A COMBER man whose vision led to the creation of the Castle Espie wildfowl and wetland reserve has passed away at the age of 93.
Paddy Mackie’s love of nature and his deep knowledge of the environment around Strangford Lough was the inspiration and driving force behind the decision by the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust to open the Castle Espie complex in 1989.
His friendship with Peter Scott, the legendary founder of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, brought the environmental charity to Northern Ireland for the first time, recognising the importance of Strangford Lough for birdlife.
Mr Mackie was a member of the family which ran the well-known Mackie International textile machinery factory in west Belfast, and the son of Jack Mackie, who was chairman of the company between 1968 and 1971.
He made worldwide news in 1972 when he was kidnapped in Belfast by the IRA, but was released unharmed after eight hours.
Although he worked as an engineer in the family firm, his love of nature led him to create a spectacular 35-acre woodland garden at Mahee Island, on the shores of his beloved Lough. He started working on it 1959 and was recognised with an award from the Royal Horticultural Society in 2022.
In the 1970s, he founded Castle Espie, which is an important wintering site for huge numbers of pale-bellied Brent geese, and is also home to the north’s largest collection of geese, swans and ducks.
The reserve was transferred to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT) in 1989, and remains one of the most important nature sites in Ireland.
In 2019, Mr Mackie was appointed president of the Northern Ireland Heritage Gardens Trust.
In a statement, a spokesman for the WWT said they were ‘deeply saddened’ by the death of their ‘dear friend’, who was awarded an MBE in 2004 for services to conservation in Northern Ireland.
“Paddy’s loss will be felt profoundly across conservation, horticulture, and the arts in Ireland,” they said.
“His island garden on Mahee and the creation of Castle Espie in the 1970s remain legendary – widely regarded as the cradle of modern environmentalism in Northern Ireland.
“His family’s friendship with Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust founder Sir Peter Scott led to Castle Espie’s transfer to WWT in 1989, ensuring its legacy as a hub of inspiration and education.”
They added: “He was deeply loved and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with the Mackie family at this time.”
Paddy was also known as a patron of the arts, and writer Eamon Mallie said in a social media post: “He introduced me to works by Paul Henry, Hans Iten, William Conor, Frank Egginton, Frank McKelvey and scores of other painters. He was so patient and generous with his time.”
