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Ballaugh (Manx: Balley ny Loughey) is a parish in the Isle of Man.
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Parish
Ballaugh is a mainly agricultural district on the north-western coast of the island. The parish is one of three divisions of the sheading of Michael. The other two are Jurby and Michael District. Ballaugh runs for some 3 miles (5 km) along the north-west coastline of the island. The average breadth of the parish is about 3 miles (5 km) and it covers an area of around 9 square miles (23 km2). The south-east corner is hilly and the remainder is low, including part of the marshy depression of the Curraghs. The only village in the parish is Ballaugh.
The current Captain of the Parish is Charles Edgar Cowin, who has held the post since 1993. The local authority is Ballaugh Parish Commissioners.
Demographics
The Isle of Man census 2006 lists the population of the parish as 1,042, an increase from 868 in 2001.
History
There are in Ballaugh a number of sites of historical interest. There is a heritage group who hold regular meetings and arrange walks around the area. Research into the social history of the area, in particular the isolated Glen Dhoo, is being carried out. The name 'Ballaugh' derives from the Manx Balley-ny-Loghey or "the place of the lake". The Ballaugh Curraghs is all that remains of this lake. The lake, which measured up to a mile in length, was drained by the excavation about 300 years ago of the silted-up Lhen Trench which, during the last ice age, is believed to have been a meltwater channel flowing north to south from the melting ice front.
Curraghs Wildlife Park and Ballaugh Curragh
One mile east of the village is Curraghs Wildlife Park, which is run by the Isle of Man Government's Department of Tourism and Leisure and is a haven for all sorts of wetland wildlife. Most of the park is laid out in geographical sections, representing different continents of the world and the animals that can be found there. The central part of the park has a different format and contains specific animal exhibits and visitor attractions.
The park is located next to Ballaugh Curragh wetland, the first wildlife site on the island to be internationally recognised, when in 2006 it was designated a Ramsar wetland of international importance. The site qualifies for international status as it has excellent examples of wetland habitats characteristic of the island and the region: bog pools, marshy grassland, birch woodland, modified bog and willow scrub (known as curragh). It also has on occasions the largest numbers of winter roosting hen harriers in Western Europe and has breeding habitat for a highly endangered migratory bird, the corn crake. In 2005 the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry designated Ballaugh Curragh as an "Area of Special Scientific Interest". There are three partners involved in the Curragh: Curraghs Wildlife Park, Manx National Heritage and the Manx Wildlife Trust.