Snipe Sailing Dinghy Restoration is Bringing People Together from Both Sides of Ulster

(Source: Betty Armstrong – Afloat Magazine)

Snipes, the feathered sort, inhabit wetlands and lakes but in Ireland the breed is on the Red List, meaning it is of high conservation concern. Snipe dinghies (the wooden version) were common in Northern Ireland from the 1930s till the 60s but could have been put on a Red List after that, as their numbers suffered a marked decline. But I’m told that Fermanagh supports a breeding population as well as an over-wintering population of the feathered variety, and if you listen, you can hear their distinctive drumming and chipping.

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Read also: Snipe Sailing in Lough Erne, Northern Ireland