In total, there are over 160 ha of parkland to roam and explore at Doneraile. So as well as the grasslands, you can spot the Deer, Squirrels, Otters, and Heron, and explore the majestic ancient trees, fishponds, tracks and trails.
At the north-east there is a large (22 ha) and diverse semi-natural grassland, which is managed as a meadow. A visit by the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI) in 2021 recorded numerous vascular plant species growing there, including some uncommon species such as Common Spotted-orchid, Irish Marsh-orchid and the grass, Smooth Brome.
This meadow has been used as a donor site for a ‘green hay’ project on a nearby farm. This is where hay is cut from a species-rich site, and on the same day, it is strewn at a species-poor site. Thus seeds from a range of species can be introduced to the recipient site. Detailed botanical data have been collected as part of this project, and show that the vegetation in the meadow in Doneraile has a good species-richness, with a range of typical grass and herb species found, such as bent grasses, meadow-grasses, Meadow Foxtail grass, Sweet Vernal-grass, clovers, Yarrow and Cat’s-ear.
