St Gobnet's Wood (alternative spelling: St. Gobnait's Wood) is an area of oak woodland at Baile Bhuirne, County Cork, Ireland. The wood, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service's survey, is about 30 ha in extent.[1] In 1998 St Gobnet's Wood was proposed as a Site of Community Importance under the EU Habitats Directive. Subsequently, Cascade Wood, on the other side of the N22 road, was identified as the habitat of species of European interest, notably the rare Kerry slug.[2] [3] In 2007 the Irish Environment Minister, John Gormley, proposed the expansion of the existing Special Area of Conservation to include Cascade Wood. The European Environment Agency's records show the SAC as covering 44 ha following an update in 2008.[4]
When the Irish government gave protection to Cascade Wood, it was also agreed that the alignment of a proposed by-pass should avoid the SAC.[5] As at 2011 the new route for the Macroom-Baile Bhuirne section of the N22 has yet to be constructed.