Gortycavan ASSI

This area is of special scientific interest because of its species-rich lowland meadow.  Species-rich grassland tends to occur only where land management is not intensive, in particular where traditional farming practices have been maintained.  As a result it is not a widespread habitat in Northern Ireland and is often fragmented, consisting of individual fields, parts of fields or banks.  Species-rich dry grassland such as that found at Gortycavan, is a particularly scarce resource in Northern Ireland.