Editing Galway Bay (section)

==Special Area of Conservation==
The coastal parts of Galway Bay have been designated a [[Special Area of Conservation]]. This is because of the wide range of important habitat types which include intertidal mud and sandflats, other littoral habitats, coastal lagoons, saltmarshes, [[Turlough (lake)|turloughs]], vegetated cliffs, calcareous grassland and limestone pavements. Galway Bay offers habitat to [[Harbor seal|common seals]] and [[Eurasian otter|otters]], and is an important ornithological site for seabirds, waders and waterfowl.<ref name=SAC>{{cite web |url=https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/synopsis/SY000268.pdf |title=Galway Bay Complex SAC |publisher=Irish Government |access-date=31 March 2020}}</ref>

The lagoons are slightly brackish and have a diverse flora, including [[Ruppia|tasselweed]] and the algae ''[[Chaetomorpha linum]]'', ''[[Chara canescens]]'' and ''[[Lamprothamnion papulosum]]'', all of which are lagoon specialists. There are areas of fen dominated by [[Cladium mariscus|great fen-sedge]] and [[Schoenus nigricans|black bog-rush]], with [[Phragmites australis|common reed]], [[Molinia caerulea|purple moor-grass]], [[Menyanthes trifoliata|bogbean]] and [[Carex lepidocarpa|long-stalked yellow-sedge]]. The turlough at [[Ballinacourty]] forms a temporary lake of about {{convert|25|ha|-1|abbr=on}} in winter. Wetland species found near the exit-hole of the turlough include [[Persicaria amphibia|amphibious bistort]], [[Galium palustre|marsh bedstraw]] and [[Comarum palustre|marsh cinquefoil]], with [[Argentina anserina|silverweed]], [[Mentha aquatica|water mint]] and [[Agrostis stolonifera|creeping bent]] in the less frequently flooded places near the edge; sedges (''[[Carex]]'' spp.) dominate the rest of the area.<ref name=SAC/>

The orchid-rich grassland occurs on the flanks of some low [[Drumlin|drumlin hills]] to the west of Galway City. The plants here are calcium-loving species including [[Anthyllis vulneraria|kidney vetch]], [[Campanula rotundifolia|harebell]], [[Gentiana verna|spring gentian]],  [[Blackstonia perfoliata|yellow-wort]], [[Centaurea scabiosa|greater knapweed]], [[Dactylorhiza fuchsii|common spotted-orchid]], [[Neottia ovata|lesser twayblade]], [[Anacamptis pyramidalis|pyramidal orchid]] and some scrubby [[Juniperus communis|juniper]]. An unusual feature of the saltmarshes is that, beside [[Armeria maritima|thrift]], [[Limonium humile|lax-flowered sea lavender]], [[Festuca rubra|red fescue]], [[Cochlearia officinalis|common scurvygrass]], [[Puccinellia maritima|common saltmarsh-grass]], [[Juncus gerardii|saltmarsh rush]] and [[Juncus maritimus|sea rush]], dwarf brown seaweeds are present among the vegetation.<ref name=SAC/>