Lady's Island Lake
Encyclopedia
Lady's Island Lake is a brackish lake
in the south of County Wexford
, Ireland
.
The lake is technically a back-barrier seepage lagoon
, one of only two in Ireland. The other is nearby Tacumshin Lake (Irish: Loch Theach Cuimsin). The lake has no outlet, but is separated from the Atlantic Ocean
at the southern end by a sand and gravel bar 200 m wide. Salt water
seeps through the barrier, while fresh water
flows into the lake from run-off from the land around the lake. This means that the lake is neither fresh nor salt water but somewhere in between. Every so often, storms break through the sandbar and salt water flows in from the sea, increasing the salt levels considerably. Wildlife in the lake must therefore be able to cope with variable levels of salinity
.
The lake is an important breeding ground for tern
s. It is estimated that the lake is home to over 1,200 breeding pairs of Sandwich Terns and, more importantly, to 76 breeding pairs of the rare Roseate Tern
.
At the north end of the lake is the village of Our Lady's Island. The 'island' itself has been joined to the mainland by a causeway, so it is actually a peninsula sticking out into the lake from the village. On the peninsula are a castle, a leaning tower and a graveyard. The leaning tower is a small stone tower which was built on unstable ground and now leans at a precarious angle. The space in front of the castle is a pilgrimage
site associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary: the pilgrimage takes place in August each year, when believers come from all over Ireland to gather and pray.
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
in the south of County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
The lake is technically a back-barrier seepage lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
, one of only two in Ireland. The other is nearby Tacumshin Lake (Irish: Loch Theach Cuimsin). The lake has no outlet, but is separated from the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
at the southern end by a sand and gravel bar 200 m wide. Salt water
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
seeps through the barrier, while fresh water
Fresh Water
Fresh Water is the debut album by Australian rock and blues singer Alison McCallum, released in 1972. Rare for an Australian artist at the time, it came in a gatefold sleeve...
flows into the lake from run-off from the land around the lake. This means that the lake is neither fresh nor salt water but somewhere in between. Every so often, storms break through the sandbar and salt water flows in from the sea, increasing the salt levels considerably. Wildlife in the lake must therefore be able to cope with variable levels of salinity
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
.
The lake is an important breeding ground for tern
Tern
Terns are seabirds in the family Sternidae, previously considered a subfamily of the gull family Laridae . They form a lineage with the gulls and skimmers which in turn is related to skuas and auks...
s. It is estimated that the lake is home to over 1,200 breeding pairs of Sandwich Terns and, more importantly, to 76 breeding pairs of the rare Roseate Tern
Roseate Tern
The Roseate Tern is a seabird of the tern family Sternidae. This bird has a number of geographical races, differing mainly in bill colour and minor plumage details....
.
At the north end of the lake is the village of Our Lady's Island. The 'island' itself has been joined to the mainland by a causeway, so it is actually a peninsula sticking out into the lake from the village. On the peninsula are a castle, a leaning tower and a graveyard. The leaning tower is a small stone tower which was built on unstable ground and now leans at a precarious angle. The space in front of the castle is a pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
site associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary: the pilgrimage takes place in August each year, when believers come from all over Ireland to gather and pray.