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Trá an Dóilín, An Ceathrú Rua

Bothar Gear, County Galway

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Description

Trá an Dóilín is an unusual beach formed from a plethora of dead fragments of "maerl", a twig-like calcareous seaweed. This type of beach material is washed up at only a few locations in Ireland. It is an exposed beach which is subject to very strong wave action at times. The bathing area comprises a number of different habitats in close proximity to the beach including rocky outcrops, rock pools, off shore reefs and a fresh water lagoon. These different habitats support a variety of different plant, animal and bird species. It is a popular beach for snorkelling and diving.

Getting There

Trá an Dóilín is a Blue Flag Beach located in the Irish speaking Gaeltacht area of An Cheathrú Rua in Connemara. It is 44 kms to the West of Galway City on the shores of Galway Bay. Galway Bay is a west facing bay, open to the Atlantic. The beach is located approximately 2 km south-west of the village of An Cheathru Rua.

Accessibility

The bathing area comprises a number of different habitats in close proximity to the beach including rocky outcrops known as whale backed reefs, rock pools, off shore reefs and a fresh water lagoon dominated by reeds. A large variety of shell-types are present in the sand. The upper shore contains grey lichens (Ramalina spp.), orange or yellow lichens (Xanthoria spp.) with patches of Thrift (Armeria maritima) dominating. The rock pools contain seaweeds, beadlet anemones and top shells. The mid and lower shore is dominated by seaweeds. Limpets (Patella vulgata) and barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides, Chthamalus spp.) occur on the rock surface. Birds commonly found on the beach at Trá an Dóilín are Black Headed Gulls (Chroicocephalus ridibundus), Herring Gulls (Larus argentatus), Rock Pipits (Anthus petrosus), Grey Herons (Ardea cinerea), Ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), Greater and Lesser Black Backed Gulls (L. marinus & L.fuscus), Curlew (Numenius arguata) and Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus). Common, Artic and Little Terns (S.hirundu & S.paradisaea) breed in the Chill Chiaráin Bay area and may be spotted occasionally diving in the waters around the beach.