Ardara Bays & Coast

LCA 30

An Gaeltacht

Ardara Bays, Coast and Gaeltacht Landscape Character Area is a low lying undulating area with an open aspect, framed by the higher uplands of the surrounding LCAs and by a long and varied coastline indented by long sandy tidal estuaries.

The area has a myriad of landscape types; the inland landscape is pre-dominantly bog and lake interspersed with fertile riverine agricultural corridors to the south following the Owenea and Owentocker Rivers and large commercial coniferous forestry plantations within the east. Agricultural lands along river valleys and in the hinterland of Ardara and are characterised by larger hedgerow bound geometric fields, at variance with the coastal farmland of a more open nature with historic fields patterns of note at Loughros and Portnoo.

The coast extends from within the tidal estuary at Gweebarra bay, past Inishkeel island, around Dawross Head and into Loughros More Bay and estuary before following the shore around Loughros Point and Loughros Beg Bay and estuary.

The Wild Atlantic Way extends through this area along the route of the R261, skimming the north coast that already has an established tourism and recreation base at Nairn and Portnoo.

This area has been settled throughout history and many important historic sites and monuments remain, including Doon Fort, an island crannog dating from the 4 th Century, and the ruins of a 6 th century monastery and church on Inishkeel island.

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Landscape Character types

Seascape Character Units

Map/list Seascape units

Seascape Unit 12 and Seascape Unit 13 are within the Ardara Bays, Coast and Gaeltacht Landscape Character Area.

Key characteristics uses: Predominantly low-lying bog and lakes with agricultural, tourism, forestry, marine and aquaculture uses.

Coastal edge: Rocky cliffs off Dunmore Head , tidal esturaries, intertidal , sandy beaches and dune systems.

Visibility: There are intermittent uninterupted views of the bays and sea from stretches of the coastal road network and viewing areas along the headlands.

Special featuress significant buildings, landmarks, biodiversity and cultural features: Gweebarra salmonoid river, shell fish, fresh water pearl mussel catchment area, sand beaches, large dune complexes, Inishkeel island, Ardara (Heritage Town).

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Landscape Characteristics

Land Form and Land Cover

• Underlying geology of schist, with areas of granite and quartzite further east in the LCA. • The primary landscape type inland is bog and lakes with large areas of coniferous forestry concentrated around Lough Machugh, Lough Ananima and a sucession of smaller lakes at Ballyiriston. • A series of rivers dissect this landscape, including the Owentocker, Owenea and Gweebarra rivers that flow through fertile agricultural valleys to the sea via inimitable tidal estuaries to Loughros Beg Bay, Loughros More Bay and Gweebarra Bay respectively. • Convergence of agricultural corridors with a geometric pattern of hedge and tree trimmed fields around Ardara are notably different from the surrounding open and untamed landscape. • Extensive sand dune system at Sheskinmore of considerable ecological importance. • Dispersed pattern of isolated rural dwellings and holiday homes dotted throughout the area and along the road network. Three mobile home parks, one at Sheskinmore and two in Portnoo, a seasonal tourism location. • Inishkeel Island faces onto Portnoo beach and is accessible on foot at low tide across a sand spit; it is uninhabited but the ruins of a 6th century Monastery, cross-slabs, 2 churches and a graveyard remain. • 9 turbine wind farm on bog land within the north of this LCA.

Settlements

• Ardara : Ardara is a heritage town with a long association with the tweed and knitwear industry. It is located to the west of and has a high tourist value owing in part to its location on the banks of River Owentocher, and near to the coast. It has a good range of services and facilities and a strong identifiable main street with a steady growth in residential development since 2000. The town provides a range of local services and functions to a wide geographic rural hinterland. • Glenties : Glenties is a vibrant, medium sized town in the heart of the Gaeltacht that offers a wide and varied range of facilities and services, both to the town and the wider rural Gaeltacht hinterland. The town has a strong ‘town centre,’ within which most of the retail and service offer are located with small scale local level commercial activity. • Nairn and Portnoo are popular seaside settlements on the northern coastline facing Gweebarra Bay and located near soft sandy beaches.

History, Culture and Heritage

• Numerous archaeological structures and sites throughout the area, including a number of Recorded Monuments. • Doon Fort is an oval stone fort (crannog) on Doon Lough, south of Portnoo. The fort dates from the 4 th century, it is 4.8m high and 3.6m wide with passages either side of the entrance, and of a similar construction method to An Grianan of Aileach in LCA 11. • Inishkeel island is accessible during low tide from Portnoo beach and was the location of a 6 th century monastery founded by St Conal, 2 churches and a graveyard; the

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ruins of these structures remain and the island is also the location of two important carved cross slabs. • Important vernacular and imposed built heritage including 6 RPS structures. • Historic Landscape Characterisation identifies historic field patterns along the coast at Portnoo and on Loughros peninsula, consisting of predominantly ladder farms on lands settled by farmer fishermen.

Access and Recreation

• N56 links Ardara in the south to Glenties on the east then Maas on the north at the Gweebarra River crossing where it continues north to . R261 extends from Ardara north to Portnoo. • Wild Atlantic Way follows the route of the R261 through the west of this area with a discovery point at Narin/Portnoo. • Golf courses at Narin/Portnoo and located along western coast. • There is a strong tourism sector in this area and the leisure industry is focused on the landscape, seascape and their use as well as the rich historical and cultural assets of the area. • Ardara area and the surrounding glens and mountains contain many scenic walks and drives.

Biodiversity

• Ecologically important landscape containing 4,328ha of Natura 2000 sites (SAC & SPA), 53.68ha of NHA sites and 4,475ha of pNHA sites as well as the important biodiversity links of the riverine corridors and bog lakes. • Forestry plantations on higher lands along the east side of the landscape character area.

Forces for change

• Linear development along the rural road network. • Tourism related holiday home developments. • Potential for further development of sailing and water based tourism activities. • Intensification of afforestation. • Telecommunications and infrastructural development. • Coastal erosion. • Housing and holiday home developments. • Mobile home park developments/ extension.

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