Connemara bedevilled with invasive weed from Far East

A strange weed is taking over lands in Connemara – to such an extent that owners are being prevented from obliterating it.

It seems as if the weed came into the area in the late 1800s from Japan and refuses to be killed despite various chemical mixtures that have been thrown upon it.

The weed, fortunately, is not protected which means that any way possible to get rid of it is acceptable when it comes to this part of the world.

The mainly green weed which often turns to yellow is found along the hedges in Connemara. It is a particular problem in the Cornamona area.

It is understood that it came to Connemara in the 1800s from Japan and is also problematic in the Carraroe area of South Connemara.

According to Cllr. Sean Ó Tuairisg the weed is very difficult to eradicate as the root grows around three feet into the earth. It is not easy to destroy, he added.

It is known as the Japan Knotweed and one that has spread onto lands in Connemara. It is not known how the weed arrived in the area but it is believed that it came sometime in the late 1800s.

Cllr. Ó Tuairisg said that it was a scourge and one that should be stamped out. He said that it would take a severe weed killer to kill it.

Japanese knotweed has hollow stems with distinct raised nodes that give it the appearance of bamboo, though it is not closely related.

While stems may reach a maximum height of three to four metres in each growing season, it is typical to see much smaller plants in places where they sprout through cracks in the pavement or are repeatedly cut down.

The Fianna Fail councillor said it was a major problem in the area and he wanted to ensure that it would be eradicated. He said that it was even spreading onto farmland.

Cllr. Ó Tuairisg said that the weed was predominant along the grass verges in North Connemara and was beginning to make its presence felt in fields in South Connemara.

He said that it would take a huge job to remove them as their roots were so deep. The roots of these weeds go around three feet deep and spread.

There is an added complication, according to Cllr. O Tuairisg, in that there is a restriction on those spraying weeds unless they have a licence to do so. He said that this had hampered weed killing in recent weeks.