A plague is wiping out white-clawed crayfish in a river near Limerick city
Ireland is regarded as the last stronghold of this species, but locals have found hundreds of dead crayfish in the river Maigue
Biodiversity
The Lie of the Land by John Gibbons and Positive Tipping Points by Tim Lenton: Engaging, detailed, terrifying
Much more than a roasting of those who have sought to deny or delay action on climate and the environment
Further sightings of Asian hornets in Cork and Dublin confirmed
Further sightings of the invasive species confirmed in Cobh, Co Cork, and Inchicore in Dublin
The Irish Times Greenest Places shortlist revealed
These 14 nominees show concrete evidence of widespread action on climate and sustainability goals
Asian hornets in Ireland would be ‘a disaster’ for bees and biodiversity, expert says
Nest found in Cork city after sighting earlier this month, with beekeepers and officials on high alert
Dark reality behind Ireland’s bumper butterfly season
Butterfly sightings are up 83% this year, but that follows a steep decline as the habitats that are vital for Ireland’s insects are deteriorating or simply unavailable
Thousands of dolphins may be dying off west coast of Ireland every year, ‘and nothing is being done’
Undersea cameraman Ken O’Sullivan has spent 20 years among the charismatic mammals
Changing the conversation on Ireland’s Natura 2000 sites
‘If you live in a very special place, that should be a good thing and not a bad thing’
A daisy with a doctorate? Frank McNally on the enrolment of ragwort in the rewilded lawns of Trinity College
Who knows how ragwort will evolve with the benefit of a few years in university? It might lose the latter part of its name, Jacobaea vulgaris, for a start
Asian hornet spotted in Cork a ‘significant threat to biodiversity’, says wildlife service
Public urged to be ‘vigilant’ and report any sightings of the hornet, which endangers native pollinators
Two endangered red panda cubs born at Cork’s Fota Wildlife Park
Public invited to suggest names for the newborn red panda cubs
Revealed: Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 long list
Nominee places range from the shadows of Croagh Patrick to a once derelict dump site in Dublin’s Liberties
Could bouncing the sun’s heat back into space help solve the climate crisis?
‘If something can shave off just half a degree, that means millions fewer impacted by heatwaves, crop failures or flooding’
We all need to consume less if we are to save our environment from catastrophe
Consider how you can reuse, repair and rent rather than always buying new products
Ireland’s nature lovers on their favourite trees: ‘I felt I could talk to it, like going to a good therapist’
Connecting with woodland can have a profound influence on our lives
Whales in Irish waters face a new threat
The sprat needed to feed whales are at risk of extinction because of overfishing
Ireland’s ‘hotbed’ for whales who have migrated from southern waters
Same whales spotted off Cork and Kerry 20 years ago now popping up in Donegal Bay, says sea life charity
Pine martens: One of Ireland’s rarest wildlife species in recovery
Shrinking woodland, persecution and poison at the start of the 20th century led to its near extinction
Paschal Donohoe on books that advise how to run our economies and save the planet
The Minister for Finance on Nature Capital: The Value of the World Around Us by Partha Dasgupta and Slow Down or Die: The Economics of Degrowth by Timothée Parrique, translated by Claire Benoit
Mapping the hidden black gold that is peat soil
The maps we use have profound implications for calculating greenhouse gas emissions from our land sector
Most farmers could earn more money by planting trees - why don’t they?
Tree planting in Ireland is at its lowest level since 1946 despite grants and premiums
Ban on inshore fishing of sprat to protect whales, birdlife and other sea mammals
Cabinet approves ‘actions to safeguard Ireland’s marine biodiversity and coastal communities’
Ireland’s only protected insect the marsh fritillary to star in new comic championing cause of insects
‘The bee gets the glory. The wasp gets the swat. I work so hard at pest control and pollination all day long and what thanks do I get?’
Ireland needs ‘future generations tsar’ to enable long-term thinking, say 70 groups
Legislation is back on the Dáil agenda to support government decision-making in the interests of future generations
Amazon remains in great peril and should top Cop30 agenda
‘If we don’t reduce carbon from fossil fuel emissions, the forest will be destroyed anyway’
Calling all ladybird spotters: help fill in the picture on these charismatic little bugs
Data on the species in the Republic is spotty, but that’s about to change
Ireland’s Greenest Places 2025 competition: 40 shades of green initiatives
From urban community gardens and ambitious rural tree-planting to sustainability initiatives involving whole towns, the chase is on for this year’s bragging rights
‘Beautiful, crisp and clear’: Winning pictures in Biodiversity Photographer of the Year contest are announced
Image of dragonfly in Meath takes top prize in competition aimed at celebrating photography and wildlife diversity
Ash dieback: It’s hard to ignore the lines of dead and dying trees around Ireland
I am optimistic that nature will find a way around this as it has done with many other plant pathogens
Report condemns decline of Ireland’s largest saltwater lake over 40 years
Oireachtas committee calls for full restoration of heavily polluted Lady’s Island Lake in Co Wexford
How the Dingle Peninsula is modelling a new way for rural Ireland to thrive
Kerry community is embracing innovation with mix of local energy projects, nature-positive farming and sustainable tourism
Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV+, Paramount+: 10 of the best new shows to stream in July
Including Ballard, Foundation, Dexter: Resurrection and The Summer I Turned Pretty
Wild salmon are on the brink of disappearing from Irish waters
Only ‘urgent and transformative’ action can save them
Eye on Nature: If bees can’t see red, why is one drawn to this red poppy?
Éanna Ní Lamhna on the colourful bumblebee, declining linnets, and coots in UCD
How plans for new Guggenheim museum have triggered major biodiversity row in Spain
Proposed Guggenheim development in Guernica faces opposition over ecological concerns
Illegal peat harvesting is still taking place on a large scale, EPA report finds
Local authority enforcement is ‘patently inadequate’, with equipment and warehouses on some sites
Scanning the air for life
A new study combined air samples with deep sequencing methods to recover detailed information on the genetic code of animals, plants, humans and microbes in the environment
Fending off coastal erosion: one Co Kerry community’s story
Having the right approach to local engagement is a key part of protecting the unique ecosystem of the Maharees
We can’t afford to let the climate crisis get swallowed up in the culture wars
As the ambition to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees slips away from us, we’re like a team going to the second half of a match 3-1 down. But there is one thing in our favour
Restoring biodiversity on the Yangtze river: ‘You have to do some balancing and make some difficult choices’
Home to several rare species and the world’s largest hydroelectric power station, protecting human life and biodiversity on the Yangtze river is a difficult balancing act
How yellow rattle can inject new life into Ireland’s green spaces
Yellow rattle can help restore wildflowers and reverse the declines in our bee and butterfly populations
Ireland’s Greenest Places: From Dún Laoghaire’s active travel to Kiltimagh’s biodiversity park - some of the entries so far
Competition an invitation to groups and communities to get recognition for their environmental endeavours
World on verge of ratifying key treaty to protect oceans
Failure to significantly scale up protection of oceans from deep sea mining and sea beds from 'bottom trawling' was widely criticised
What do aliens look like - a crab or an octopus?
When imagining extraterrestrials, our minds often leap to little green men or sci-fi monsters. But these two familiar animals are a better fit
Ireland to ratify high seas treaty and scale-up marine-protected areas, Taoiseach tells UN summit
UN secretary general António Guterres urges world leaders to move ‘from plundering to protection’
UN Ocean Conference 3: will it lead to protecting the high seas from all extraction, forever?
Climate change is reducing productivity of the high seas through warming and depletion of nutrients and oxygen
Ireland’s plan to weaken legal protections for waterways will push many of them beyond recovery
Ella McSweeney: The Department of Housing is proposing to give up trying to restore or naturalise many of our rivers
Extinction of nature’s giants tracks human expansion across the globe
Due to their size and abundance, these creatures shaped the ecosystems in which they lived – but today all are nearly gone
Climate change adds to Syria’s problems as Damask rose harvests fade
Syria’s harvest has shrunk as a result of climate change-related drought, further complicating the country’s economic recovery
Communications, transport and health of older people at increased risk from global warming, says EPA
Storms Éowyn and Darragh highlighted vulnerabilities, with widespread disruptions to power and water
Why are Ireland’s whales disappearing?
Whales are disappearing from Ireland’s southwest coasts, as trawlers take much of their food
Ireland’s remaining bogs can have a second tale - of creation rather than extraction
Unlike trees, a living, healthy bog will soak up more carbon per square metre than almost any other ecosystem on Earth
What are Ireland’s Greenest Places in 2025? Share the places you feel are contributing to a better environment
We are asking readers to nominate the places across Ireland they believe deserve to be acknowledged
World lost a record amount of forests in 2024 as fires raged
World lost equivalent of 18 soccer fields of forested land every minute
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices