 km route, the guide presented the students with the different stages of the dune environment with theircharacteristic species. The route began with the “Forlorn Point” viewpoint which shows a geological site presentinggneisses dated 600 million years ago and which are the remains of an ancient continent. 

- The second stop was to have a point overview of Ballyteige Bay, but the very foggy weather did not allow us to takeadvantage of it.

Apart from the species characteristic of the dune environment, the students were able to observe some rare speciesfor this type of environment such as the ant lawns that nest under stones and wild asparagus. 

-This walking trail also allowed the guide to show the link that there could be between human activities and biodiversity. A drainage trench made it possible to recover some 660 ha of wetlands in the period 1847-1855 followingthe great famine (known as the potato famine) which affected Ireland between 1845 and 1852. 

-The morning ended with a visit to the Royal National Rescue Institution. The speaker presented to them theiractivities and the actions to take during a drowning for the drowned person and for the rescuer. He also presentedthem with some of their equipment, including life jacket

-The students were able to develop their language skills by answering the questions asked by the guide. - They wereable to understand the links that there could be between history and biodiversity. - They were able to visualize the similarities and differences with the dune environment of Dunkirk. - They had very clear information on the behaviors to adopt on the coast or at sea to prevent accidents and to react if they occurred.