Irish Overall Site Rankings

The first Irish site rankings for grassland fungi appeared in the paper  “The Fungi of Irish Grasslands and their value for nature conservation” by Roland McHugh, David Mitchel, Mark Wright and Roy Anderson in Biology and Environment, Vol 101B, No.3, 225-242 (2001). These webpages will offer the most up to date site rankings and species lists of Irish grassland fungi.

See the Atlas for more details on the distribution of these species in Northern Ireland or the Photo Gallery for images of these species.

This is the most up to date ranking of Irish sites ranked by number of waxcaps – H (last updated 24/03/2026). You can click on the site name to view the record list so if you find new species for these sites, please record them on the CEDaR grassland recording page.

You can also view the sites on a map here.

Site County C H E G D NoVisits
The Curragh Kildare 13 37 34 5 4 35
Clare Island West Mayo 5 29 7 6 2 17
Slievenacloy ASSI Antrim 8 28 9 6 1 23
Knock Dhu and Sallagh Braes ASSI Antrim 9 27 8 7 1 16
Killykeeghan and Crossmurrin NNR Fermanagh 5 26 5 5 1 14
Rathlin Island: Kebble ASSI Antrim 8 26 10 5 1 24
Binevenagh ASSI Londonderry 11 25 17 8 1 19
Galboly ASSI Antrim 10 25 12 6 1 10
Divis and Black Mountain Antrim 8 24 6 4 1 18
Monawilkin ASSI Fermanagh 4 24 10 5 3 8
Ballyprior Commonage Laois 4 23 9 2 2 6
Legland Mountain Fermanagh 4 23 6 2 0 4
Barnett’s Park Antrim 5 22 4 3 1 43
Fair Head and Murlough Bay ASSI Antrim 8 22 10 6 1 17
Ballygalley Head ASSI Antrim 7 21 8 5 1 4
Cushleake Mountain Antrim 5 21 5 6 0 3
Gortnagory Antrim 4 21 1 2 1 4
Marlbank ASSI: Brookfield Fermanagh 6 21 6 6 2 5
Rathlin Island: Roonivoolin RSPB reserve Antrim 6 21 7 1 1 7
Stormont Estate Down 6 21 6 3 1 62
Achill Island: Keem Bay West Mayo 3 20 6 4 1 3
Dursey Island West Cork 6 20 12 2 1 4
Glendun Hill Farm UWT Reserve Antrim 5 20 2 1 0 5
Inishshark West Galway 3 20 3 1 0 1
Rathlin Island: Knockans RSPB Reserve Antrim 4 20 8 0 1 4
Rowallane Gardens Down 4 20 0 0 1 23
Agnew’s Hill Antrim 3 19 2 3 0 4
Arran More West Donegal 5 19 6 1 1 1
Clonmantagh Hill Kilkenny 3 19 10 3 1 5
Divis: Fraser’s Farm Antrim 5 19 3 0 0 1
Linford Barrows Earth Rings Antrim 9 19 3 6 1 9
Marlbank ASSI: Gortmaconnell Rock Fermanagh 4 19 4 5 1 5
Aghadachor West Donegal 6 18 13 1 1 2
Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI Antrim 3 18 2 1 0 3
Ballycoos Hill Antrim 8 18 3 6 1 7
Giant’s Causeway Antrim 3 18 6 1 1 9
Great Heath of Maryborough Laois 4 18 4 2 0 3
Hillsborough Parish Church Down 5 18 0 3 0 9
Longmore Hill Antrim 2 18 0 2 1 1
Mount Stewart Estate (NT) Down 8 18 5 1 1 36
Murlough NNR Down 5 18 4 4 1 31
Rathlin Island: Craigmacagan RSPB reserve Antrim 4 18 8 1 1 2
Silent Valley Down 5 18 8 4 1 10
Tievebulliagh Mountain Antrim 5 18 1 1 0 1
Ballyclare: Five Corners: Rashee Cemetery Antrim 4 17 1 1 0 3
Ballynacarriga West Cork 5 17 7 1 1 1
Bantry House West Cork 7 17 2 0 2 1
Inishbofin West Galway 4 17 4 1 0 1
Knockmore Hill Fermanagh 1 17 6 2 0 8
Murrevagh Machair West Mayo 2 17 11 3 0 4
Tramore Dunes / Marfagh Head West Donegal 4 17 1 3 0 2
Bunduff Dunes Sligo 3 16 12 4 0 5
Castle Archdale Country Park Fermanagh 8 16 4 6 1 7
Cloughey Dunes Down 7 16 5 5 2 12
Crom Castle Estate Fermanagh 9 16 8 5 1 10
Eyeries Coast West Cork 2 16 3 1 0 2
Killary Harbour: Foher West Galway 2 16 2 2 0 1
Little Deer Park ASSI Antrim 6 16 8 7 1 5
Rathlin Island: Church Quarter RSPB Reserve Antrim 4 16 3 1 1 11
Scawt Hill Antrim 1 16 0 2 0 2
Slemish Mountain Antrim 3 16 1 5 0 4
The Burren: Black Head Clare 1 16 2 3 0 3
Achill Island: Keel: St. Finian’s Well West Mayo 2 15 3 3 0 2
Carnlough: Harphall Td Antrim 1 15 0 0 0 2
Clandeboye Estate Down 2 15 1 1 0 10
Cummer West Galway 1 15 2 1 0 1
Drum Manor Forest Park Tyrone 3 15 1 1 0 8
East Torr Td, nr Torr Head Antrim 4 15 8 1 1 1
Glenbeg Lough West Cork 2 15 1 2 0 1
Glennahoo South Kerry 1 15 1 2 0 1
Inis Meáin Clare 1 15 1 2 0 1
Inishturk West Mayo 3 15 2 3 0 1
Knockninny ASSI Fermanagh 2 15 2 3 1 3
Teelin Point West Donegal 3 15 7 3 1 1
Tory Island West Donegal 2 15 2 1 0 2

Irish Waxcap Map (Number of Species)