Esk Mountain

Esk Mountain 270 acre nature restoration project offering experiences, stays & products that give back to the land.

THANK YOU > for the incredible support of our 'Sponsor a Stake' campaign!To date 57 stakes have been sponsored & today w...
24/05/2026

THANK YOU

> for the incredible support of our 'Sponsor a Stake' campaign!

To date 57 stakes have been sponsored & today with the help of Anke, Neil, Susie, Paul, John, Evan, Trish, Nick & Will we installed an additional 30 securing the entire Western boundary of the site right up to the summit at Turners Rock.

Fencing is vital in giving Esk Mountain the protection needed to help support the natural regeneration of habitats across the site. We hope the day will come when much if not all fencing can be removed but for now we're working with the reality of being bordered on all sides by upland sheep grazing.

We still have the Eastern boundary to secure so if you'd like to sponsor a personalised stake there's still time. Find the new stake sponsorship page on the products page here:

https://eskmountain.com/product/sponsor-a-stake/

Thanks again to all sponsors & volunteers, deeply moved by your generosity in time, energy & care 💚⛰️

ESK VOLUNTEER DAYUpdate 23.05.26: TWO spaces now available> Sunday 24th May Want to do something for nature that makes a...
19/05/2026

ESK VOLUNTEER DAY

Update 23.05.26: TWO spaces now available

> Sunday 24th May

Want to do something for nature that makes a real difference as part of National Biodiversity Week

> Install a stake & help us secure the boundary of Esk Mountain Nature Restoration Project

We have been blown away by the support of our 'Sponsor a Stake' campaign this Spring - thank you all so much 💚 We now need help to install the next batch of stakes as our 5km long boundary line is only accessible by foot.

So for our first volunteer day of 2026 we're inviting you to walk a fencing stake up Esk & help install it. Enjoy a stunning guided hike over the mountain too & a fireside dinner to say thank you.

If you'd like to install your own personalised stake we have re-opened stake sponsorship for attendees.

Spaces are limited to just 12 so booking essential to secure your spot via the link below
https://eskmountain.com/product-category/experiences/?re-product-id=335059&rwstep=product





BEAVERThis Spring have been lucky enough to visit three different projects home to Beaver - two in the UK with re-introd...
07/05/2026

BEAVER

This Spring have been lucky enough to visit three different projects home to Beaver - two in the UK with re-introduced Eurasian beaver The Kingcombe Visitor Centre & Knepp Wilding & one in Ireland led by a self-professed human beaver Feidhlam Harty

While there are now believed to be thousands of beavers in the UK - re-introduced after being hunted to extinction there 400 years ago. In Ireland the head scratching continues on whether they get to join our 'native' species club due to a lack of fossil records.

Seeing the profound impact these water loving rodents have - true ecosystem engineers - slowing the flow of water & creating diverse wetlands of pools, ponds & channels as well as a mosiac of walkways for other mammals to use in crossing their dams - is awe inspiring.

While it's illegal to introduce Beaver in Ireland, we are excited to explore what we can do to replicate what they might do on Esk Mountain in slowing the erosive flow of water down our slopes & help mitigate flooding downstream in & on the N71 going into village.




MAY ON ESKSummer has arrived! On Esk this means frothy Hawthorn blossom for foraging, delicate bilberry & wild strawber...
06/05/2026

MAY ON ESK

Summer has arrived! On Esk this means frothy Hawthorn blossom for foraging, delicate bilberry & wild strawberry flowers with fruit to come. May also brings a bounty of events celebrating biodiversity from organised by Plantlife , National Biodiversity Week & closer to home For a full run through of what's on the mountain & beyond this month read on

SAT 16TH > 4-6pm > > > BIOFEST PANEL BALLYDEHOB
Kloe will be part of a panel led by Anja Murray at Levis' Bar discussing what nature restoration looks like in action > join the conversation! Tickets free but spaces limited so follow the link here to book https://www.tickettailor.com/events/biofestwestcork/2165200

MON 18TH > 10.30am-1pm > > > ESK FAM (Familiarisation) DAY
Are you a potential collaborator interested in learning more about the facilities at Esk Mountain or media wanting to delve deeper into the story of this project - this day is for you. DM kloe to apply for your complimentary place. Includes a fireside lunch.

WEDS 20TH > 11am-2pm > > > NATURE RESTORATION WALK & TALK
Join us for a FREE 90min introduction to the project & the work on site to return nature at scale to Esk Mountain. Optional Add-on > Join us for lunch & make your own wild pizza cooked & served fireside in our woodland kitchen. Tickets both for the walk & lunch must be pre-booked https://biodiversityweek.ie/event/guided-nature-restoration-walk-talk-of-esk-mountain/

THURS 21ST > > > THE NOOK & THE NEST
Our first night welcoming guests to our new accommodation offering on Esk! Find 'The Nook & The Nest' on for all the details & available dates





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Glengarriff

05/05/2026

ESK MOUNTAIN

Our name.

Our home.

A mountain by name which is in fact a hill. The summit of Esk comes in at 207m above sea level - well below the 600m minimum to get the official nod as a mountain but there it sits on maps (& indeed our hearts) as a mountain in spirit.

Turners Rock which marks our Western boundary rises to 422m & is the beginning of the Caha Mountain range - the dramatic
backbone of the Beara Peninsula. These series of peaks and ridges which rise to 630 m high, radiating out from Caha Mountain.

Formed of Old Red Sandstone these mountains provide us with shelter from the prevailing wild Atlantic winds but in doing so cause said winds to drop the moisture they carry as rain. We get over twice as much rain on average a year in the West to the East of the country. And with rain comes rainforest - specifically temperate rainforest but now we're straying into another post.

Mountain or Hill - we hope to welcome you to Esk this Summer ⛰️ Meander over to www.eskmountain.com to explore more.

📽





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MAY DAYWishing you well on LĂĄ BealtaineSpending the day travelling so sharing a flavour of this day last year to mark th...
01/05/2026

MAY DAY

Wishing you well on LĂĄ Bealtaine

Spending the day travelling so sharing a flavour of this day last year to mark the start of Summer.

Join our Tamworths Lacey & Tracey as they rootle around the lower slopes of Esk Mountain. At this time of year they particularly love nipping off on the fresh new Molinia shoots. They also enjoy the juicy roots which they bite into like a rather fiborous burger. Breaking up the dense swards of Molinia are key to allow a more diverse ground flora to establish.

Lacey is currently being treated for a heart issue at the moment so the sisters are in a smaller recovery pen in the lower woods but we hope to release them back into a new enclosure on the mountain later this month.

Learn more about the role of pigs as ecosystem engineers on our 'Explore Esk Trail Tour'. Get tour dates, times & tickets via the link below

https://eskmountain.com/product-category/experiences/?re-product-id=326091&rwstep=product






THE NOOK & THE NESTBe one of the first to make it home.Opening 21st May 2026.First three to book get 20% off a stay.http...
30/04/2026

THE NOOK & THE NEST

Be one of the first to make it home.

Opening 21st May 2026.

First three to book get 20% off a stay.

https://eskmountain.com/accommodation/

Missed out!? We're adding a special discount code to our May newsletter > landing in subscriber inboxes at 7am Friday 1st May > the first ten subscribers to book get 10% off a stay. If you're not already on our mailing list join via the link below

https://eskmountain.com/subscribe/

Tomorrows newsletter will also include a full run through of this coming months tours & workshops on Esk including some special events for National Biodiversity Week with first access to tickets.







Visit Glengarriff
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Glengarriff
Pure Cork
Kenmare News

25/04/2026

PIGS

Tracy is one of two Tamworth pigs that have a home on Esk acting as proxys for our lost native wild boar.

On the mountain their rootling is important in breaking up dense Molinia swards & creating opportunities for a more diverse ground flora to establish.

A recent study by the team Knepp Wilding has also shown that their grazing on the root systems of plants helps sequester carbon as the plants build deeper, denser root systems & aerial defences in the form of thicker stems & more prolific thorns.

We have discovered that pigs are also fantastic at creating pools & ponds in their wallows & in that opportunities for aquatic life to establish.

Pigs have a huge impact ecologically & so the general stocking advice for their use in nature restoration projects is about one pig per 25 acres to manage disturbance at a positive level.

Currently the main challenges to keeping pigs in this way are:-

> The Department of Agriculture do not count pigs as grazing units so they are not accounted for in official calculations of grazing pressure on a site.

> Virtual fencing systems such as Nofence Ireland do not work on pigs so strong physical fencing is required which creates barriers to the movement of wildlife, huge expense & additonal maintenance. On Esk we are using an existing fenced area from an old forestry plantation to create an enclosure & plan this Summer to create another to move the pigs between giving plots time to recover between bouts of disturbance.

Any pig related questions - just ask or any experiences of using pigs in this way would love to hear!

If you'd like to see how we're using pigs on Esk Mountain you can now visit with our new Explore Esk Tour. Info & tickets available via the link below

https://eskmountain.com/product-category/experiences/?re-product-id=326091&rwstep=product







📽 Mark

A RAINFOREST ON A ROCKAt least the beginnings of one.For the week that's in it - wanted to showcase a particularly poi...
24/04/2026

A RAINFOREST ON A ROCK

At least the beginnings of one.

For the week that's in it - wanted to showcase a particularly poignant rock at the base of a boulder field on Esk. The story of Irelands lost temperate rainforest is been told so vividly by Eoghan in his book 'An Irish Alantic Rainforest', Mary We Are The Ark & Hometree but here wanted to share a little of what this looks like on Esk.

Firstly why a slither of rainforest on a rock?

> Conditions are less than ideal for the growth of trees with almost no soil & yet across Esk - boulders & cliffs are almost exclusively the only place you will find naturally regenerated trees currently. The rest have been grazed away by ever growing populations deer (in our case invasive Sika deer) & in recent decades on our site as with much of the West of Ireland also sheep.

These rocks speak powerfully to what could & should be.

On Esk we are working to support the natural regeneration of our lost temperate rainforest beyond just the rocks & cliffs but to expand it out across the mountain in a patchwork of trees where they once stood.

We are doing this WITHIN the agricultural system as we believe farmers should have the option to farm nature & in that provide their local communties with vital ecosystem services from water retention & thus flood mitigation downstream, carbon sequestration & habitat for pest predators species to benefit neighbouring farmers with land better suited to scaled food production.

Many people say it's not possible - you currently can't / won't get paid to farm nature. It's not true. You can but it's not easy.

On Esk we are proving you can. Comment TELL ME MORE if you'd to know how. Or better still come visit us to walk & talk through the details. Our 'Explore Esk - Trail Tour' takes you through what we've learnt about navigating all the red tape along the way.

https://eskmountain.com/product-category/experiences/?re-product-id=326091&rwstep=product






Farming for Nature
TalamhBeo
Burrenbeo Trust

EARTH DAYThere is much work to do on this planet to enable it to support a diversity of life, including us. On Esk we ar...
22/04/2026

EARTH DAY

There is much work to do on this planet to enable it to support a diversity of life, including us. On Esk we are currently focused on the following five actions each & every day > >

1 > WOODLAND REGENERATION
Using a mix of No Fence grazing systems, deer fencing & deer culling to enable a mosaic of native woodland to return to the slopes of Esk mountain.

2 > PROXY ECOSYSTEM ENGINEERS
Our small herd of Dexter cattle & Tamworth pigs are helping to facilitate ecological change at scale by creating disturbance & with that opportunities for new species to colonise from birch trees right down to dung beetles!

3 > INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL
Removing alien invasive plant species such as Rhododendron ponticum from across the site. A dream team of volunteers, WOOFERS & students have been workshop on site for over four years now & we've cleared Rhododendron from about 10 acres of land - only another 30 to go! If you'd like to join our volunteer team & help return life to Esk message Kloe on 0897081099 for more info.

4 > EDUCATION & EXCHANGE
Sharing nature-focused tours, workshops, seasonal events, student placements & more. We are always open to collaborations. Send us a message if you have an idea you'd like to talk through.

5 > GIVING BACK
Supporting people & place in what we make & do – from suppliers chosen to products made. Our first collection of products handmade from & for Esk will be launching very soon - sign up to our newsletter via the link below for first access to product releases

https://eskmountain.com/subscribe/





LAST PUBLIC TOURS THIS MONTH> Saturday 25th AprilFour different tours & times to choose from - all packed full of the fl...
21/04/2026

LAST PUBLIC TOURS THIS MONTH

> Saturday 25th April

Four different tours & times to choose from - all packed full of the flavour of Spring

> 11am - 1.30pm > > Foraging Walk & Two-Course Lunch Feast

> 2 - 3.30/4pm > > Explore Esk Trail Tour

> 2 - 9pm > > Paddle, Forage & Feast

> 5.30 - 9pm > > Taste of Esk Foraging Walk & Three-Course Fireside Feast

For all tour info & tickets visit our experiences page

https://eskmountain.com/product-category/experiences/?rwstep=product

Look forward to welcoming you to the Esk Mountain ⛰️






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