The beautiful village of Blackrock in County Louth is south of Dundalk town, nestled on the shoreline of Dundalk Bay with the Cooley Peninsula to the north and the Viking settlement of Annagassan to the south. Blackrock has a seashore area and bay that are of great interest to nature lovers and bird watchers alike. The seashore and beaches around Blackrock include the inter tidal mudflats and salt marshes which are an important and integral part of the delicate ecology of Dundalk Bay. On the north side there is 'The Loakers Marshes' and wildlife sanctuary, and on the south side there is 'The Fane Estuary and Wetlands'. These are protected areas of conservation. There are information boards along the promenade providing information on the varieties of birds and wildlife.

Blackrock has a wide diversity of habitats including wetlands, salt marshes, river and shallows. It offers food and shelter for a wide variety of species. Birds winter here in huge numbers and include flocks of Greenland white fronted geese, whooper swans, as well as redshanks, brent geese and lapwings. The bay is a designated Special Protection Area (SPA) and a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under EU law and therefore, protected both nationally and at European level.