Galway Bay ( Irish: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

, between

County Galway "Righteousness and Justice" , anthem = () , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Galway.svg , map_caption = Location in Ireland , area_footnotes = , area_total_km2 = ...

in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions out ...

Connacht Connacht ( ; ga, Connachta or ), is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the west of Ireland. Until the ninth century it consisted of several independent major Gaelic kingdoms ( Uí Fiachrach, Uí Briúin, Uí Maine, Conmhaícne, and ...

to the north and

the Burren The Burren (; ) is a karst/ glaciokarst landscape centred in County Clare, on the west coast of Ireland.
Burr ...

in County Clare in the province of

Munster Munster ( gle, an Mhumhain or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, in the south of Ireland. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" ( ga, rí ruirech). Following t ...

to the south;

Galway Galway ( ; ga, Gaillimh, ) is a City status in Ireland, city in the West Region, Ireland, West of Ireland, in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Connacht, which is the county town of County Galway. It lies on the River Corrib between Lo ...

city is on the northeast side. The bay is about long and from to in breadth. The

Aran Islands The Aran Islands ( ; gle, Oileáin Árann, ) or The Arans (''na hÁrainneacha'' ) are a group of three islands at the mouth of Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, with a total area around . They constitute the historic barony of Aran i ...

(''Oileáin Árann'') are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay. To the west of Galway, the rocks are

granite Granite () is a coarse-grained ( phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies un ...

but to the south they are limestone. The approaches to the bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland are as follows: * the North Sound (''An Súnda ó Thuaidh'') lies between

Inishmore Inishmore ( ga, Árainn , or ) is the largest of the Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. With an area of and a population of 762 (as of 2016), it is the second-largest island off the Irish coast (after Achill) a ...

and Leitir Mealláin in Connemara; known as ''Bealach Locha Lurgan'' in Irish. * Gregory's Sound (''Súnda Ghríoghóra'') lies between Inishmore and

Inishmaan Inishmaan ( ; ga, Inis Meáin , the official name, formerly spelled , meaning "middle island") is the middle of the three main Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland. It is part of County Galway in the province of Connacht ...

; known as ''Bealach na h-Áite'' in Irish. * Foul Sound (''An Súnda Salach'') lies between Inishmaan and Inisheer; known as ''Bealach na Fearbhaighe'' in Irish. * South Sound (''An Súnda ó Theas''), known as ''Bealach na Finnise'' in Irish, lies between Inisheer and County Clare. Galway Bay is famous for its unique traditional

sailing Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the ''water'' (sailing ship, sailboat, raft, windsurfer, or kitesurfer), on ''ice'' (iceboat) or on ''land'' ( land yacht) over a chose ...

craft, the Galway hooker.

Special Area of Conservation

The coastal parts of Galway Bay have been designated a

Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and a ...

. This is because of the wide range of important habitat types which include intertidal mud and sandflats, other littoral habitats, coastal lagoons, saltmarshes, turloughs, vegetated cliffs, calcareous grassland and limestone pavements. Galway Bay offers habitat to common seals and otters, and is an important ornithological site for seabirds, waders and waterfowl. The lagoons are slightly brackish and have a diverse flora, including tasselweed and the algae ''

Chaetomorpha linum ''Chaetomorpha linum'' is a species of green algae in the family ''Cladophoraceae''. ''Chaetomorpha linum'' and '' Chaetomorpha aerea'' are considered by some authors to be conspecific.Burrows, E.M. 1991. ''Seaweeds of the British Isles Volume ...

'', '' Chara canescens'' and '' Lamprothamnion papulosum'', all of which are lagoon specialists. There are areas of fen dominated by

great fen-sedge ''Cladium mariscus'' is a species of flowering plant in the sedge family known by the common names swamp sawgrass, great fen-sedge, saw-sedge or sawtooth sedge. Previously it was known as elk sedge. It is native of temperate Europe and Asia wher ...

and black bog-rush, with common reed,

purple moor-grass ''Molinia caerulea'', known by the common name purple moor-grass, is a species of grass that is native to Europe, west Asia, and north Africa. It grows in locations from the lowlands up to in the Alps. Like most grasses, it grows best in acid so ...

bogbean ''Menyanthes'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the family Menyanthaceae containing the single species ''Menyanthes trifoliata''. The North American form is often referred to as ''M. trifoliata'' var. ''minor'' Michx. It is known ...

and long-stalked yellow-sedge. The turlough at Ballinacourty forms a temporary lake of about in winter. Wetland species found near the exit-hole of the turlough include amphibious bistort, marsh bedstraw and

marsh cinquefoil ''Comarum palustre'' (syn. ''Potentilla palustris''), known by the common names purple marshlocks, swamp cinquefoil and marsh cinquefoil, is a common waterside shrub. It has a circumboreal distribution, occurring throughout North America, Europe, ...

, with

silverweed ''Argentina'' (silverweeds) is a genus of plants in the rose family (Rosaceae) which is accepted by some authors, as containing 64 species, but classified in '' Potentilla'' sect. ''Leptostylae'' by others. Selected species *''Argentina anserin ...

water mint ''Mentha aquatica'' (water mint; syn. ''Mentha hirsuta'' Huds.Euro+Med Plantbase Project''Mentha aquatica'') is a perennial flowering plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It grows in moist places and is native to much of Europe, northwest Africa ...

and creeping bent in the less frequently flooded places near the edge; sedges (''

Carex ''Carex'' is a vast genus of more than 2,000 species of grass-like plants in the family Cyperaceae, commonly known as sedges (or seg, in older books). Other members of the family Cyperaceae are also called sedges, however those of genus ''Carex'' ...

'' spp.) dominate the rest of the area. The orchid-rich grassland occurs on the flanks of some low drumlin hills to the west of Galway City. The plants here are calcium-loving species including kidney vetch,

harebell ''Campanula rotundifolia'', the harebell, Scottish bluebell, or bluebell of Scotland, is a species of flowering plant in the bellflower family Campanulaceae. This herbaceous perennial is found throughout the temperate regions of the northern hemi ...

, spring gentian,

yellow-wort ''Blackstonia perfoliata'' or yellow-wort is a species of flowering plant in the family Gentianaceae found around the Mediterranean Basin, but extending into northwestern Europe. Description Yellow-wort grows tall, with stiff, branching stems. ...

, greater knapweed,

common spotted-orchid ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'', the common spotted orchid, is a species of flowering plant in the orchid family Orchidaceae. ''Dactylorhiza fuchsii'' is one of Europe's commonest wild orchids. It is widespread across much of Europe, with the range ...

, lesser twayblade, pyramidal orchid and some scrubby

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arc ...

. An unusual feature of the saltmarshes is that, beside thrift, lax-flowered sea lavender, red fescue, common scurvygrass, common saltmarsh-grass,

saltmarsh rush Saltmarsh rush or salt marsh rush is a common name for several plants and may refer to: *''Juncus gerardii'', native to the Northern North America and Europe *''Juncus kraussii'', native to the Southern hemisphere *''Juncus roemerianus'', native to ...

and sea rush, dwarf brown seaweeds are present among the vegetation.

Drowning tragedy of 1902

On 4 May 1902, eight fishermen from a nearby village lost their lives while sailing on Galway Bay, near Kilcolgan. Seven (Patrick Folan, Patrick Burns, Patrick McDonagh, John Barrett, Michael Burke, Michael Dwyer and Stephen Hynes) drowned; Patrick Walsh swam to shore at nearby Kilcolgan, but died of exhaustion on the beach. A fundraising campaign was organised for the families of the drowned fishermen. Claddagh Memorial Galway Bay

Galway Bay in popular culture

Songs

*From traditional Irish song '' The Rare Old Mountain Dew'': *From

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's song '' The Luck of the Irish'': *From

Arthur Colahan Arthur Nicholas Whistler Colahan (12 August 1884 – 15 September 1952) was an Ireland, Irish medical doctor, British Army officer and songwriter. Career Born Nicholas Arthur Colohan at Alexandra Terrace, Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Irel ...

's song '' Galway Bay'': *From a song performed by

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

Darby O'Gill and the Little People ''Darby O'Gill and the Little People'' is a 1959 American fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions, adapted from the ''Darby O'Gill'' stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh. Directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Lawrence E ...

'': *From

Steve Earle Stephen Fain Earle (; born January 17, 1955) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, author, and actor. Earle began his career as a songwriter in Nashville and released his first EP in 1982. Initially working in the country music ...

's musical tribute to Townes Van Zandt, ''Ft. Worth Blues'': :Earle also mentions Galway and

The Long Walk ''The Long Walk'' is a dystopian horror novel by American writer Stephen King, published in 1979, under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. It was collected in 1985 in the hardcover omnibus '' The Bachman Books'', and has seen several reprints ...

in his song " Galway Girl". *From

the Pogues The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse" ...

's '' Fairytale of New York'': *From

Toasted Heretic Toasted Heretic were an Irish rock group who attracted a cult following in the late 1980s and 1990s. They were founded in Galway in 1985, where singer and lyricist Julian Gough was studying English and philosophy. Their best known early indepe ...

's ''Galway Bay'': *From The Mahones ''A Drunken Night in Dublin'': *From The Waterboys' ''Spring Comes to Spiddal'': *Galway Bay is also mentioned in ''

Ireland's Call "Ireland's Call" is a song used as a national anthem by some sports competitors representing the island of Ireland, originally and most notably the men's rugby union team. It was commissioned by the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) for the 1995 ...

'', Ireland's official rugby anthem, written by

Phil Coulter Philip Coulter (born 19 February 1942) is an Irish musician, songwriter and record producer from Derry, Northern Ireland. He was awarded the Gold Badge from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors in October 2009. Coulter ha ...

Gallery

File:GalwayBayMap.png, Map of Galway Bay and environs. File:Galway Bay from Salthill.jpg, Galway Bay from

Salthill Salthill () is a seaside area in the City of Galway in the west of Ireland. Lying within the townland of Lenaboy (''an Léana Buí''), it attracts many tourists all year round. There is a 2 km long promenade, locally known as ''the Pro ...

. File:GalwayBay.jpg, Galway Bay near County Clare. File:Galway bay december.jpg, Galway Bay in December.

References

Sources

* O'Carra, B., Williams, D.M., Mercer, B. and Wood. B. 2014. Evidence of environmental change since the earliest medieval period from the inter-tidal zone of Galway Bay. ''Ir. Nat. J.'' 33: pp 83–88.

External links

*
Depth map
{{Coord, 53, 12, N, 9, 14, W, region:IE_type:waterbody_scale:500000, display=title Bays of County Galway Bays of County Clare Sea loughs of the Republic of Ireland