Choose Ireland » Beaches and Bays

Strangford Lough

Brian — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:23:00 +0000

Extending along much of the eastern coast of County Down, Strangford Lough is long and shallow. Much of the waterway is greatly affected by the tidal cycles, with large exposed sand flats that can be seen in low tide and then flood with water when the high tide comes in.
The southern entrance to the sea is called the Narrows, and the strong tidal currents are concentrated there. Two low and two high tides in every 24 hour period flow over the large rock pinnacles on its floor, creating turbulence and whirlpools.
The rest of Strangford Lough represents a diverse collection of seaside environments, from salt marshes to sandy and rocky coastlines and many islands that dot the region of the western shore. The water is generally salt, except for the areas where the Comber and Quoile Rivers enter the Lough. The high populations of algae, insects and plants in the salt marshes make the lough an ideal winter and breeding habitat for a wide variety of birds.
The changeable waters ensure a constant supply of food and mild environment for fish and marine animals as well. Many environmental studies have confirmed the importance of Lough Strangford as a centre for conservation efforts and research.
Its original name was Loch Cuan, meaning harbour lough or haven. Mesolithic settlers migrated here 9000 years ago, drawn to the mild climate and plentiful food supply. The Vikings arrived and named the lough Strang-fijord, which evolved into the current name. Other early occupants lived at Nendrum, an important monastery on Strangford Lough in the early Christian period.
Archaeological finds in the area include wooden and stone fish traps from the northern coast. In the 18th and 19th century, the area was known for its seaweed harvesting. Stone structures used in this pursuit are still visible on the shores, which are also dotted with the ruins of abbeys and tower houses.
Strangford Lough is famous today for its complex and balanced web of wildlife and the ecological conditions that support it. Over 2000 species of plant and animal live undersea alone, including kelp, seaweed, sea anemones, corals, curled octopus, mussels, scallops, plankton, and a variety of fish such as herring, mackerel and cod, as well as porpoises and occasional small whales.
The diverse shoreline, made up from sand, mud, gravel and boulders provides ideal habitats for plants, birds, seals and otters. Beds of dead seaweed that accumulate along the shorelines breed sandhoppers and flies that serve as food for the native birds, badgers and rats.
A popular winter haven for geese and other birds, about 70,000 birds come to Strangford Lough each season. Some use it as a resting point on their migratory journey, others spend their entire winter season here. Turnstones, dunlins and godwits come from the arctic, and Brent Geese come from Canada to feed on the native eel grass along with the flocks of curlew, redshank, and oystercatcher that occupy the salt marshes and islands.
In spring, the islands become a breeding ground, with several types of terns frequenting the area.
Castle Espie Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre on Strangford Lough near Comber provides an opportunity for visitors to experience the natural beauty of the region through bird watching and other educational activities. There are woodland walks and waterfowl gardens filled with ducks, swans and geese. There is also a nature centre and art gallery located on the property.

Tyrella Beach

Brian — Wed, 26 Jul 2006 09:14:27 +0000

This picturesque beach and dune area is operated by Down District with the goal of preserving its diverse natural resources for the enjoyment of future generations. The recreational area includes a wide sandy beach, backed by a vast area of natural dunes, and a visitor’s centre.

Lahinch

Brian — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 09:09:04 +0000

The name of this pristine beach and resort town translates as Leath Inis or half island. The area is known for its abundant seaside leisure activities and exceptional golf course.
Lahinch features a mile long stretch of golden, sandy beach, located at the mouth of a bay with an expansive dune system behind it. It is well suited for fishing and surfing, and is sheltered by the massive Cliffs of Moher. There is a beach side promenade, and local institutions include Lahinch Seaworld, a sea-life and leisure center, and Lahinch Surfing School, which provides a variety of lessons for surfers at all skill levels. In 1972, the European Surfing Finals were held here.
Perhaps the most famous institution in town is the Lahinch Golf Club. Its unique course that was first set up in 1892 by the Limerick Golf Club with help from members of the Black Water regiment of Scotland stationed nearby. The 18-hole course is situated on the dune wilderness near the Cliffs of Moher. Its scenic beauty includes the remains of a round tower, and the course is often referred to as the St. Andrew’s of Ireland. In 1928, Dr. Alexander MacKenzie of Scotland redesigned the course.

Clare Island

Brian — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 14:38:23 +0000

Clare Island sits at the mouth of Clew Bay, which is dotted with small islands –365 of them. Clare is the largest, and home to about 150 people who enjoy beautiful views of Connemara and Achill Island across the bay.
The pirate queen, Granuaile, also known as Grace O’Malley, is buried here in a Cistercian Abbey that dates back to the 12th century. One of her 15th century towers still stands in the harbor.
The Clare Island of today represents a haven for those looking for peaceful, untouched beaches and landscape. It can be reached by ferry from Roonagh Pier, near Louisburgh. The island is a perfect place for cycling, fishing and bird and wildlife observation.

Church Island

Brian — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 14:35:17 +0000

Church Island, also known as Shrine Island, is located in the northwest portion of Lough Carra. According to local folklore, it was initially used as a burial place for kings. Archeological data indicates that human life existed here as long ago as 3000 B.C.
Some documented inhabitants of the island include:
•St. Finan, who established a monastery here in the 6th century,
•Marbhan, a writer who lived the life of a hermit,
•Cummin Mac Fiachra, a priest who was known for his dedication to the work of decorating many of the nearby Ballintubber Abbey’s scrolls and books.
Cummin’s Church dates back to the 14th century. Today it is a popular site for religious retreats and times of reflection. The church features an altar made of black oak, which grew in this part of the country thousands of years ago.
There is evidence of a nearby hiding hole of the type used by priests during the Penal Times. This suggests that the church was used as a haven for those who attended Mass in secret during times of persecution.
Excavations conducted on Church Island have also unearthed burial plots near the church that appear to have been used extensively during the years of the Great Famine.

County Mayo Beaches

Brian — Mon, 03 Jul 2006 14:29:33 +0000

Residents and visitors to County Mayo enjoy the beauty of 13 beautiful Blue Flag Beaches. This designation means that the beaches meet extremely high standards for water quality, cleanliness, on site facilities, lifeguards and more. These standards reach far beyond the basic bathing standards set by the EU.
Keep in mind that Blue Flag designation is reserved for bathing beaches only. This means that other beaches, which you may want to visit to observe wildlife or are not suitable geographically for swimming, are not unclean because they are not designated as Blue Flag.
Thirteen of County Mayo’s beaches are Blue Flag designated, the fourteenth — Carrowniskey Beach, is used almost exclusively for surfing. The best beaches for swimming, picnicking and wildlife watching are:
•Golden Strand – located on Achill Island, this quiet beach contains sand, small pebbles, dunes and an abundance of native wildlife.
•Keel Beach – Surrounded by hills and rich plant life, this small beach also features low sand dunes and life guarded swimming.
•Ross Strand – located on Killala Bay, where mudflats line the channel, it is in proximity to rich woodlands and contains a diverse variety of native plant and animal life.
•Dooega Head – located on the south side of Achill Island near a fishing village, it is also sometimes called Camport Bay. It is pristine for swimming and there are interesting forts and prehistoric sites nearby.
•Bertra Beach – located just west of the town of Westport, it is windswept and rimmed by sand dunes and a variety of plant species.
•Mullaghroe Beach – located near Blacksod Bay, this area shelters many species of birds within its dunes and accompanying sea grasses and other plant species, as well as in the salt marshes and inlets nearby.
•Old Head Beach – located in view of Croagh Patrick, this beach is sheltered by sandy cliffs and nearby woodlands.
•Mulranny Beach – located near the village of the same name, this pristine sandy beach features salt marshes that support a variety of interesting bird life.
•Carramore Beach – this broad expanse of sandy shoreline is windswept as evidenced by the many nearby dunes.
•Keem Beach – located west of Keel Village, this quiet seafront area maintains a rural atmosphere.
•Elly Bay Beach – located on the Mullet Peninsula, this beach is sheltered by scenic cliffs and known for its wide variety of bird life.
•Dugort Beach – located on Achill Island in a wildlife conservation area, it can be rocky at certain tides and is surrounded by lush grassland.
•Clare Island Beach – visitors can take the ferry to this beautifully rural sandy beach located just beyond the pier where all boats visiting the island dock.

Salthill

Brian — Thu, 22 Jun 2006 13:33:40 +0000

This popular resort near Galway city features an old-fashioned seaside promenade, complete with a beautiful long, sandy beach along Galway Bay. The resort area still maintains traditional amusement arcades, a fairground for festivals, and cafes.
Salthill was the inspiration for the Bing Crosby song containing the famous lyrics, “to sit and watch the moon rise over Claddagh, and see the sun go down on Galway Bay”.

Great Blasket Island

Brian — Tue, 23 May 2006 12:06:33 +0000

Great Blasket Island is the largest of a remote group of rugged and isolated islands off the coast of mainland County Kerry. It is famous as the home of a group of writers, who produced some classic pieces of literature in the 1920s and 1930s, written in the Irish language and expressive of a distinctly Irish outlook on life.
Perhaps the most famous was Tomas O’Crimhthain, author of An Oilcanach, or The Islandman, a story depicting the extremely difficult life of the island people. O’Crimhthain and the other writers learned to speak and write in the original Irish languages, and their aim was to preserve the numerous oral folk tales of the region in writing. They elevated language to a higher art form that transcendded the poverty and difficulties experienced while living on Great Blasket.
At its most highly populated, Great Blasket Island was occupied by about 150-200 people. Young people emigrated at a consistent rate over the years, and there were only 22 people living on the island when it was finally abandoned in 1953.
Today, visitors reach the island by ferry. It is considered the westernmost point of the continent of Europe, and scientists believe that at one point in time, millions of years ago, the island was actually attached to the mainland.
Great Blasket Island is part of Dun Chaoin parish. Dun Chaoin is the mainland harbor town closest to the island, made famous as the location where the movie Ryan’s Daughter was filmed by director David Lean in 1969. At the time, the locals decried the film for its commercialism, but it sparked a rise in tourism to the area that continues to until today.
The ferry ride to Great Blasket Island is an adventure in itself, sometimes as rough as the landscape of the island with its steep cliffs, rocky paths and deserted village. Great Blasket, along with its sister islands, the Lesser Blaskets, were formerly called the Ferriter Islands. They were leased by a family of the same name from the Earls of Desmond in the 13th century. Sir Richard Boyle became the Ferriter’s landlord late in the 16th century.
Ferriter Castle once stood at castlepoint, on the edge of the village, but its remains were dismantled and used in the construction of a Protestant school on the island in 1840. The same school was closed in 1852 due to the ravages of the Famine.
The origin of the name Blasket remains a mystery. Some suggest that it is a Norse word and means “dangerous place”, a fitting name considering the barren isolation of the island. Its current population, which is made up mostly of rabbits, mice and shrew, thrive mainly because of the absence of weasels and foxes. Other wildlife residents include rats, hedgehogs, frogs and badgers.
Great Blasket Island features a large and varied sea bird population, including storm petrel, guillemots, puffins, razorbills, and Manx shearwater. They feed and nest on an island surface of heather, whins and furze that covers the layer of rich peat below.
For centuries, the inhabitants of Great Blasket Island struggled to make a living, cutting turf, growing a small plot of potatoes, while keeping a cow and perhaps a few sheep. Fresh and salted fish was a large part of their diet, and many caught mackerel and lobsters to transport and sell on the mainland.
Blasket Island’s population increased somewhat when many victims of Lord Ventry’s evictions arrived. The maximum number of houses on the island at one time was 30, and the five two storey houses erected in 1909 at the top of the village by the government are visibly different from the rest. The classic island cottage was made up of a kitchen, lower room, and a loft, with a small loft above the fireplace for storage. It only had one door, whereas similar structures on the mainland had two.
The island inhabitants were so isolated that in order to reach a priest, doctor, or even the shops, they had to travel three miles by boat and then five miles over land to the town. Great Blasket Island remains isolated today; a visit there is like a trip back in time. There are no cars, phone lines, or televisions.
Natural beauty is in full bloom, however, in the form of an immaculate strand of white beach. Together with the wild sea and cliff scenery, visitors have good reason to say that the entire trip is well worth the effort.

Rath Mao lain – Rathmullan

Brian — Wed, 10 May 2006 14:04:41 +0000

The Irish name of this village means Ring Fort of Maolian. It is a relaxing summer holiday area, with comfortable homes situated along the sandy shores of Lough Swilly.
Rathmullan has a small harbor with a big history. English naval officers captured Red Hugh O’ Donnell here in 1587 by pretending to be regular merchant seamen. They tempted O’Donnell aboard ship to taste some reportedly exotic wines from their cargo and appealing to his well-known sociable nature. He was captured and taken off to Dublin, where he was locked up in the castle for six years. Eventually, he escaped and returned to Donegal and tried, without success, to protect his homeland.
The harbor at Rathmullan is also famous as the point of departure for the nobles of Ulster in 1607, commonly known as the Flight of the Earls. Their flight signaled the beginning of the end of the 13 year long war with England.
The Flight of the Earls Heritage Centre memorializes this event, which many also consider to be the beginning of the Troubles. After the Earls fled, a million acres of Ulster land were transferred to English ownership. The Plantation Era began two years later, when English and Scots protestant settlers were brought in to populate the area. This uncomfortable situation gave rise to hostilities that have continued well into modern times.

Murvagh Beach

Brian — Wed, 10 May 2006 13:58:41 +0000

This sandy stretch extends 2 kms along Donegal Bay. The water is warm and exceptionally comfortable for swimming in the summer because when the tide moves in, it crosses 1km of hot sand.
The bathing area is shallow, in fact, only deep enough for adult swimmers at high tide. It is the perfect place, however, for parents to relax while their children swim in safety.
There is a large dune area near the beach, extending back to Murvagh forest and its widely scattered picnic areas. In the winter, locals exercise their horses along the shore, while trail bike riders enjoy the challenges of the dunes.