Editing Banagher (section)

== Geography ==
[[File:ShannonAtBanagher.jpg|thumb|right|River Shannon from Banagher Bridge]]
Banagher is situated in north-west County Offaly on the east bank of the River Shannon. It is {{convert|106|km|mi|abbr=on}}  south-west of Dublin, {{convert|14|km|mi|abbr=on}}  south-east of [[Ballinasloe]], {{convert|27|km|mi|abbr=on}}  south of [[Athlone]] and {{convert|85|km|mi|abbr=on}}  north east of Limerick. It provides a crossing point between Offaly in Leinster and Galway in Connacht. Although Banagher is located in the [[flood-plain]] of the River Shannon, the town itself was developed on high ground and remains virtually flood-free all year round. North of [[Lough Derg (Shannon)|Lough Derg]], the River Shannon has a very shallow gradient and regularly floods parts of the surrounding countryside. The resultant wet grassland area, known as the Shannon Callows, is an internationally recognised wild bird and wildlife habitat and is classified as a [[Special Area of Conservation]].<ref>[https://www.npws.ie/protected-sites/sac/000216 Special Areas of Conservation] National Parks & Wildlife Service. Retrieved 07 February 2023.</ref>

The country on either side of the Shannon in the Offaly-Galway area has been described as "reminiscent of the [[The Fens|Fens]], cut off and intersected by waterways, by the wide meandering Shannon itself, by its tributaries, the [[River Suck|Suck]], the [[River Brosna|Brosna]] and the [[Little Brosna River|Little Brosna]] and by the [[Grand Canal of Ireland|Grand Canal]]; traversed by a maze of narrow roads."<ref name=BenceJones>Bence Jones, Mark, ''Trollope's Corner of Ireland'', This Country Life, 13 July 1978.</ref>

The travel writer and biographer, [[James Pope-Hennessy]], described the River Shannon at Banagher in September in his biography of [[Anthony Trollope]]: "The month of September in Banagher, and all along the Shannon banks, is visually a glorious one, with golden autumn mornings, the low sun making long shadows of the houses in the street. At dusk the whole river reflects the varied sunsets as the days draw in – effects of palest pink, for instance, striped by cloudy lines of green, or an horizon aflame with scarlet and orange light."<ref name=BenceJones/>

The [[Slieve Bloom Mountains]] lie to the south of Banagher and the town is surrounded by the great [[bogs]] of the midlands, particularly to the east and west. The River Brosna is a major tributary of the River Shannon and meets the Shannon at [[Shannon Harbour]], three kilometres north of Banagher.<ref>Feehan, J., ''The Landscape of Slieve Bloom'', 1979, Blackwater Press.</ref>

=== Climate ===

Banagher has a [[temperate]] climate. Average daily high temperatures are {{convert|18|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in July and {{convert|8|°C|°F|abbr=on}} in January. Precipitation, at an average of 804&nbsp;mm per annum, is similar to that in much of the midlands and east of Ireland, and is significantly less than the precipitation on the west coast, which averages between 1000&nbsp;mm and 1250&nbsp;mm per annum.<ref>[http://www.met.ie/climate/rainfall.asp Met Éireann – Rainfall in Ireland.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070602061707/http://www.met.ie/climate/rainfall.asp |date=2 June 2007 }} Retrieved 3 November 2008.</ref>

{{Weather box
|location = Banagher, Ireland.
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 14
|Feb record high C = 15
|Mar record high C = 20
|Apr record high C = 24
|May record high C = 26
|Jun record high C = 31
|Jul record high C = 31
|Aug record high C = 30
|Sep record high C = 25
|Oct record high C = 22
|Nov record high C = 18
|Dec record high C = 15
|year record high C = 31
|Jan high C = 8
|Feb high C = 8
|Mar high C = 10
|Apr high C = 12
|May high C = 15
|Jun high C = 18
|Jul high C = 18
|Aug high C = 19
|Sep high C = 17
|Oct high C = 14
|Nov high C = 10
|Dec high C = 8
|year high C = 13
|Jan low C = 2
|Feb low C = 2
|Mar low C = 3
|Apr low C = 4
|May low C = 6
|Jun low C = 9
|Jul low C = 11
|Aug low C = 10
|Sep low C = 9
|Oct low C = 7
|Nov low C = 3
|Dec low C = 3
|year low C = 6
|Jan record low C = -15
|Feb record low C = -15
|Mar record low C = -11
|Apr record low C = -5
|May record low C = -2
|Jun record low C = 0
|Jul record low C = 3
|Aug record low C = 1
|Sep record low C = -1
|Oct record low C = -3
|Nov record low C = -7
|Dec record low C = -9
|year record low C = -15
|Jan precipitation mm = 76
|Feb precipitation mm = 54
|Mar precipitation mm = 61
|Apr precipitation mm = 53
|May precipitation mm = 68
|Jun precipitation mm = 55
|Jul precipitation mm = 59
|Aug precipitation mm = 78
|Sep precipitation mm = 71
|Oct precipitation mm = 84
|Nov precipitation mm = 74
|Dec precipitation mm = 79
|year precipitation mm = 804
|source 1 =<ref>[http://www.met.ie/climate/birr.asp Met Éireann Climate Data from Birr, 1961–90.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418040620/http://www.met.ie/climate/birr.asp |date=18 April 2008 }} Retrieved 3 November 2008.</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

=== Wildlife ===
[[File:Corncrake.jpg|right|thumb|upright|[[Corncrake]]]]
In autumn and winter, the extensive flood plain of the Shannon Callows supports a large number of [[wader]]s, [[swan]]s, [[wildfowl]] and other bird life. The most obvious of all Shannon birds is the [[mute swan]]. Also seen are the [[Eurasian coot]], [[common moorhen]] and [[little grebe]]. The [[common kingfisher|kingfisher]] is widespread as are the [[meadow pipit]] and [[pied wagtail]]. The area has one of the largest concentrations of breeding waders in Ireland including [[northern lapwing|lapwing]], [[common redshank|redshank]], [[common sandpiper]] and [[black-tailed godwit]].<ref>Trodd, V., ''Birds of Brosnaland'', 1983, Offaly Vocational Educational Committee.</ref>

The [[corncrake]] can be seen at the bridge of Banagher in the summer. Once a common summer visitor to Ireland, corncrakes have suffered drastic population declines over the last few decades and are threatened with global extinction.<ref>[http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Default.aspx?tabid=311 Birdwatch Ireland – Corncrake.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071119093259/http://www.birdwatchireland.ie/Default.aspx?tabid=311 |date=19 November 2007 }} Retrieved 3 November 2008.</ref> Conservation efforts have focused on changing harvesting times to avoid the nesting season, May to August. The hay meadows of the callows support large numbers of these birds – one of the few places in the world where this globally threatened species is still common.<ref>[http://www.iol.ie/~offaly/tull.htm#bana Banagher Along The Shannon.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522140224/http://www.iol.ie/~offaly/tull.htm#bana |date=22 May 2011 }} Retrieved 3 November 2008.</ref>

In winter, the resident bird population is increased by visitors from north-east Europe, in particular the [[Eurasian wigeon]] and the Greenland subspecies of the [[white-fronted goose]].<ref>[http://www.offalyhistory.com/articles/10/1/Landscape-of-Offaly/Page1.html OHAS, ''Landscape of Offaly'', 9 January 2007.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821165027/http://www.offalyhistory.com/articles/10/1/Landscape-of-Offaly/Page1.html |date=21 August 2008 }} Retrieved 3 November 2008.</ref> Riverside [[mammals]] are seen frequently and [[Eurasian otter]], [[American mink]] and [[red fox]] are common. [[Trout]] and [[salmon]] are less common in the Shannon than they once were, but [[Esox|pike]] is still plentiful and attracts anglers.<ref>[https://fishinginireland.info/pike/shannon/banagher/ Pike Fishing Around Banagher], Retrieved 25 January 2023.</ref>

=== Demographics ===

Banagher was extensively [[Plantations of Ireland|planted]] by the English, particularly during the periods 1621–1642 and 1650–1690. The plantations had a profound impact on Ireland in several ways. The first was the destruction of the native ruling classes and their replacement with the [[Protestant]] Ascendancy, of British-origin (mostly English) Protestant landowners. Their position was buttressed by the [[Penal Laws against Irish Catholics|Penal Laws]], which denied political and land-owning rights to [[Roman Catholic]]s. The dominance of this class in Irish life persisted until the late 18th century, and it voted for the [[Act of Union 1800|Act of Union]] with Britain in 1800. As a result, by the early 20th century, Banagher had a mix of Irish of native descent and Irish of English descent and supported two churches, one Catholic and one Protestant, both of which still exist.<ref>[https://banagher.ie/churches/ Banagher on the Shannon - Churches]. Retrieved 07 February 2023.</ref>

During the late 1960s to the early 1980s, several [[German people|German]], [[Dutch people|Dutch]] and [[Swiss people|Swiss]] settlers were attracted to Banagher, mainly because of its proximity to the River Shannon and associated lifestyle. A number of these are still resident in Banagher. In the early 21st century a number of people from [[Eastern Europe]] (for example [[Poland]]) moved to the area, and these now make up approximately 4% of the population.<ref name="cso2016"/>

In 2011, Banagher had a population of 1,653 (a 1.0% increase on the 2006 Census) with 801 male and 852 female residents.<ref name=CSO2011>[http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/census2011vol1andprofile1/Tables%207%20and%2012.pdf CSO Census 2011 Results.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113182312/http://www.cso.ie/en/media/csoie/census/documents/census2011vol1andprofile1/Tables%207%20and%2012.pdf |date=13 November 2012 }} Retrieved 24 September 2012.</ref> By 2022, the population had increased further to 1,907 inhabitants.<ref name="cso2022"/>