Bantry town is situated at the head of the long, deep marine inlet known as Bantry Bay, which is flanked by the old-red sandstone peninsulas of Beara and Muntervary (Sheep’s Head). While the seas of the outer bay can be wild and rough, the inner bay between Bantry and Whiddy Island is a sheltered wildlife haven studded with small islands. Inland, the town is circled by hills and mountains, with the 284m peak of Knocknaveagh adjacent to Bantry boasting stunning views over Bantry Bay and the Caha Mountains. 13km to the north is Knockboy (An Cnoc Buí), which at 760m is the highest mountain in County Cork.  Within Bantry town itself the terrain is more gentle, with some of best nature to be found along the seashore or at Bantry House, with its woodlands, ancient grasslands and bats.

The geography of Bantry means it is rich in habitats, from river to sea, grassland to woodland, moorland to shingle beach, walls to parkland.    During surveys in 2009, these habitats were found to support at least 316 plant species, 43 grassland fungi, 43 lichens, 10 seaweeds, 12 butterfly species, 10 species of bumblebee and 90 birds.  Some of the habitats ands species are summarised below, with more indepth information being available in the downloadable sections of Bantry’s Biodiversity Plan which are at the bottom of this page.

Rivers and steams The Mill Stream flows from the hills, through the mill wheel at the library and under the town to emerge in Bantry Harbour.  It’s the place to spot the occasional dipper or a grey wagtail. At the northern edge of town, the Mealagh River flows into the bay at Donemark.  This river supports otter, salmon and trout and small populations of the rare freshwater pearl mussel. The pearl mussels can survive up to 120 years old making it the longest-living animal in Ireland.

Lakes and ponds Lough Bofinna, located directly east of the town, is a popular fishing lake, stocked with rainbow trout.  On summer evenings swallows dip low over the surface of the water catching insects and gulls from the bay gather to take advantage of the freshwater.  In winter, little grebe are the most common bird on the lake.

Grassland and marsh

Bantry House has beautifully manicured lawns and rough meadows. Neither are fertilised which makes them excellent for wildlife.  The mown lawn supports more species of grassland fungi than almost anywhere else in Ireland and the meadow has a grass called meadow brome which is an indicator of ancient grassland.

Heath

The slopes of Knocknaveagh are covered in moorland, with heathers such as cross-leaved heath, ling and bell heather. There are also some insectivorous species of plant: sundew and large-flowered butterwort.  In spring, skylarks can be heard singing and throughout the year it’s a good place to spot a kestrel hovering. On a damp day, look out for the rare Kerry slug, a black species with white spots, which can be found grazing on lichen-covered rocks. Both the Kerry slug and large-flowered butterwort are so-called Luisitanean species, which occur only in south-west Ireland and the north-western corner of the Iberian peninsula.

Woodland and scrub

There are some beautiful woodlands in and around Bantry. The easiest to access are at Bantry House, where paths behind the house meander though the mixed broadleaf woodlands. These are old estate woodland so there is a mix of species such as sweet chestnut, sycamore, beech, orange-barked myrtle and Scot’s pine, along with some fine yew trees. 

Buildings and bats

The buildings and stonewalls Bantry support their own wildlife and plants, adding to the diversity of species found in and around the town.  Both St Brendan’s church and St. Finbarr’s church have brown long-eared bats in their attics, while the Bantry House complex has lesser horseshoe bats, Leisler’s bats and pipistrelles.  Several buildings in Bantry have swifts, whilst swallows and house martins are common. Near the town there are at least two old farmhouses with nesting barn owls.

Sea cliffs and drumlins

Bantry has sedimentary sea cliffs formed of glacial till, seen at their most dramatic at Blue Hill, near the airstrip. In some places, the cliffs have become vegetated with Gunnera (‘wild rhubarb’), an invasive species. The cliffs are the eroded faces of drumlins (low, rounded hills formed by glacial action). The islands of the inner bay (Whiddy, Rabbit, Chapel, Hog and Horse Islands) are all formed by drumlins and form part of a ‘drumlin swarm’ which is recognised as being of geological importance in the Cork County Development Plan.

Islets

The low, rocky Horse Island has supported an important colony of common terns since at least 1995. With 143 nests in 2009, Horse Island now supports one of the largest common tern colonies in the Republic.

One unique feature in inner Bantry Bay is the remains of the Whiddy jetty.  The massive jetty was partially destroyed when the oil tanker Betelguese exploded in 1979 with the tragic loss of 49 lives.  The jetty now acts as a man-made cliff for nesting birds, supporting 70-80 pairs of shag and a noteworthy population of around 20 pairs of black guillemot.  Other seabirds nesting on islands in the bay include cormorant colonies on  Lousy Castle Island and Sheelane Island.

Coast: beaches and estuary

The Bantry shoreline is relatively sheltered and the sediments exposed at low tide are mostly shingle and gravel with mud occurring in the small estuary adjacent to the town square.  In winter the exposed mudflats are host to small numbers of wader such as redshank and oystercatcher, but more obvious is the large numbers of black-headed gulls.  The harbour is a mecca for birdwatchers in winter because rare migrant gulls can be spotted amongst the black-headed gulls. Species seen in recent winters include Mediterranean gull, Iceland gull, ring-billed gull and little gull.

Sea Bantry Bay is the largest of the marine inlets in the south-west of Ireland.  The southern shore is approximately 35km long, while the northern shore out as far as Dursey Island is 55km.  The bay is 10km wide at its broadest point and up to 70m deep.  The seabed is covered in a predominantly muddy substrate, although coarse sand, gravels and rock do occur e.g. close to the north shore of Whiddy.  In outer Bantry Bay, maerl beds are located off Bere Island.  A sea squirt (Phallusia mammillata), the largest found in Britain or Ireland, has been found in Bantry Bay. Indeed, this is the only known location of the species in Ireland.

Seals: Bantry Bay is home to one of the largest populations of harbour seal in the country, with up to 400 being present.  They haul out on rocky islets at low tide, with peak numbers being seen in late summer/early autumn when the seals are moulting.  There are a few grey seals, but they generally prefer the more exposed waters of the outer bay.

Cetaceans: range of whales and dolphins (cetaceans) have been recorded in inner Bantry Bay.  Species most commonly seen are porpoise, common dolphin, bottle-nose dolphin and minke whale.  Ocasionally cetacean species have been known to strand in bay, most recently two northern bottlenose whales.  This whale normally inhabits deep, offshore waters but on the 27th August 2009 two live stranded on Cusroe, Whiddy and subsequently died

Fish and mussels: The lines of barrels in the inner bay are the visual sign of an extensive industry growing rope-grown edible mussels (Mytilus edulis). Bantry Bay is one of the main areas in Ireland for this type of aquaculture. The bay is also a known spawning ground for autumn-spawning herring (Clupea harengus). Other fish occurring include mackerel, pollack, dog-fish, mullet and ballan wrasse.  Commercially caught species include Dublin bay prawn.

Downloads

The Natural Heritage section of the website is part of Bantry Tidy Towns initiative, supported by the National Parks and Wildlife Service and funded by The Heritage Council under the Heritage Education, Communication & Outreach Grants Scheme, 2010.