Barna Woods facts for kids

Barna Woods (Irish: Coill Bhearna) is an area of mixed broadleaf woodland located in Barna, County Galway, Ireland. The woods are approximately 3 miles from Galway city centre near Galway Bay. The Woods are accessible from Cappagh park which is located in Knocknacara or from Barna Road (Coastal Road - R336) where there is a small carpark. Other sections of the Woods include an area across the road known as the South Wood which leads to marshlands ending in the Silver Strand (Irish: Trá na gCeann) on Galway Bay.

Ecological importance

The woods are owned by Galway City Council and are open to the public. They are managed as part of a large Special Area of Conservation, the Galway Bay Complex, which protects a diverse range of marine, coastal and terrestrial habitats. Barna Woods have been claimed to have the last natural growing oaks in the west of Ireland.