Trá na bhForbacha, Na Forbacha

Trá na bhForbacha is a sandy beach and can be subject to very strong wave action and currents. The beach supports a wide variety of shellfish, birds, animals and plants. Seals and otters may be spotted along the coastline. Trá na bhForbacha is a proposed Natural Heritage Area. Activities include swimming, bathing and water sports.

Trá na bhForbacha is situated in a Gaeltacht area, 13kms to the west of Galway city directly adjacent to the R336 Galway to Spiddal road. It is located immediately to the west of Na Forbacha village adjacent to Pádraicín's bar and restaurant on the coast of Galway bay, a west facing bay open to the atlantic. This area is located in the Galway coast water management unit of the western river basin district catchment.

Small stands of seaweed may be present on both the strand and in the bathing water at any time of the year; however, it is unlikely to pose a nuisance to bathers. Vegetation is sparse along the upper zone of the sandy shore. The rocky shore and along Abhainn an Chnoic exhibits typical banded zonation patterns. In the splash zone lichens such as Black Tar Lichen (Verrucaria spp.) are present. Upper and missle shore communities included Channelled Wrack (Pelvetia canaliculata), Bladder Wrack (Fucus vesiculosus), Bootlace seaweed (Chorda filum), Kelp (Laminaria spp.), Red Algae (Rhodophyceae), Limpets (Patella vulgata) and Periwinkles (Littorina spp.). The rocks along the Abhainn an Chnoic also have colonies of Mussels (Mytilus edulis), Periwinkles and Common Acorn Barnacles (Semibalanus balanoides).