Did you know that hedgerows have really only been growing in Ireland since the 18th and 19th centuries?
Hedgerow
Courtesy of Pete Birch
Courtesy of Pete Birch
Originally, hedgerows were planted to mark out different fields and town-lands. Hawthorn and blackthorn were very popular as hedgerow plants as they grew very quickly into thick bushes, which was ideal for keeping cattle from straying.
Between the 1960s and 1980s almost 20% of hedgerows were dug out to make way for bigger farm machinery, and the traditional hedgerow was also being replaced with barbed wire and electric fences.
However, even though their main purpose was to separate fields and town-lands, hedgerows have become the adopted habitat of lots of different plants and animals. They are one of the most important habitats in Ireland!