Purpose built roosting buildings for lesser horseshoe bats to provide a critical link between larger populations.

"The lesser horseshoe bat population is small, approximately 13,000 bats, confined to six western Irish counties. Habitat fragmentation caused by changes in land use has created significant distribution gaps for this bat species, confined to six western counties in Ireland. The Mulkear project area was strategically chosen as Limerick’s small population of lesser horseshoe bats serves as a critical link between larger populations in Counties Kerry and Clare. The vegetated river corridors in the region offer potential pathways for bat movement. Monitoring by VWT detected lesser horseshoe bats near the proposed sites for new roost sites. Six purpose-built roosting buildings were designed and constructed on farmland in 2022, based on architectural plans prioritising solar gain and secure fencing to ensure long-term viability. Participating farmers contributed to biodiversity conservation by allocating productive agricultural land for the project, aligning with the objectives of Irish CAP schemes, which promote balancing agricultural productivity with environmental stewardship. https://vimeo.com/810881674 "