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The River Licky rises in Lagnagoushee in the Gaeltacht of
Old Parish, Co. Waterford. It meanders west to join the
Blackwater near Clashmore, carving out a beautiful valley,
rich in native flora and fauna.
This unspoilt natural wealth has inspired a number of
nature trails or Licky Walks. The uniqueness of the Licky
basin is due to the rapid drop of 150 m from source to
outlet over a relatively short distance of 18 km. This
gives rise to an ever-changing pattern of flora.
The cutaway blanket peatland of the upper reaches of the
valley is mostly afforested today with Sitka spruce, larch
and lodgepole pine. The surrounding area is reclaimed
upland pastures. The river is flanked by occasional
spinnies of willow, alder, birch and brambles.
There are wet depressions in this area that are reputed to
have been flax ponds of a forgotten linen industry. Fossil
bog oak from the pre-Ice Age great forests has also been
found here. Evidence of the blanket peat can still be seen
by the presence of ling heather, bilberry and the shorter
Irish furze (aitinn Gaelach).
About a mile downstream from Pulla Bridge, there are
clumps of holly and an occasional mountain ash through the
willow/alder mix. In the afforestations of the upper Licky
valley area, Coillte have planted groves of species such
as noble fir, Norway spruce, Douglas fir and Scots pine.
In recent times broad-leaved species have been added to
these plantations, which helps to blend these forests with
the native woodlands on the deeper river banks that
consist of hazel, sessile oak, holly, willow and alder.
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