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 ranked by number of waxcaps – H (last updated 28/11/2022).
| Site | County | C | H | E | G | D | No Visits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Curragh | Kildare | 9 | 36 | 36 | 4 | 3 | 28 |
| Clare Island | West Mayo | 5 | 29 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 17 |
| Slievenacloy ASSI | Antrim | 9 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 20 |
| Knock Dhu and Sallagh Braes ASSI | Antrim | 8 | 26 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 14 |
| Killykeeghan and Crossmurrin NNR | Fermanagh | 5 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| Monawilkin ASSI | Fermanagh | 4 | 24 | 10 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| Binevenagh ASSI | Londonderry | 10 | 23 | 15 | 7 | 0 | 16 |
| Divis and Black Mountain | Antrim | 9 | 23 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 12 |
| Legland Mountain | Fermanagh | 4 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Ballyprior Commonage | Laois | 4 | 22 | 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Barnett’s Park | Antrim | 5 | 22 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 36 |
| Fair Head and Murlough Bay ASSI | Antrim | 8 | 22 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 16 |
| Galboly ASSI | Antrim | 7 | 22 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 8 |
| Rathlin Island: Kebble ASSI | Antrim | 5 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Achill Island: Keem Bay | West Mayo | 3 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Rathlin Island: Roonivoolin RSPB reserve | Antrim | 4 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Brookfield Td., SW of Tullyhona | Fermanagh | 6 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
| Dursey Island | West Cork | 6 | 20 | 12 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Inishshark | West Galway | 3 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Murrevagh Maghera | West Mayo | 5 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| Aghadachor | West Donegal | 6 | 19 | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Arran More | West Donegal | 5 | 19 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Divis: Fraser’s Farm | Antrim | 5 | 19 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rathlin Island: Knockans RSPB Reserve | Antrim | 4 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Ballycastle Coalfield ASSI | Antrim | 4 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Cuilcagh Mountain ASSI | Fermanagh | 2 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 5 |
| Hillsborough Parish Church | Down | 5 | 18 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| Inishbofin | West Galway | 4 | 18 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Longmore Hill | Antrim | 2 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Mount Stewart Estate | Down | 6 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
| Murlough NNR | Down | 6 | 18 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 18 |
| Rathlin Island: Craigmacagan RSPB reserve |
Antrim | 4 | 18 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Tramore Dunes / Marfagh Head | West Donegal | 4 | 18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Ballynacarriga | West Cork | 5 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Bantry House | West Cork | 7 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Cushleake Mountain | Antrim | 4 | 17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Gortmaconnell Rock | Fermanagh | 3 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| Gortnagory ASSI | Antrim | 1 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Knockmore Hill | Fermanagh | 1 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Stormont Estate | Down | 5 | 17 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 33 |
| Agnew’s Hill | Antrim | 2 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Black Head (Burren) | Clare | 1 | 16 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Castle Archdale Country Park | Fermanagh | 8 | 16 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| Clonmantagh Hill | Kilkenny | 1 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Eyeries Coast | West Cork | 2 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Inis Meáin | Clare | 1 | 16 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| John McSparran Memorial Hill Farm | Antrim | 6 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| Killary Harbour: Foher | West Galway | 2 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Little Deer Park ASSI | Antrim | 6 | 16 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 4 |
| Scawt Hill | Antrim | 4 | 16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Silent Valley | Down | 5 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Achill Island: Keel: St Finian’s Well | West Mayo | 2 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Cave Hill | Antrim | 3 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 13 |
| Clandeboye Estate | Down | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| Cloughey Dunes | Down | 4 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 10 |
| Cummer | West Galway | 1 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Drum Manor Forest Park | Tyrone | 2 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| East Torr Td, nr Torr Head | Antrim | 4 | 15 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Glenbeg Lough | West Cork | 2 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Glennahoo | South Kerry | 1 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Great Heath of Maryborough | Laois | 4 | 15 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Harphall Td, Carnlough | Antrim | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Inishturk | West Mayo | 3 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Knockninny ASSI | Fermanagh | 2 | 15 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 |
| Melmore Head | West Donegal | 2 | 15 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Muckros Head | West Donegal | 6 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Slemish Mountain | Antrim | 3 | 15 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 |
| Teelin Point | West Donegal | 3 | 15 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Tory Island | West Donegal | 2 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Irish Waxcap Map (Number of Species)
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 |