For Special Protection Areas (SPA),
Proposed Sites for Community Importance (pSCI),
Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and
for Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. SITE IDENTIFICATION
• 2. SITE LOCATION
• 3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION
• 4. SITE DESCRIPTION
• 5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS
• 6. SITE MANAGEMENT
• 7. MAP OF THE SITE

1. SITE IDENTIFICATION

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1.1 Type

B

1.2 Site code

IE0000030

1.3 Site name

Danes Hole, Poulnalecka SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

1996-07

1.5 Update date

2018-09

1.6 Respondent:

Name/Organisation:	National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht
Address:
Email:	datadelivery@chg.gov.ie

1.7 Site indication and designation / classification dates

Date site proposed as SCI:	1998-05
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	2016-02
National legal reference of SAC designation:	88/2016

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-8.698188
Latitude:	52.796334

2.2 Area [ha]

38.4276

2.3 Marine area [%]

0.0000

2.4 Sitelength [km] (optional):

No information provided

2.5 Administrative region code and name

NUTS level 2 code	Region Name
IE02	Southern and Eastern

2.6 Biogeographical Region(s)

Atlantic

(0.00 %)

3. ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

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3.1 Habitat types present on the site and assessment for them

Annex I Habitat types						Site assessment
Code	PF	NP	Cover [ha]	Cave [number]	Data quality	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Representativity	Relative Surface	Conservation	Global
8310			0.39	0.00	M	B	C	B	C
91A0			7.86	0.00	M	C	C	C	C

• PF: for the habitat types that can have a non-priority as well as a priority form (6210, 7130, 9430) enter "X" in the column PF to indicate the priority form.
• NP: in case that a habitat type no longer exists in the site enter: x (optional)
• Cover: decimal values can be entered
• Caves: for habitat types 8310, 8330 (caves) enter the number of caves if estimated surface is not available.
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation)

3.2 Species referred to in Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and listed in Annex II of Directive 92/43/EEC and site evaluation for them

Species					Population in the site						Site assessment
G	Code	Scientific Name	S	NP	T	Size		Unit	Cat.	D.qual.	A|B|C|D	A|B|C
						Min	Max				Pop.	Con.	Iso.	Glo.

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, I = Invertebrates, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• S: in case that the data on species are sensitive and therefore have to be blocked for any public access enter: yes
• NP: in case that a species is no longer present in the site enter: x (optional)
• Type: p = permanent, r = reproducing, c = concentration, w = wintering (for plant and non-migratory species use permanent)
• Unit: i = individuals, p = pairs or other units according to the Standard list of population units and codes in accordance with Article 12 and 17 reporting (see reference portal)
• Abundance categories (Cat.): C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present - to fill if data are deficient (DD) or in addition to population size information
• Data quality: G = 'Good' (e.g. based on surveys); M = 'Moderate' (e.g. based on partial data with some extrapolation); P = 'Poor' (e.g. rough estimation); VP = 'Very poor' (use this category only, if not even a rough estimation of the population size can be made, in this case the fields for population size can remain empty, but the field "Abundance categories" has to be filled in)

3.3 Other important species of flora and fauna (optional)

No information provided

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N16	39.00
N14	45.00
N23	1.00
N06	3.00
N22	11.00
N08	1.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

This site consists of a small fossil limestone cave in the banks of a tributary to the River Ahaclare, west of Broadford, Co. Clare. The cave is approximately 50 m long and 2-3m wide. The passage is, at times, quite low. The cave ends in a sump. There is no sign that this water floods other parts of the cave, or that the stream outside the entrance floods the cave. The cave is used as a winter hibernation site by Lesser Horseshoe Bats. The area surrounding the cave is mixed woodland which provides ideal foraging habitat and shelter for the bats. A summer roost and important commuting hedgerows down to the Ahaclare are also included in the site.

4.2 Quality and importance

The site contains a small, though significant, natural limestone cave. As this site contains 250 Lesser Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus hipposideros), it is a site of international importance. It is also important as it lies along the eastern limit for the distribution of this species in Ireland. The site also supports a stand of Old Oak woodland.

4.3 Threats, pressures and activities with impacts on the site

The most important impacts and activities with high effect on the site

4.4 Ownership (optional)

No information provided

4.5 Documentation (optional)

O'Sullivan, P. (1994). Bats in Ireland. The Irish Naturalists' Journal. Special zoological supplement. 21pp. Self, C.A. (ed) (1981). Caves of County Clare. University of Bristol Speleological Society. 225pp. Speleological Union of Ireland (1997). National Biodiversity Plan: Guidelines for Caves and Karst Protection 1997. Unpublished.

5. SITE PROTECTION STATUS

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6. SITE MANAGEMENT

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6.1 Body(ies) responsible for the site management:

No information provided

6.2 Management Plan(s):

An actual management plan does exist:

	Yes
	No, but in preparation
X	No

6.3 Conservation measures (optional)

No information provided

 

7. MAP OF THE SITE

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Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)

Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY