Glengarriff - An Environmental Wonder
Glengarriff, the “rugged glen”, is a corner of Ireland renowned for it’s wild beauty. People have lived in the area for over nine thousand years. The present village nestles at the head of a bay speckled with wooded islands, foremost amongst which is Garinish, famous for its Italian Gardens. The bay supports sea eagles and an abundance of seals. Looming over the village are the magnificent Caha Mountains, home to deer, wild goat, hare and raven. Cradled within the mountains is the Glengarriff woodland with its mighty sessile oaks, which are directly descended from the oak forest that once covered the entire lowlands of Ireland before the arrival of mankind.
Also to be found are such native trees as birch, rowan, hazel, holly, willow, hawthorn, scots pine and alder as well as newer arrivals such as beech, eucalyptus, rhododendron and spruce.
Glengarriff’s unique Hiberno-Lusitanian climate encourages a rich growth of mosses, lichens, and ferns, all of which can be seen growing on the trunks and branches of the trees. The climate also supports rare species of saxifrage, Irish spurge and arbutus. Animals which thrive in this warm and varied environment include otters, red squirrels, pine martens, stoats, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, mink, wood mouse and bank vole as well as bats, jays, owls, dippers, ducks, wood pigeons, herons, dragon flies, moths, salmon, trout, fresh water pearl mussels and the very rare Kerry slug.
Also to be found are such native trees as birch, rowan, hazel, holly, willow, hawthorn, scots pine and alder as well as newer arrivals such as beech, eucalyptus, rhododendron and spruce.
Glengarriff’s unique Hiberno-Lusitanian climate encourages a rich growth of mosses, lichens, and ferns, all of which can be seen growing on the trunks and branches of the trees. The climate also supports rare species of saxifrage, Irish spurge and arbutus. Animals which thrive in this warm and varied environment include otters, red squirrels, pine martens, stoats, hedgehogs, foxes, badgers, mink, wood mouse and bank vole as well as bats, jays, owls, dippers, ducks, wood pigeons, herons, dragon flies, moths, salmon, trout, fresh water pearl mussels and the very rare Kerry slug.