Inadequately managed deer a major hazard on South Offaly roads
The Forest Walk event in Kinnitty is open to all hunters, landowners and interested members of the public
AN inadequately managed deer population has become a major hazard on the roads of South Offaly.
Deputy John Clendennen told an Oireachtas Committee last week that his constituents have raised this issue countless times with him in recent weeks and months.
He said he has noticed the problem when driving in the Kinnitty area, where he lives. “Just last night I came across 12 deer when driving along just a couple of kilometres of road in the Kinnitty village area,” he commented. “It's obvious to me and many others that the problem is getting worse and worse.”
He said that on the Kinnitty to Birr road there are now what he called eight to ten deer blackspots, “where once there used to be just one blackspot along that road. In recent years deer have become a major issue in South Offaly and have made roads more dangerous for road users. There is a lot of frustration out there that it's not been dealt with properly. With that in mind I welcome the FRS information event on Friday June 26 in Kinnitty, as it's an attempt to tackle the problem.”
Friday's event is being called a “Forest Walk Event to highlight the impact of unsustainable deer populations on the Irish countryside, on biodiversity and forestry .”
Hosted by FRS Co-Op, the information event will include presentations by experts from UCD, the Native Woodland Trust, and Pro Silva. It is open to all hunters, landowners and interested members of the public.
The agenda for the day will include a presentation by Dr Adam Smith from the School of Biology and Environmental Science in UCD about deer population densities across Ireland as well as deer ecology. The day will also include demonstrations from forestry groups Native Woodlands Trust and Pro Silva about the effects that deer populations have on Irish forestry.
In addition to the presentations, event goers will also be taken on a walk of the nearby Native Woodland Trust Forest to observe the on-the-ground impacts that unsustainable deer populations can have on forestry plantations. This will take place following a free Venison BBQ available for all visitors and sponsored by FRS Co-Op.
FRS Co-Op says that in February 2025 it was awarded a contract to establish a new deer management programme in Ireland, which will aim to deliver a number of recommendations from the Deer Management Strategy Group. This includes the establishment of 15 Deer Management Units (DMUs) in hotspot areas of the country and to appoint local coordinators to work with landowners and hunters.
The programme is now into its second year, and continues to work closely with landowners, hunters and other key stakeholders to ensure best practice deer management practices are implemented on a landscape scale. The programme aims to manage deer numbers to a sustainable population in order to prevent biodiversity loss and protect agriculture and forestry.
The event is taking place in Kinnitty Community Centre (Eircode: R42 EK57) from 10am – 4pm.
“This event will be a great opportunity for farmers and landowners,” said Michael Keegan, manager of the deer management programme, “to visualise and understand the effects that deer are having on our landscape, and highlight the important role that hunters play in landscape-scale deer management. I would urge any hunter, farmer, landowner or interested person wishing to attend to register on the FRS Co-Op website.”