Lough Hyne
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Lough Hyne is a marine lake in West Cork, Ireland, about 5 km southwest of Skibbereen. It was designated as Ireland's first Marine Nature Reserve in 1981.
Lough Hyne was probably a freshwater lake until about four millennia ago, when rising sea levels flooded it with saline ocean water. The lake is now fed by tidal currents that rush in from the Atlantic through Barloge Creek. The end of the creek is knows as "The Rapids." The lake's small size, only 0.8 km by 0.6 km, creates an unusual habitat of highly oxygenated yet warm seawater that sustains an enormous variety of plants and animals, many of which are not found anywhere else in Ireland. A wide variety of environments such as cliffs, salt marsh, beach, and areas of greatly varying water movement add to the area's biodiversity. Some of the seawalls around the lake and the Rapids were built as relief work during the Great Hunger.
Scientific investigation of the area began in 1886 when Rev. William Spottswood Green first recorded the presence of the purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus. More studies commenced in 1923 and continued throughout the 20th century. Several laboratories were constructed near the shores of the lake, supporting research into areas such as the seagrass beds and marine invertebrates.
The area is a tourist draw. The ruins of Saint Bridgit's Church are on the shores of the lake, as well as St. Brigid's well, where the imprints of her knees are said to be visible in the rocks. Castle Island is located in the center of the lake. The island contains the ruins of Cloghan Castle, once a fortress of the O'Driscoll clan. Although the island is in the center of the Marine Reserve, it is not part of the protected area.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- The Skibbereen Heritage Center
- The history of scientific research at Lough Hyne
- Tourist information
- The establishment of Lough Hyne as a Marine Reserve, including a map of the Reserve
[edit] Further reading
- Norton, T.A. 2001. And in the beginning... the Pioneering Ecological work at Lough Hyne. in Marine Biodiversity in Ireland and Adjacent Waters. Proceedings of a Conference 26 - 27 April 2001. Ulster Museum publication no. 8.
