Barna Woods, Nature reserve near Galway Bay, Ireland

Barna Woods is a mixed broadleaf woodland of about 35 hectares in Barna, County Galway, owned by Galway City Council and open to the public. It lies near Galway Bay, about 3 miles from Galway city centre, and is reached from Cappagh Park in Knocknacarra or from a small car park on the Barna Road (R336). Across the road, the South Wood leads to marshland ending at the Silver Strand.

Barna Woods is owned by Galway City Council and managed within the Galway Bay Complex Special Area of Conservation. In January 2025 Storm Éowyn brought down almost 100 trees, and the woodland stayed closed to the public for over four months on safety grounds. The council then commissioned chainsaw-carved sculptures from selected fallen trunks, among them an owl, an otter chasing a fish and a fairy house.

Barna Woods is owned by Galway City Council and open to the public, and it is managed as part of the Galway Bay Complex Special Area of Conservation. After Storm Éowyn felled almost 100 trees in January, the council had selected fallen trunks carved into sculptures, among them an owl, an otter chasing a fish and a fairy house.

The woods can be accessed through Cappagh Park in Knocknacarra or from Barna Road R336, where parking is available near the entrance. The maintained pathways make for easy walking, allowing visitors of various fitness levels to enjoy the forest without difficulty.

In January 2025, Storm Éowyn brought down almost 100 trees in Barna Woods, and the woodland stayed closed to the public for over four months on safety grounds. Galway City Council then had selected fallen trunks chainsaw-carved into figures, among them an owl, an otter chasing a fish and a fairy house.