‘Procedural oversight’ blamed for Cork beauty spot being sprayed with weedkiller 

A “PROCEDURAL oversight” resulted in the plants along the edge of the Atlantic Pond being sprayed with weedkiller, according to Cork City Council.

The Echo revealed last week that the plant life along the edge of the local amenity appeared to have been sprayed with chemicals.

Cork City Council were approached for comment.

In recent days, the Council’s Parks department explained: “This area was sprayed in error due to a procedural oversight.

“Strengthened measures have been put in place to ensure that such an error does not recur. Cork City Council policy is not to spray near or adjacent to waterways.

“This policy will be extended to most Council amenity areas in 2022.”

Protection needed

Local Councillor Kieran McCarthy said sites such as the Atlantic Pond must be protected from all forms of chemicals.

“It is good news in the long run to see new measures being put in place to protect waterways such as the Atlantic Pond.

“There is quite an array of bird diversity at the pond and I always feel the location is often an under-appreciated blue space for the wider city.

“On any given day, there are many people who walk around the pond and you’d often see people snapping photos of the birdlife in the pond, especially the cygnets and herons.

“There is large local interest in the condition of the pond and I continue to lobby for information panels and seasonally arranged nature walks,” he added.

“The Atlantic Pond and Cork Lough possess the widest variety of freshwater species.

“Apart from being a really important blue space for bird diversity, the Atlantic Pond is also an important green space due to its adjacent woodland for many woodland bird species too.

“More and more at the city council level, we are hearing that when green space and blue space exist side by side, species richness and abundance grows. So sites like the Atlantic Pond need to be protected more from all forms of chemicals.”