Gougane Barra Forest Park
The Gougane Barra valley was shaped and deepened during the Pleistocene Glaciation in the period 200,000 to 10,000 years ago by a glacier which flowed from the corrie of Com Rua, at the head of the valley. This glacier flowed eastwards into the Lee Valley where is deposited extensive sheets of gravel in the Ballingeary / Inchigeela area. The lake lies in a basin carved out by the ice, and although its dark waters and dramatic situation give the impression of great depth it is in fact no deeper than 90 feet. The valley, Com Rua (Red coum or hollow), was farmed until the 1930's, when the Irish Forestry Service (Coillte) took it over. There is much evidence of the farms in the valley as the trees were planted amongst the the high cliffs and stone ditched fields of yester year. Indeed the public toilets were built on the site of 2 farm houses whose occupants were given farms else where. The Forest Park, comprising some 350 acres, was first planted in 1938 with further planting over the succeeding years. The plantings were largely of Lodgepole Pine, Sitka Spruce and Japanese Larch, three species that thrive in poorer soils and stand up well to exposure. The Sitka Spruce, native to a narrow coastal belt from Alaska to California is particularly resistant to constant winds and suits a wide range of soils. Lodgepole Pine, is so called because the North American Indians used its stems as poles for their wigwams while the Japanese Larch is quite distinct in its appearance as a soft feathery light-green needle tree. As you wander through forest park today you should remember that what you see around you has been a result of many years of many men who worked not against Nature, but with it, to achieve an aesthetic unity within Gougane Barra. Whether following the Motor Trial, walking or just experiencing the mouth watering views of place names like Maolach, Coimim Tirim or Beillic then we hope that you will enjoy your visit to the Forest Park and that you will find it as unspoiled and unsullied as you leave it today.
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