Sruwaddacon Bay
Encyclopedia
Sruwaddacon Bay is a tidal estuary which runs through the middle of the Gaeltacht
Kilcommon
Parish, Erris
, North County Mayo
; it is of historical importance in Irish legend, an important marine habitat, an E.U. Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and an E.U. Special Protected Area (Birds Directive).
Pollatomish Bog which lies alongside the Bay is designated an N.H.A. (No. 001548) It enters the Atlantic Ocean through Broadhaven Bay
, another Special Area of Conservation
. In English its name translates as 'Bay of the Long Hound', reflecting its general shape.
The estuary
measures approximately 8.4 square kilometres and consists of a north-westerly-orientated main channel fed by the Glenamoy
river and the Muingnabo river. A second channel flows around the town of Rossport
from the north-west and is fed by the Gweedaney stream. Both channels join into a fast flowing channel which widens out into an exposed bay at the mouth of the estuary
. The lower portion of Sruwaddacon Bay has exceptionally strong currents.
located at the centre of its two main channels. The outer area of the estuary is predominately sand and sand dunes where it flows into and out of Broadhaven Bay
, the mid-estuary is mainly hard substrates of cobble and rock while the upper estuary has a mixture of sand and mud substrates. There are patchy areas of Fucus
cover in the middle and lower areas of the estuary but the majority is unvegetated.
Salinity values recorded at beach sites were high in the middle and lower estuary – around 30 p.p.t. Salinity values close to freshwater
were found at the confluence of the Glenamoy and Muingnabo rivers.
This estuary and Broadhaven Bay
into which it drains, is an important breeding ground for salmon
, whales and dolphins and of importance to the local fishing and recreation industries. There are extensive areas of intertidal mudflats characterised by polychaete communities and bivalves. There are Atlantic salt flats which fringe on the blanket bog
, particularly in the lower reaches of the bay. Species growing here include Sea Thrift, Sea Arrowgrass, Sea Plantain, Common salt marsh grass, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus and turf fucoids.
The bay supports breeding terns of several varieties and black-headed gulls. It is an important area for wintering waterfowl, being part of a large complex that includes the Mullet peninsula
, Broadhaven
and Blacksod Bay
. The following species have nationally important populations – Red-breasted merganser, Sand martin, Ringed plover, Grey plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Bar-tailed godwit, Brent Goose, Oystercatcher, Golden plover, Lapwing, knot, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone.
Sruth Fada Conn or Irrus Domnann as it was known, is the bay where the legendary Children of Lir
spent their last 300 years as captive swans before flying to the nearby Island of Inishglora where they took back their human forms and died instantly because of their great age.
by the Archaeological Diving Company in Sruwaddacon Bay took some sample cores from the bay. One of their cores close to Aghoose townland turned up hazelnut
shells at a depth of 10.7 metres under the bay. These have been held for analysis to be dated by the archaeological team concerned. The significance of a number of hazelnut
shells is they could likely be indicative of habitation during the Mesolithic
period (some 9,000 years ago approx). It is likely that early people, Mesolithic and Neolithic
lived on the shores of Sruwaddacon Bay in some numbers as the area has many signs of Mesolithic habitation and there are many sites of Neolithic
age in the surrounding townlands. Approximately 9,000 years ago the sea levels were much lower and Sruwaddacon Bay would have been like a confluence
of rivers rather than the bay it is today.
The latest plans of the controversial
Corrib gas project are to run a high pressure, raw, unodourised natural gas pipeline up the middle of this bay. Shell
are planning to construct a tunnel under the bay in order to receive planning approval from An Bord Pleanala. The local community and representatives of Pobal Chill Chomáin
and Shell to Sea
have fought the project through the Courts, through Oral Hearings and through direct action campaigns for the last ten years as gas was first mooted to be flowing from here to Galway in 2002. Kept under community pressure, Shell's latest timescale is now 2013/14.
Gaeltacht
is the Irish language word meaning an Irish-speaking region. In Ireland, the Gaeltacht, or an Ghaeltacht, refers individually to any, or collectively to all, of the districts where the government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant language, that is, the vernacular spoken at home...
Kilcommon
Kilcommon
Kilcommon is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants...
Parish, Erris
Erris
Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name Erris derives from the Irish 'Iar Ros' meaning 'western...
, North County Mayo
County Mayo
County Mayo is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Mayo, which is now generally known as Mayo Abbey. Mayo County Council is the local authority for the county. The population of the county is 130,552...
; it is of historical importance in Irish legend, an important marine habitat, an E.U. Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and an E.U. Special Protected Area (Birds Directive).
Pollatomish Bog which lies alongside the Bay is designated an N.H.A. (No. 001548) It enters the Atlantic Ocean through Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
, another Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
. In English its name translates as 'Bay of the Long Hound', reflecting its general shape.
The estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
measures approximately 8.4 square kilometres and consists of a north-westerly-orientated main channel fed by the Glenamoy
Glenamoy
Glenamoy is a village in the parish of Kilcommon, Erris in the northern part of County Mayo in Ireland.Glenamoy is a general term for the following townlands:* Bellagelly North...
river and the Muingnabo river. A second channel flows around the town of Rossport
Rossport
Ros Dumhach is a Gaeltacht village and townland in northwest County Mayo, Ireland. It is within the barony of Erris and parish of Kilcommon...
from the north-west and is fed by the Gweedaney stream. Both channels join into a fast flowing channel which widens out into an exposed bay at the mouth of the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
. The lower portion of Sruwaddacon Bay has exceptionally strong currents.
Natural history
Most of the estuary is dominated by marine species with little depth in the upper and middle sections at low water and a significant intertidal area. It has few anthropogenic impacts with a mostly agricultural catchment and the small village of RossportRossport
Ros Dumhach is a Gaeltacht village and townland in northwest County Mayo, Ireland. It is within the barony of Erris and parish of Kilcommon...
located at the centre of its two main channels. The outer area of the estuary is predominately sand and sand dunes where it flows into and out of Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
, the mid-estuary is mainly hard substrates of cobble and rock while the upper estuary has a mixture of sand and mud substrates. There are patchy areas of Fucus
Fucus
Fucus is a genus of brown algae found in the intertidal zones of rocky seashores almost throughout the world.-Description and life cycle:...
cover in the middle and lower areas of the estuary but the majority is unvegetated.
Salinity values recorded at beach sites were high in the middle and lower estuary – around 30 p.p.t. Salinity values close to freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
were found at the confluence of the Glenamoy and Muingnabo rivers.
This estuary and Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
into which it drains, is an important breeding ground for salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, whales and dolphins and of importance to the local fishing and recreation industries. There are extensive areas of intertidal mudflats characterised by polychaete communities and bivalves. There are Atlantic salt flats which fringe on the blanket bog
Blanket bog
Blanket bog or blanket mire is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses of undulating ground. The blanketing of the ground with a variable depth of peat...
, particularly in the lower reaches of the bay. Species growing here include Sea Thrift, Sea Arrowgrass, Sea Plantain, Common salt marsh grass, Juncus gerardii, Juncus maritimus and turf fucoids.
The bay supports breeding terns of several varieties and black-headed gulls. It is an important area for wintering waterfowl, being part of a large complex that includes the Mullet peninsula
The Mullet
The Mullet Peninsula, also known as the Mullet, is a peninsula in the barony of Erris in County Mayo, Ireland. It consists of a large promontory connected to the mainland at Belmullet , a town of about 2,000 inhabitants, by a narrow isthmus. There are several small towns on the Mullet peninsula...
, Broadhaven
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean situated on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching between Erris Head on the west side and Kid Island on the east side with approximately 8.6 km between the two sides.It borders...
and Blacksod Bay
Blacksod Bay
Blacksod Bay is a bay of the Atlantic Ocean in Erris, North County Mayo, Ireland. The bay is bounded on its western side by the Mullet Peninsula and to its eastern side by the coastline of Kiltane Parish where it extends southwards from Belmullet towards Gweesalia and Doohoma...
. The following species have nationally important populations – Red-breasted merganser, Sand martin, Ringed plover, Grey plover, Sanderling, Dunlin, Bar-tailed godwit, Brent Goose, Oystercatcher, Golden plover, Lapwing, knot, Curlew, Redshank and Turnstone.
Children of Lir
Children of Lir
The Children of Lir is an Irish legend. The original Irish title is Clann Lir or Leannaí Lir, but Lir is the genitive case of Lear. Lir is more often used as the name of the character in English...
spent their last 300 years as captive swans before flying to the nearby Island of Inishglora where they took back their human forms and died instantly because of their great age.
Archaeology
The archaeological survey carried out in 2008 for Royal Dutch ShellRoyal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
by the Archaeological Diving Company in Sruwaddacon Bay took some sample cores from the bay. One of their cores close to Aghoose townland turned up hazelnut
Hazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
shells at a depth of 10.7 metres under the bay. These have been held for analysis to be dated by the archaeological team concerned. The significance of a number of hazelnut
Hazelnut
A hazelnut is the nut of the hazel and is also known as a cob nut or filbert nut according to species. A cob is roughly spherical to oval, about 15–25 mm long and 10–15 mm in diameter, with an outer fibrous husk surrounding a smooth shell. A filbert is more elongated, being about twice...
shells is they could likely be indicative of habitation during the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period (some 9,000 years ago approx). It is likely that early people, Mesolithic and Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
lived on the shores of Sruwaddacon Bay in some numbers as the area has many signs of Mesolithic habitation and there are many sites of Neolithic
Neolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
age in the surrounding townlands. Approximately 9,000 years ago the sea levels were much lower and Sruwaddacon Bay would have been like a confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of rivers rather than the bay it is today.
Corrib Gas Project
Corrib gas controversy
The Corrib gas controversy concerns plans by Shell E&P Ireland, Statoil Exploration Limited, Vermilion Energy Trust and the Irish government for processing the Corrib gas field through Broadhaven Bay and Sruth Fada Conn Bay in Kilcommon parish, Erris, County Mayo, and objections raised against...
Corrib gas project are to run a high pressure, raw, unodourised natural gas pipeline up the middle of this bay. Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
are planning to construct a tunnel under the bay in order to receive planning approval from An Bord Pleanala. The local community and representatives of Pobal Chill Chomáin
Pobal Chill Chomáin
Pobal Chill Chomáin is a pressure group based in the parish of Kilcommon, Erris County Mayo, Ireland. It emerged from the larger Shell to Sea campaign in April 2008...
and Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea
Shell to Sea is a campaign based in Cill Chomáin parish, Erris, County Mayo, Ireland which opposes the proposed construction of a natural gas pipeline through the parish and the ongoing construction by Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil and Vermilion Energy Trust of a refinery at Bellanaboy intended to...
have fought the project through the Courts, through Oral Hearings and through direct action campaigns for the last ten years as gas was first mooted to be flowing from here to Galway in 2002. Kept under community pressure, Shell's latest timescale is now 2013/14.