The Gearagh is the last remaining stand of primeval alluvial forest in Britain and Ireland, and was home to the last forest-dwelling community in western Europe. Kevin Corcoran tells the story of the Gearagh, describing its history, wildlife and the future prospects of this extraordinary place.
It is now acknowledged that Ireland, Britain and most of western Europe were once cloaked in expansive swathes of temperate deciduous rainforest, long before human hands wielded destructive iron axes and ploughs (Rackham 1976; Mitchell 1990).