Booterstown Marsh, Dublin

Environmental and heritage significance

The only remaining saltmarsh on the south shore of Dublin Bay - it provides an environmental awareness amenity within an urban setting. A brackish water marsh, approx. 4.3 ha, with both salt and fresh water intakes. It has a seasonal and annual fluctuation in its pattern of vegetation and this instability is characteristic of marshes of this type.

The only Bird Sanctuary in South Dublin Bay - Dublin Bay is an internationally important feeding and roosting area for ducks, geese and waders, and probably holds the highest concentration of wintering waterfowl of an Irish estuary. As part of the Dublin Bay area, Booterstown Marsh is an essential refuelling and resting spot for migrating birds and provides three main habitats ranging from freshwater to saltwater( Moorhen, Reed Bunting, Sedge Warbler, Teal, Snipe, Lapwing, Oystercatcher, Redshank, Dunlin, and Brent Geese).

Puccinellia fasiculata occurs in the marsh - it is one of only 68 plant species protected, along with its habitat, under the Wildlife Act (Flora Protection Order of 1987). There's a lovely video of the site created by An Taisce and available from Dublin Bay Biosphere that provides an overview from above.

A site survey was conducted to assess bat activity. You can read the full 'Bat Fauna Baseline Assessment for Booterstown Marsh' through this link. 

The report is from 2025 and was commissioned by Dún Laoghaire Association of An Taisce — The National Trust of Ireland and funded by The Local Authority Waters Programme (LAWPRO) in partnership Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. The project was undertaken to inform ongoing conservation and management efforts within the site and to support evidence-based ecological decision-making.

Overall, the surveys demonstrate that Booterstown Marsh supports regular and significant bat activity, dominated by pipistrelle species, with periodic use by Leisler’s bat. While no roosts were confirmed, the site’s diverse habitats provide important foraging and commuting opportunities in an urbanised landscape. These findings highlight the local ecological importance of the site for bats and provide a robust baseline for any future monitoring or management considerations.

There was a great report on the Marsh from RTÉ in January 2026 featuring An Taisce Dún Laoghaire Local Association's Rebecca Jeffares looking at the huge ecological value of the saltmarsh:

"Rebecca Jeffares has been volunteering at Booterstown saltmarsh since the late 1980s. 'It was in very poor condition when I first saw it,' she said. 'The oil was here then.'

"A team of national and international volunteers came to Booterstown in the late 1980s to help clear out the oil. 'I was the tea lady,' Ms Jeffares said in jest. Since then, the Booterstown saltmarsh has become a special protection area for birds, providing them with a space to rest when Dublin Bay is at high tide. Nearly 40 years after she began, Ms Jeffares is still working to protect Booterstown marsh.

"Litter, pollution, land encroachment and invasive species are all issues that Ms Jeffares as well as other An Taisce volunteers are monitoring. The eight-acre site is surrounded by Dart rail tracks, a car park, a busy urban road and an abandoned site."

History

Up to the early 19th century, the area currently occupied by Booterstown Marsh was part of Merrion Strand and extended as a fringe marsh from Dublin City to Blackrock. Overtime much of this was lost to reclamation and development. In 1834 the new Dublin to Kingston railway was built on a raised stone-faced embankment across this part of the bay, cutting off an area of the strand between Merrion Gates and Blackrock from the sea.

On the first six-inch Ordnance Survey map of this area in the 1830's, the resulting tidal lagoon (or intake) measured over 28.3 ha and was already subdivided into three parts. Much of the original lagoon was infilled in the 19th century, leaving only Booterstown Marsh at or near the high tide level. For most of the period from the mid-19th and mid-20th century the marsh area was grazed or cultivated and cultivation ridges, which are still a prominent feature of the eastern side of the marsh.

During both World Wars much of the marsh was drained and cultivated, restricting but not eliminating the influence of the inflowing streams and saline ditch. When the allotments fell into disuse, marsh vegetation gradually reclaimed the arable land. In the 1950's and 1960's, land was further infilled at both ends of the marsh, a car park was constructed at the south-western corner, while the Trimleston stream was culverted along the northern edge of the marsh, to discharge to the sea.

In the 1980s, there were plans put forward to build a motorway through the Marsh. This fascinating clip from RTÉ archives gives a sense of how members of An Taisce, local groups and even the award-winning playwright Frank McGuinness came together to try to protect the Marsh from destruction.

In more recent history

During National Heritage Week 2021, a mural project for the site supported by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council, the UNESCO Dublin Bay Biosphere Reserve (DCC), Clean Coasts and An Taisce invited people to come along and view the progress of artist Shane Ha as he worked.

For many years the 85-metre long concrete culvert at Booterstown Nature Reserve had been used as a graffiti canvas. In order to promote and signal that this is an important Special Protection Area and National Heritage Area, a mural expressing the richness and diversity of this precious wetland landscape was commissioned.

As part of our commitment to public engagement, two community workshops took place which helped to inform the final design together with design discussions involving stakeholders. To read more about the project and to view the special video created of Shane Ha working, please click this link.

How it was acquired by An Taisce

Requested by An Taisce in 1950 to prevent development on wasteland.

Designations

• Bird Sanctuary - An Taisce assigned this title and it gives the site no legal protection but it highlighted the ornithological importance before binding designation was forthcoming.
• Part of a proposed NHA, which stretches from Dun Laoghaire west pier to Merrion Gates out into bay. This will give the Marsh important recognition outside Ireland.
• Part of a proposed SAC for south Dublin Bay (Natura 2000, 210), gives the marsh recognition for its ornithological importance.
• Zoned F in the current Dun Laoghaire and Rathdown County Council Development Plan. This plan also stipulates that the marsh is an Area of Regional Scientific Importance. In the Council Tourism Development Plan the marsh is described as a tourism asset and its development is a priority.
• Puccinellia fasiculata occurs in the marsh and is one of 68 plant species, which is protected, along with its habitat, under the Wildlife Act (Flora Protection Order of 1987). As a result, the Wildlife Service plays a monitoring role and must approve any plans for the marsh. This should be qualification for NHA status.

Support this work and become a member!

Booterstown Nature Reserve Management Advisory Committee (BMAC)

• Rebecca Jeffares - Chair
• Michael Brady - Secretary
• Jo Callanan
• Mairead Mehigan
• Sean Hogan - Birdwatch Ireland

Friends of Booterstown