Photo of Golden Strand
Golden Strand
Welcome to Golden Strand, one of the Blue Flag Beaches along the county Mayo coastline. This beach is located approx 3 kilometres east of Doogort village in Achill Island.
Bird Life
Area of Scientific Interest
Local History
Further Information
Bird Life
Some of the more common birds that can be seen at the beach include:
- Cormorants (Broigheall)
- Shags (Seaga)
Waders:
- Snipe (Naoscach)
- Lapwing (Pilibin)
- Oysercatcher (Roilleach)
Terns:
- Common Tern (Geabhrog)
- Arctic Tern (Geabhrog Artach)
- Sandwich Tern (Geabhrog dhuscothach)
Gulls:
- Common Gull (Faoilean Ban)
- Kittiwake (Saidhbhear)
- Blackheaded Gull (Faoilean ceanndubh)
- Great Black-backed Gull (Droimneach mor)
- Lesser Black-backed Gull (Droimneach beag)
- Herring Gull (Faoilean scadan)
Areas of Scientific Interest
Doogort Machair – Lough Doo:
This machair site occurs on two plains separated by an escarpment. The sward includes species such as Common Birds-foot Trefoil, Ladys Bedstraw, various small Sedges and Sand Sedge. Of particular note are the mosses and liverworts which occur here. These include Campulopus Subulatus and Haplomitrium Hodceri. Behind the machair plain are two small lakes. Lough Doo is bordered at it’s western end by a freshwater marsh with Fools Watercress and Lesser Spearwort. Lough Nambrack to the south is partially fringed by Common Reed with occasional Branched Bur-Reed and Bulrush. At it’s western end is a small species rich marsh with water mint, Marsh Marigold, and Marsh Cinquefois. A number of rare species of moss and liverwort are found around these lakes including Leiocolea Gillmannii and Petalwort. This rare species is accorded special protection status by the E.U. The outstanding feature of this site is the range and diversity of mosses and liverworts which occur here. Achill Island is one of the foremost area’s in Ireland which is of international importance for these plants.
Machair
On the Western seaboard, low, flat, windswept sand plains known as Machair are found. Machair consists of a mixture of siliceous sand derived from glacial tills and sediments and calcareous sand derived from the shells of animals which lived on the offshore platform. Machair beaches are often found between rocky coutcrops or in small bays between headlands. The upper limit of the beach is usually marked by a pebble or cobble ridge behind which there are dunes. Behind the dunes is usually a gently sloping plain whose degree of flatness is a reflection of age. The level of the machair plain is controlled by the underlying water table. Hence many machair areas are flooded during winter. A seaward escarpment marks the landward limit of the plain.
Machair is a completely vegetation covered coastal plain, marram and lyme grass being the most common varieties found. Orchids can be found in some locations.
Grazing has an important role in machair formation and keeps the characteristic plant community in balance.
Sea Caves
In the Nineteenth Century, Achill Island was noted for the large number of seals found around it’s coast. The seal caves at Doogort were home to a particularly large colony. Towards the latter half of the century, their numbers began to drop significantly. At the time, many of the islanders attributed their decline to the introduction of the fox to the island via the new bridge at Achill Sound but it is most likely that their decline is due to the large numbers of hunters that came toteh island to hunt the seals for sport during the late nineteenth century. Today, seals can occasionally be seen in the waters around the island.
Local History
The Achill Mission
This Protestant colony was established in 1831 close to the old village of Doogort by Edward Nangle, a young Church of Ireland Minister. His purpose was to win over the Roman Catholic population of the island to the Protestant faith. This mission was unique insofar as it was the first ever established among the native Irish using the Irish language. In 1832, 130 acres if rough mountain land were leased and by 1835 the colony had grown and prospered. A printing house was set up in the same year and for many years, a steady flow of literature from the colony brought great public recognition and financial support from the rest of the Protestant world. The Mission established schools on the island causing tensions between the established Roman Catholic clergy and the colony. The colony was supported by public subscriptions from England and Ireland and by 1842, the colony had it’s own corn mill, kiln, grain stores, general hardware shop, several large dwelling houses for the clergymen, a hotel and thirty thatched cottages. By 1851, the mission owned three-fifths of the island.
During the years of the Great Famine in Ireland (1845-1848), tensions on the island grew as the missionaries were accused of using the crisis to proselytise the starving islanders. However there is every indication that the mission did everything in it’s power to relieve distress among Catholics and Protestants alike. During the 1880s, the tide of emigration, combined with financial difficulties led to the demise of the Achill Mission.
Further Information:
If you would like to research further information, for example, on tourist attractions or activities within this area, find some useful links below:
www.met.ie (For up to date weather forecast)
Mayo Beaches
Westport Civic Office
Mayo County Council
Altamont Street
Westport
Co. Mayo
Phone: 098 50400
Email: westport@mayococo.ie
9:00am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 5:00pm
Mayo Beaches
Westport Civic Offices
Altamont Street
Westport
Co. Mayo
Phone: (098) 50400
Email: westportao@mayococo.ie
9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.