Nature & Wildlife

Carrigaholt village sits at the bay of the same name which is part of the Shannon Estuary. The estuary stretches for some 100km from Limerick to Loop Head and is a mixture of sandy beaches, rocky shores and cliffs and vast mud- and sandflats which are in places backed my saltmarshes.

The Carrigaholt hinterland is a typical Irish farming landscape: Fields and pastures that mainly house cattle and the occasional sheep.

Loop Head in general and the Carrigaholt area in particular host a wide variety of interesting - and rare - wildlife. The hedgerows are home to many songbirds: Stonechat, linnet, skylark and meadow pipit are just some of the species. The coast hosts resident species like grey heron, little egret, oystercatcher, raven, peregrine and the rare chough, but really comes alive during winter when the estuary welcomes its winter visitors from the north. These include brent geese, curlews, sanderling, redshank, greenshank, great northern diver and many more. The best spots to see those birds are Carrigaholt Bay and Rinevella Beach.

Other noteworthy wildlife are otters, which are common but very elusive, the Irish hare, grey and common seals, and a herd of feral goats that roam the area around Rehy Hill.

Spring and summer are a colourful affair along the coast. Thrift is the most obvious wildflower in spring and puts a pink hue on the landscape. Sea campion, scurvy grass, early marsh orchid, yellow-horned poppy, bittersweet, sea aster and sea lavender are further highlights. The best place to see these wildflowers is by taking a walk from the village to Rinevella Beach. 

Also interesting is an area of coastal heath beside Kilcredaun lighthouse which features link, common heather, lousewort and bird's-foot trefoil among others.

The Shannon Dolphins are a group of bottlenose dolphins that reside in the Shannon Estuary. In total over 100 animals call the estuary their home, but they usually travel in small groups of 5 to 20 individuals.

A good place to spot them is from Kilcredaun Point (the south-western entrance to Carrigaholt  Bay) or from the Dolphinwatch Carrigaholt boat, which runs dolphin- and wildlife-tours throughout spring and summer.