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

IE0000665

1.3 Site name

Helvick Head SAC

1.4 First Compilation date

2003-02

1.5 Update date

2020-10

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:	2003-02
Date site confirmed as SCI:	No information provided
Date site designated as SAC:	2017-11
National legal reference of SAC designation:	507/2017

2. SITE LOCATION

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2.1 Site-centre location [decimal degrees]:

Longitude:	-7.541885
Latitude:	52.048100

2.2 Area [ha]

203.4739

2.3 Marine area [%]

82.2880

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
1230			10.26	0.00	M	B	C	B	C
4030			18.46	0.00	M	B	C	B	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.
B	A200	Alca torda			r	41	41	i		G	C	B	C	C
B	A103	Falco peregrinus			p	1	1	p		G	C	B	C	C
B	A009	Fulmarus glacialis			r	42	42	p		G	C	B	C	C
B	A346	Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax			p	1	1	p		G	C	B	C	C
B	A188	Rissa tridactyla			r	934	934	p		G	B	A	C	A
B	A199	Uria aalge			r	990	990	i		G	C	A	C	B

• 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)

Species					Population in the site				Motivation
Group	CODE	Scientific Name	S	NP	Size		Unit	Cat.	Species Annex		Other categories
					Min	Max		C|R|V|P	IV	V	A	B	C	D
B		Cepphus grylle			10	10	i						X
B		Corvus corax			1	1	p							X
B		Larus argentatus			44	44	p							X
B		Larus marinus			2	2	p							X
B		Phalacrocorax aristotelis			6	6	p						X

• Group: A = Amphibians, B = Birds, F = Fish, Fu = Fungi, I = Invertebrates, L = Lichens, M = Mammals, P = Plants, R = Reptiles
• CODE: for Birds, Annex IV and V species the code as provided in the reference portal should be used in addition to the scientific name
• 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)
• 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)
• Cat.: Abundance categories: C = common, R = rare, V = very rare, P = present
• Motivation categories: IV, V: Annex Species (Habitats Directive), A: National Red List data; B: Endemics; C: International Conventions; D: other reasons

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

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4.1 General site character

Habitat class	% Cover
N01	72.00
N05	15.00
N08	9.00
N09	3.00
N22	1.00
Total Habitat Cover	100

Other Site Characteristics

Helvick Head is at the tip of an east-north-east facing promontory on the southern side of Dungarvan Harbour. It forms the eastern extremity of a broad sandstone ridge which extends west as far as Cork City and is the most northern of the (Hercynian) parallel folds in the rocks of the south-west of Ireland. The beds of rock dip quite steeply at this point so that the cliffs, which rise to over 60 m, are formed of a series of semi-vertical ribs with small gullies between them, especially at the eastern end. The site extends over 3.5 km of coastline from Helvick Head to Muggort's Bay. In addition to dry heath and sea cliffs, the site comprises dry grassland, rocky shore and some shingle. A marine area to a distance of 500 m from the cliff base occurs in the eastern part of the site and is for the benefit of nesting seabirds.

4.2 Quality and importance

The site supports typical examples of vegetated sea cliffs and coastal Erica-Ulex dry heath, with a south to south-east facing aspect. Both habitats have good structures and are functioning well. Helvick Head is an important seabird colony and has a nationally important breeding population of Rissa tridactyla and regionally important numbers of Fulmarus glacialis, Larus argentatus, Uria aalge, Alca torda and Cepphus grylle. The site supports Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, though suitable nesting and foraging habitat is limited, and is a traditional nesting site for Falco peregrinus.

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)

Berrow, S.D., Mackie, K.L., O. Sullivan, O., Shepperd, K.B., Mellon, C. and Coveney, J.A. (1993). The second International Chough Survey in Ireland, 1992. Irish Birds 5: 1-10. Hunt, J., Derwin, J., Coveney, J. and Newton, S. (2000). Republic of Ireland. Pp. 365-416 in Heath, M.F. and Evans, M.I.(eds.) Important Bird Areas in Europe: Priority Sites for Conservation 1: Northern Europe. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8). Lloyd, C. (1982). Inventory of Seabird Breeding Colonies in Republic of Ireland. Unpublished report, Forest and Wildlife Service, Dublin.Madden, B., Hunt, J. and Norriss, D. (2003). National Peregrine Survey 2002. Unpublished report to National Parks and Wildlife, Dúchas The Heritage Service McGrath, D. and Walsh, P. (1990). Where to Watch Birds in Waterford. Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Waterford. McGrath, D. and Walsh, P. (1996). The breeding population of Kittiwakes on the south coast of Ireland, 1985-95. Irish Birds 5: 375-380. Mitchell, P.I., Newton, S., Ratcliffe, N. and Dunn, T. (in prep.). The Status of Breeding Seabirds in Britain and Ireland. Walsh, P. and McGrath, D. (1988). Waterford Bird Report 1976-1986. Irish Wildbird Conservancy, Waterford. Young R. (1972). A Preliminary Report on Areas of Scientific Interest in County Waterford. An Foras Forbartha, Dublin.

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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INSPIRE ID:	IE.NPWS.PS.NATURA2000.SAC.IE0000665
Map delivered as PDF in electronic format (optional)
Yes X No

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SITE DISPLAY