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), the best sites known in Ireland at that time were listed and ranked. 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 and distribution in Ireland per 10km square (last updated 07/07/2022).
| Site | County | No Waxcaps | No Visits |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Curragh | Kildare | 36 | 28 |
| Clare Island | West Mayo | 29 | 17 |
| Slievenacloy ASSI | Antrim | 27 | 18 |
| Killykeeghan and Crossmurrin NNR | Fermanagh | 24 | 9 |
| Binevenagh NNR | Londonderry | 23 | 13 |
| Ballyprior Commonage | Laois | 22 | 5 |
| Galboly ASSI (Garron Point) | Antrim | 22 | 8 |
| Rathlin Island: Kebble NNR | Antrim | 22 | 7 |
| Achill Island: Keem Bay | West Mayo | 21 | 3 |
| Fair Head and Murlough Bay ASSI | Antrim | 21 | 13 |
| Knock Dhu and Sallagh Braes ASSI | Antrim | 21 | 8 |
| Rathlin Island: Roonivoolin RSPB reserve | Antrim | 21 | 3 |
| Dursey Island | West Cork | 20 | 4 |
| Inishshark | West Galway | 20 | 1 |
| Monawilkin ASSI | Fermanagh | 20 | 6 |
| Murrevagh Maghera | West Mayo | 20 | 5 |
| Aghadachor | West Donegal | 19 | 2 |
| Arran More | West Donegal | 19 | 1 |
| Barnett’s Park | Antrim | 19 | 32 |
| Brookfield Td., SW of Tullyhona | Fermanagh | 19 | 2 |
| Divis Mountain | Antrim | 19 | 6 |
| Rathlin Island: Knockans RSPB Reserve | Antrim | 19 | 3 |
| Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI | Antrim | 18 | 3 |
| Hillsborough Parish Church | Down | 18 | 7 |
| Inishbofin | West Galway | 18 | 1 |
| Longmore Hill | Antrim | 18 | 1 |
| Mount Stewart Estate | Down | 18 | 10 |
| Rathlin Island: Craigmacagan RSPB reserve |
Antrim | 18 | 1 |
| Tramore Dunes / Marfagh Head | West Donegal | 18 | 2 |
| Ballynacarriga | West Cork | 17 | 1 |
| Bantry House | West Cork | 17 | 1 |
| Cushleake Mountain | Antrim | 17 | 2 |
| Gortnagory ASSI | Antrim | 17 | 3 |
| Agnew’s Hill | Antrim | 16 | 3 |
| Black Head (Burren) | Clare | 16 | 2 |
| Clonmantagh Hill | Kilkenny | 16 | 3 |
| Eyeries Coast | West Cork | 16 | 2 |
| Inis Meáin | Clare | 16 | 1 |
| John McSparran Memorial Hill Farm | Antrim | 16 | 4 |
| Killary Harbour: Foher | West Galway | 16 | 1 |
| Knockmore Hill | Fermanagh | 16 | 5 |
| Murlough NNR | Down | 16 | 15 |
| Silent Valley | Down | 16 | 7 |
| Achill Island: Keel: St Finian’s Well | West Mayo | 15 | 2 |
| Castle Archdale Country Park | Fermanagh | 15 | 6 |
| Cummer | West Galway | 15 | 1 |
| Drum Manor Forest Park | Tyrone | 15 | 7 |
| East Torr Td, nr Torr Head | Antrim | 15 | 1 |
| Glenbeg Lough | West Cork | 15 | 1 |
| Glennahoo | South Kerry | 15 | 1 |
| Great Heath of Maryborough | Laois | 15 | 2 |
| Harphall Td, Carnlough | Antrim | 15 | 2 |
| Inishturk | West Mayo | 15 | 1 |
| Knockninny ASSI | Fermanagh | 15 | 3 |
| Melmore Head | West Donegal | 15 | 1 |
| Muckros Head | West Donegal | 15 | 2 |
| Slemish Mountain | Antrim | 15 | 2 |
| Stormont Estate | Down | 15 | 14 |
| Teelin Point | West Donegal | 15 | 1 |
| Tory Island | West Donegal | 15 | 2 |
Irish Waxcap Map (Number of Species)
Whilst a lot more data is needed before it can be said how many points would be required before a site is of national conservation importance in Irish terms, the top 7 sites on this list have 22 or more species of Hygrocybe. Boertmann suggests that any site with this number or more are internationally important. To get this data Environment & Heritage Service has let a contract to survey all of Northern Ireland’s 10km squares for grassland fungi. The contract was let in 2002 and ran for 3 years. 2002 was not a good year for waxcaps and the best site found in 2002 (Agnew’s Hill) only had 13 species of Hygrocybe. Click here to see the 2002-04 results.
But are Waxcaps always found in grasslands? In North America, they are considered to be woodland fungi and there is a thought that they have moved out from woods in Europe into grasslands (or the woods were felled and they adapted well to their new treeless habitat). However, in Ireland, unlike GB, we seem to find waxcaps commonly in woods as well as grasslands. Here is a list of Waxcaps found so far in woods in Ireland:
| Hygrocybe berkeleyi |
| Hygrocybe calciphila |
| Hygrocybe cantharellus |
| Hygrocybe ceracea |
| Hygrocybe chlorophana |
| Hygrocybe coccinea |
| Hygrocybe conica |
| Hygrocybe glutinipes |
| Hygrocybe insipida |
| Hygrocybe irrigata |
| Hygrocybe miniata |
| Hygrocybe mucronella |
| Hygrocybe persistens |
| Hygrocybe pratensis |
| Hygrocybe psittacina |
| Hygrocybe punicea |
| Hygrocybe quieta |
| Hygrocybe reidii |
| Hygrocybe russocoriacea |
| Hygrocybe virginea |
| Hygrocybe vitellina |