User:Mrchris/The Loughans

{{Geobox|Protected area}}

The Loughans are Turloughs situated approximately 3 km east of Urlingford, County Kilkenny in Republic of Ireland. Situated below the Slieve Ardagh Hill, the site is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC Site Code IE0000407).

The Loughans is the only large turlough in the south-east of the country, and the highest anywhere in Ireland.

Site

Situated in flat land, The Loughans is a shallow basin surrounded by pasture land with low banks of calcareous drift extending out from the northern side. Some of these carry a species-rich heathy grassland with scattered bushes. There are two shallow ponds with aquatic plants but most of the floor dries out in summer and is grazed. Swallow holes occur in the SE corner and on the western side. The internal channels seem to have no real drainage effect

Located in the Atlantic Biogeographical Region.

Legal

Designated to protect a Turloughs habitat, the site is a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC Site Code IE0000407) selected for Turloughs, a habitat listed on Annex I of the European Union Habitats Directive(92/43/EEC).

Its designation protects specific species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC, namely, Cygnus columbianus bewickii, Cygnus cygnus, Gallinago gallinago, Numenius arquata, Pluvialis apricaria, and Vanellus vanellus.

Transposed into Irish law in the European Union (Natural Habitats) Regulations, 1997. It is also a nationally proposed Natural Heritage Area.

See also

• List of Special Areas of Conservation in County Kilkenny
• List of Special Areas of Conservation in the Republic of Ireland
• List of Special Areas of Conservation in Northern Ireland
• List of Special Areas of Conservation in Wales
• List of Special Areas of Conservation in Scotland
• List of Special Areas of Conservation in England

Notes

a. ^{^} A Preliminary Report on Areas of Scientific Interest in County Kilkenny

b. ^{^} Report from IRELAND, URLINGFORD, CO. KILKENNY. 12TH JUNE

The object of the meeting, attended by five members, was to explore the flora of turlough-type lakes known as 'The Loughans' about two miles south-east of Johnstown. The lakelets, fringed with Filipendula ulmaria and Potentilla anserina, contained much Ranunculus trichophyllus, R. aquatilis and Glyceria j/uitans. Other damp areas, possibly under water in winter, yielded Thalictrum j/avum, Parnassia palustris, Carex hostiana, C. lepidocarpa, Molinia coerulea and Ophioglossum vulgatum while the calcareous drift banks held Antennaria dioica, Linum catharticum, Briza media and Orchis morio. Tullanvoolty Bog, mentioned in older botanical literature, was next visited. Here, two miles north-west of Johnstown, the 'Bog' proved to be a fen somewhat adversely affected by recent drainage. However, species recorded here included Cirsium dissectum, Schoenus nigricans, Carex hostiana, C. lepidocarpa, Selaginella selaginoides and Equisetum variegatum. The meeting ended with the exciting rediscovery of Ophrys insectifera recorded from this site in 1837.

References

Further reading

• Young, R. (1972), A Preliminary Report on Areas of Scientific Interest in County Kilkenny (PDF).
• Breen, C. (1972), Report on field meeting Urlingford, Co Kilkenny (PDF).
• Goodwillie, R.N. (1992), A Preliminary Report on Areas of Ecological & Geological Interest in Co. Kilkenny (PDF), vol. (Unpublished report to Kilkenny County Council), Dublin: An Foras Forbartha.
• Turloughs over 10ha - Vegetation Survey and Evaluation, vol. (Unpublished report to National Parks and Wildlife Service), Dublin.
• Watsonia (1972), Watsonia (PDF), vol. 9, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland (BSBI).

External links

• "Natura 2000 Datasets". European Environment Agency.
• "Natura 2000 Datasets Viewer". European Environment Agency.
• "Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)". NPWS.
• Factsheet filled with data from Natura 2000 data set.