Ward River Regional Park

The revitalisation of Ward River Regional Park will have many long-lasting benefits

Ward River Valley Regional Park in Swords

Project Updates: February 2026

Ward River Regional Park Tree Planting Strategy

A tree planting strategy will be informed by a Ward River Regional Park Woodland Management Plan and Biodiversity Management Plan. This proposal has been developed in consultation with the Phase 1 community consultation, the project ecologist and Fingal County Council

This plan includes that:

The Ward River corridor is proposed to be protected and enhanced with the planting of native trees where appropriate allied with proposals to leave un-mown areas adjacent to the river bank. These protected corridors extend a minimum of ten metres from the top of each bank.
Extensive native meadow grassland areas are proposed within appropriate areas of the park
Existing woodland areas are to be thinned where appropriate and planted with a native woodland mix.
Where necessary, existing boundaries are to be enhanced with planting of native trees and native hedgerow.

Planting Strategy Plan

Historical Landscapes of Ward River Regional Park

Ward River Regional Park has been a lived-in landscape for thousands of years, with evidence of activity stretching from the Bronze Age to the present day. Along the river, archaeological investigations have uncovered early medieval midden deposits and multiple burials, revealing a community living and working beside the water from at least the 11th–13th centuries. To the west, the impressive motte and bailey stands as a reminder
of the Norman reshaping of the valley. In the 18th century, Robert Molesworth transformed the area into an ornamental estate, creating formal water gardens, canals, the cascades, and associated garden structures. The 19th century introduced further industry with Brackenstown Mill, fed by sluices, races and water management features still traceable in the landscape today. Later, a police station and other civic buildings framed the eastern end of the valley. Each layer contributes to the park’s rich and evolving heritage.