Editing Galway Bay

{{Short description|Large bay in County Galway, western Ireland}}
{{About|the bay|the song|Galway Bay (song)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Irish English|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox body of water
| name               = Galway Bay
| native_name        = {{lang|ga|Cuan na Gaillimhe}}
| other_name         = 
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| image              = Galway Bay and Co. Clare (506274) (26553934032).jpg
| alt                = View of Galway Bay from Salthill
| caption            = View of Galway Bay from [[Salthill]]
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| type               = [[Bay]]
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| inflow             = [[River Corrib]]
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| pushpin_map             = Ireland
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'''Galway Bay''' ([[Irish language|Irish]]: ''Loch Lurgain'' or ''Cuan na Gaillimhe'') is a bay on the west coast of [[Ireland]], between [[County Galway]] in the [[Provinces of Ireland|province]] of [[Connacht]] to the north and [[the Burren]] in [[County Clare]] in the province of [[Munster]] to the south; [[Galway]] city is on the northeast side.  The bay is about {{convert|50|km|mi|sigfig=1}} long and from {{convert|10|km|mi|sigfig=1}} to {{convert|30|km|mi|sigfig=1}} in breadth. The [[Aran Islands]] (''Oileáin Árann'') are to the west across the entrance and there are numerous small islands within the bay. To the west of Galway, the rocks are [[granite]] but to the south they are limestone.<ref name=SAC/>

The approaches to the bay between the Aran Islands and the mainland are as follows:
* the North Sound (''An Súnda ó Thuaidh'') lies between [[Inishmore]] and [[Leitir Mealláin]] in [[Connemara]]; known as ''Bealach Locha Lurgan'' in Irish. 
* Gregory's Sound (''Súnda Ghríoghóra'') lies between Inishmore and [[Inishmaan]]; known as ''Bealach na h-Áite'' in Irish.
* Foul Sound (''An Súnda Salach'') lies between Inishmaan and [[Inisheer]]; known as ''Bealach na Fearbhaighe'' in Irish.
* South Sound (''An Súnda ó Theas''), known as ''Bealach na Finnise'' in Irish, lies between Inisheer and County Clare.

Galway Bay is famous for its unique traditional [[sailing]] craft, the [[Galway hooker]].<ref>Scott, Richard J (1983) ''The Galway Hooker.'' Ward River Press. {{ISBN|0-907085-58-X}}</ref>

==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/>

==Drowning tragedy of 1902==
On 4 May 1902, eight fishermen from a nearby village lost their lives while sailing on Galway Bay, near [[Kilcolgan]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Eight fishermen drown |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=10 May 1902 }}</ref><ref name="GalwayIndependent">{{cite news|last1=Madden |first1=Marie |title=Talking History |work=Galway Independent |url=http://galwayindependent.com/20120516/news/talking-history-S3924.html |access-date=1 May 2015 |date=16 May 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518100828/http://galwayindependent.com/20120516/news/talking-history-S3924.html |archive-date=18 May 2015 }}</ref> Seven (Patrick Folan, Patrick Burns, Patrick McDonagh, John Barrett, Michael Burke, Michael Dwyer and Stephen Hynes) drowned; Patrick Walsh swam to shore at nearby [[Kilcolgan]], but died of exhaustion on the beach.<ref name="GalwayIndependent"/> A fundraising campaign was organised for the families of the drowned fishermen.<ref>{{cite news |title=Fund for drowned men |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=27 May 1902 }}</ref>

[[File:Claddagh Memorial Galway Bay.jpg|240px|thumb|Cladagh Memorial opposite St Mary's Church, the Claddagh, Galway]]

==In popular culture==
===Songs===
*From traditional Irish song ''[[The Rare Old Mountain Dew]]'':
{{poemquote|
Let grasses grow and waters flow
In a free and easy way
But give me enough of the rare old stuff
That's made near Galway Bay}}

*From [[John Lennon]]'s song ''[[Some Time in New York City|The Luck of the Irish]]'':
{{poemquote|
If we could make chains with the morning dew
The world would be like Galway Bay
}}

*From [[Arthur Colahan]]'s song ''[[Galway Bay (song)|Galway Bay]]'':
{{poemquote|
If you ever go across the sea to Ireland
Then maybe at the closing of your day
You will go and see the moon rise over [[Claddagh]]
Or see the sun go down at Galway Bay.
}}

*From a song performed by [[Sean Connery]] in [[Disney]]'s ''[[Darby O'Gill and the Little People]]'':
{{poemquote|
Have you ever seen the seagulls
a-flying o'er the Heather
or the crimson sails on Galway Bay
the fishermen unfurl?
}}

*From [[Steve Earle]]'s musical tribute to [[Townes Van Zandt]], ''Ft. Worth Blues'':
{{poemquote|
There's a [[full moon]] over Galway Bay tonight
Silver light over green and blue
And every place I travel through, I find
Some kinda sign that you've been through
}}
:Earle also mentions Galway and [[Spanish Arch|The Long Walk]] in his song "[[Galway Girl (Steve Earle song)|Galway Girl]]".

*From [[the Pogues]]'s ''[[Fairytale of New York]]'':
{{poemquote|
The boys in the NYPD choir
are still singing "Galway Bay"
And the bells are ringing out
For Christmas day.
}}

*From [[Toasted Heretic]]'s ''Galway Bay'':
{{poemquote|
The sun goes down on Galway Bay
The daughter goes down on me
Her dad's not due until one or maybe two
And I'm happy as I'll ever be
}}

*From [[The Mahones]] ''A Drunken Night in Dublin'':
{{poemquote|
A drunk night in Dublin
Ended up in Galway Bay
}}

*From [[The Waterboys]]' ''Spring Comes to Spiddal'':<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metrolyrics.com/spring-comes-to-spiddal-lyrics-waterboys.html |title=Spring Comes to Spiddal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160326195303/http://www.metrolyrics.com/spring-comes-to-spiddal-lyrics-waterboys.html|archive-date=2016-03-26|url-status=unfit|access-date=7 February 2016}}</ref>
{{poemquote|
On a soft and fresh Atlantic air a mist of pollen floats
On Galway Bay I spy a gaily painted fishing boat
}}

*Galway Bay is also mentioned in ''[[Ireland's Call]]'', Ireland's official rugby anthem, written by [[Phil Coulter]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:GalwayBayMap.png|Map of Galway Bay and environs.
File:Galway Bay from Salthill.jpg|Galway Bay from [[Salthill]].
File:GalwayBay.jpg|Galway Bay near County Clare.
File:Galway bay december.jpg|Galway Bay in December.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{Portal|Ireland}}
*[[List of loughs in Ireland]]
*[[Island Eddy]]
*[[Galway Bay Steamboat Company]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* O'Carra, B., Williams, D.M., Mercer, B. and Wood. B. 2014. Evidence of environmental change since the earliest medieval period from the inter-tidal zone of Galway Bay. ''Ir. Nat. J.'' '''33''': pp 83–88.

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Galway Bay}}
* [http://www.infomar.ie/surveying/Bays/BayProfileImages/Galway/Large_Images/WEB/GY_BY_120K_650.jpg Depth map] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171127032544/http://www.infomar.ie/surveying/Bays/BayProfileImages/Galway/Large_Images/WEB/GY_BY_120K_650.jpg |date=27 November 2017 }} <!--from http://www.infomar.ie/surveying/Bays/Galway.php -->

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[[Category:Bays of County Galway]]
[[Category:Bays of County Clare]]
[[Category:Sea loughs of the Republic of Ireland]]