Murlough Nature Reserve


Murlough Nature Reserve is a dune heathland on the coast of County Down in Northern Ireland, near Newcastle. It is on a peninsula between Dundrum Bay and Murlough Bay and has views of Slieve Donard, the highest peak in the Mourne Mountains. Its 6,000-year-old sand dune system has been managed by the National Trust since 1967, when it became Ireland's first nature reserve. It is also home to Murlough Beach.

Features

At 697 acres, it is the largest dune heathland in Ireland, with a network of paths and boardwalks through the dunes. Breeding birds include meadow pipit, Eurasian skylark, common cuckoo, European stonechat, common linnet and common reed bunting. Shorehauling grey seal and common seals are also common in the area. Between 50 and 130 common and grey seals regularly use the area for moulting, resting and feeding. Rare plants local to the site are pyramidal orchid and carline thistle.
On the Dundrum Bay side of the nature reserve is Murlough Beach, a shingle beach and four-mile-long Blue Flag beach.
Grid ref: J414351.

History

In 1857, Arthur Hill, 4th Marquess of Downshire built Murlough House as a summer residence on the peninsula. A wooden bridge was built connecting to Keel Point, replaced in 1893 with the current granite one.
The house and sand dunes were extensively used by the US Army during the Second World War. In 1942 the US 1st Battalion, 13th Armored arrived followed by the 818th Tank Destroyer Battalion in April 1944.

Moths and butterflies

Several rare moths and butterflies can be found within the reserve. 23 butterfly species have been recorded at Murlough NNR, the marsh fritillary, is of European importance - other notable species include dark-green fritillary, grayling and cryptic wood white. One species, the wall brown butterfly has not been recorded for several years.
787 species of moth have been recorded at Murlough Nature Reserve - examples include small elephant hawkmoth, sand dart and the micro moths Pyrausta cingulata and Hysterophora maculosana. A total of 810 Lepidoptera have been recorded within the nature reserve boundary.
Notable migrant species noted in the area have included: cosmopolitan, white-speck, the delicate. In 2012 a Stephens' gem was recorded at Murlough NNR - this was the 1st record for Ireland of this North American species.