North Slob facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
North Slob
An Slaba Thuaidh
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Natural Reserve
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North Slob seawall
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 North Slob
Location in Ireland
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| Country | Ireland |
| Province | Leinster |
| County | County Wexford |
| Elevation | −3 m (−9.8 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-1 (IST (WEST)) |
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Designations
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| Official name: Wexford Wildfowl Reserve | |
| Designated: | 15 November 1984 |
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| Reference #: | 291 |
The North Slob is a very special natural area in County Wexford, Ireland. It's located near Wexford Harbour, where the River Slaney meets the sea. This area used to be mud-flats, but it was changed in the mid-1800s. People built a large sea wall to reclaim, or take back, about 10 square kilometers (2,500 acres) of land from the sea.
Did you know the North Slob is the lowest point in the whole Republic of Ireland? It's actually 3 meters (10 feet) below sea level! About 2 square kilometers (500 acres) of this reclaimed land is now a nature reserve. It's called the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve (in Irish: Anaclann Éanlaith Fiáin Loch Garman). This reserve is managed by BirdWatch Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS). Good news, it's open for everyone to visit!
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Amazing Wildlife at North Slob
The North Slob is a super important place for birds, especially during winter. It's like a cozy winter home for about 10,000 white-fronted geese. That's about one-third of all the white-fronted geese in the world!
Bird Migration
These geese don't stay in Ireland all year. They migrate (travel long distances) to Greenland for the summer months. Then, when winter comes, they fly all the way back to the North Slob. It's an incredible journey they make every year!
Protecting the Wildfowl Reserve
Because the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve is so important for birds, it has received special recognition. In 1984, it was named a Ramsar site. This means it's a wetland of international importance, especially for waterfowl. The North Slob is also part of a larger area called the Wexford Harbour Special Protection Area. This area covers about 27 square kilometers (10.5 square miles) and helps protect many different bird species.
How Guinness World Records Began Here
You might be surprised to learn that the famous Guinness World Records book has a connection to the North Slob! It all started on May 4, 1951. Sir Hugh Beaver, who was in charge of the Guinness Breweries, was on a hunting trip in the North Slob.
A Question About Birds
During his trip, Sir Hugh got into an argument with his friends. They were debating which was the fastest game bird in Europe: the Eurasian golden plover or the grouse. Later that evening, he realized something important. There was no book that could tell them the answer to their question!
The Idea for a Book
Sir Hugh thought about how many arguments like this probably happened every night in pubs across Britain and Ireland. He realized that a book filled with answers to all sorts of record-breaking questions would be very popular. And that's how the idea for The Guinness Book of Records (now Guinness World Records) was born! The North Slob even appeared on the Open University and BBC's Coast TV show.
