Mannin Bay near Ballyconneely is always a beautiful place to visit. It is on the Wild Atlantic Way and also on the The kayak route called The Blueway (see below for links). It is lovely place to visit as it is a sheltered safe beach with turquoise clear waters and yellow “sand”.

The “sand” is in fact detached red calcified seaweed, maërl or otherwise known as coralline algae. The scientific name is Lithothamnion corallioides. The detached dead seaweed is cast up so that a beach is formed of the broken-up fragments. These are known as “coral strands” found at several places in Galway and are curiously beautiful beaches with different sized “coral” fragments sorted and graded by the size. These are not true corals as true coral is formed by marine invertebrates that normally live in compact colonies and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.

Mannin Bay is also interesting for its vibrant rock pools with many sea anemones and limpets. The Bay is very sheltered so much of the intertidal zone is dominated by eggwrack (Ascophyllum nodosum). Common Seals (Phoca vitulina) commonly haul out in Mannin Bay (around Ardoileán) at the corner of the bay nearest Clifden. Mannin is a great place for a swim, a kayak, rock pooling and picnicking on a warm summer day. It is particularly great for picnics as this “Sand” will not get into your sandwiches or stick to your feet.

Mannin Bay is included in the Natura 2000 Special Area of Conservation Slyne Head Peninsula SAC (http://www.npws.ie/protectedsites/specialareasofconservationsac/slyneheadpeninsulasac)

See Blueway info
(http://www.discoverireland.ie/Arts-Culture-Heritage/mannin-bay-blueway-clifden/91603)

See Wild Atlantic Way info
(http://www.ireland.com/en-gb/wild-atlantic-way/#)