Wild Flowers of Newmarket

05/09/2026

Thanks to everyone who joined us for this morning’s Guided Nature Walk in the Island Wood. We had a lovely turnout and a really engaged crowd who asked great questions all the way around the loop. A huge thanks to Irene Ní Shúilleabháin and to our own Jack Murphy for leading such an informative and enjoyable walk. Thanks also to the Newmarket Autumn Festival - we’re delighted to be part of their fantastic programme again this year.

05/09/2026

A quick reminder that our guided nature walk with Jack and Irene is on at 2pm today. This is a completely free event, refreshments will be provided.

We ask people to car pool where possible as parking is limited. We'll be meeting at the car park in the Island Wood at 2pm.

Lots happening this week at Newmarket Autumn Festival, please check out their page to see the huge line up of events they have in store this week. There's something for everyone!

30/08/2026

30/08/2026

🌿 Speaker Spotlight: Jack Murphy

Our next guide for this year’s Nature Walk in Island Wood is Jack Murphy, Head Gardener in University College Cork and a long‑standing member of Wildflowers of Newmarket. Jack oversees the day‑to‑day and seasonal management of the UCC campus grounds, creating habitats where native flora and fauna can thrive. He is also a generous contributor to local biodiversity projects through his work with Newmarket GAA and the Tidy Towns Committee.

The Nature Walk takes place on Saturday 5th September at 2pm, starting at the Island Wood car park.
It’s a completely free community event, and we’ll have tea, coffee and biscuits available at the start.

29/08/2026

🌿 Speaker Spotlight: Irene Ní Shúilleabháin

We’re starting our speaker introductions for this year’s Nature Walk in Island Wood with Irene Ní Shúilleabháin. Irene guided last year’s walk and also led the excellent three‑day biodiversity workshop we attended in IRD earlier this year. We’re very glad to have her back with us for this year’s event.

The Nature Walk takes place on Saturday 5th September at 2pm, starting at the Island Wood car park.
It’s a completely free community event, and we’ll have tea, coffee and biscuits available at the start.

26/08/2026

🍂 Autumn Feast Fundraiser – Wildflowers of Newmarket

Join us on Saturday, October 17th at 7:30 pm in Cultúrlann Newmarket for a cosy evening of food, drinks, and good company.
Each group books a table of 8 for €100, brings their own food and drink, and decorates their table however they like.

Funds raised go towards local projects: the Coolagh Bridge Community Garden, the Story Garden, the Pump House, and the Biodiversity Corner in the Town Park.

Bookings: Teresa 086 358 95 21 | Mary 087 959 83 62
📧 [email protected]

23/08/2026

🌸 Hummingbird Hawk‑Moth on Red Valerian - Charleville Road
Spotted while watching butterflies on the valerian at the start of the Charleville Road - this hummingbird hawk‑moth (Macroglossum stellatarum), Irish name: Sceach‑mhíol mór, is a summer migrant from southern Europe and North Africa. It hovers like a tiny bird, feeding on nectar with its long proboscis.

It’s especially fond of deep, tubular flowers like red valerian (Centranthus ruber), Irish name: Coireán Dearg.
Red valerian isn’t native, but it’s a superb nectar source - thriving in walls, old yards, and roadside verges, and providing long-lasting summer food for bees, butterflies, and day‑flying moths.

Seeing both butterflies and a hawk‑moth feeding here shows how valuable even self‑seeded wildflowers can be. When we let these patches grow, we create feeding stations for travelling species and boost biodiversity right across the town.

15/08/2026

As Summer is beginning to come to an end we are on the countdown to the Newmarket Autumn Festival

We are pleased to confirm that we’ll be hosting our second annual guided walk in Island Wood as part of this year’s festival. We are glad to welcome back our very own Jack Murphy along with the wonderful Irene Ní Shúilleabháin to guide us through the wood on a relaxed, informative walk.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available in the Island Wood car park before we begin. Parking is limited, so please car pool where possible.

This is a completely free event and a wonderful way to learn a few interesting facts about this beautiful place.

31/07/2026

We’ve been adding a splash of colour and texture to the Story Garden this week:

Our salvias are already buzzing - literally. Bees found them within hours, drawn to their deep tubular flowers. In older herbal lore, salvia was a plant of protection and wisdom; its Latin root salvere means “to heal”.

Biodiversity bonus: salvia is especially loved by long‑tongued bees, including bumblebees and solitary species.

Ferns add a soft, woodland feel and have been on Earth for over 360 million years - long before flowering plants.
In Irish folklore, ferns were linked to hidden knowledge and invisibility, perhaps inspired by their ability to thrive quietly in shaded places.

Ecologically, they create shelter for beetles, spiders, and ground insects, helping build a richer soil community.

Cat Mint (Nepeta) brings long-lasting purple blooms and a soft herbal scent. Bees adore it, and it flowers generously through summer.
Folklore associates Nepeta with calmness - it was once used in teas to soothe nerves. Its aromatic foliage also helps deter certain pests naturally.

A New Watering Trick

We’re also trying a clever watering method shared by Pocket Forests: an upturned 2‑litre bottle with tiny holes that slowly releases water into the soil. It’s a simple, low‑waste way to keep young plants hydrated and encourages deeper root growth — especially helpful during dry spells.

All plants sourced from O'Flynn and Tobins

22/07/2026

A few members of Wildflowers of Newmarket attended a really inspiring talk about Pocket Forests in IRD today.

If you’ve not come across the idea before, Pocket Forests are small, densely planted patches of native trees and shrubs designed to bring biodiversity back into everyday spaces. They mimic the structure of a young woodland, creating miniature ecosystems that support soil health, pollinators, birds, and community wellbeing.

Here in Newmarket, our connection to trees runs deep. Island Wood is an established forest that means so much to people - a place to decompress, breathe, wander, and reconnect with nature. It shows us what a thriving woodland feels like and why these spaces matter.

Bringing pocket forests into more urban areas is important because they
- boost biodiversity by creating stepping‑stone habitats
- improve soil health and help native species return
- cool and soften urban spaces with shade, moisture, and greenery
- give communities daily access to nature, not just in larger forests
- strengthen climate resilience through carbon capture and storm‑water absorption

We’re already creating a space like this in the biodiversity area of the town park, and today’s talk has us excited to explore other places in our community where small native woodlands could flourish.

If you’d like to learn more about this amazing organisation, visit pocketforests.ie - a brilliant resource full of ideas, projects, and inspiration.