Killarney National Park (Irish: Páirc Náisiúnta Chill Airne), located near the town of Killarney in County Kerry, was Ireland's first national park. It was created in 1932 when the Muckross Estate was given to the Irish Free State. The park has grown larger over time and now covers more than 102.89 km (25,425 acres). It includes the Lakes of Killarney, oak and yew woodlands that are important worldwide, and mountain peaks. The park is home to the only red deer herd on mainland Ireland and has the largest remaining area of native forest in the country.
The park is valuable for its high-quality, varied habitats and the many species that live there, some of which are rare. It was named a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981 and is part of a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service manages and oversees the park. Protecting nature is the main goal, and ecosystems in their natural state are highly valued. The park is known for its beautiful scenery, and it offers opportunities for recreation and tourism.
Climate and geography
Killarney National Park is located in southwest Ireland, near the island's westernmost point. The park includes the Lakes of Killarney and several mountains, such as Mangerton, Torc, Shehy, and Purple Mountains. Heights in the park range from 22 metres (72 feet) to 842 metres (2,762 feet). A major geological boundary between Devonian Old Red Sandstone and Carboniferous limestone is found in the park. Most of the park's land is made of sandstone, while limestone pavements are found on the low eastern shore of Lough Leane.
Lough Leane is the largest lake in the park and has more than 30 islands. Some visitors take boat trips to Innisfallen, one of the larger islands on Lough Leane.
The park has an oceanic climate, which is strongly influenced by the Gulf Stream. Winters are mild, with an average temperature of 6°C (43°F) in February, and summers are cool, with an average temperature of 15°C (59°F) in July. Daily temperatures range from a low of 5.88°C (42.58°F) in January to a high of 15.28°C (59.50°F) in July. The park receives high rainfall throughout the year, with frequent light showers. On average, the park gets 1,263 millimetres (49.7 inches) of rain each year, and 223 days have more than 1 millimetre (0.039 inches) of precipitation. The park experiences about 40 frost days annually.
The geological boundary, the park's varied heights, and the Gulf Stream's influence create a range of ecosystems. These include bogs, lakes, moorland, mountains, waterways, woodland, parks, and gardens. Features such as rock outcrops, cliffs, and crags are common in the park. Above 200 metres (660 feet), the sandstone mountain areas support large areas of blanket bog and heath.
History
Killarney National Park is one of the few places in Ireland that has had trees growing there continuously since the end of the last ice age, about 10,000 years ago. People have lived in the area since at least the Bronze Age, around 4,000 years ago. Evidence shows that copper was mined in the Ross Island area during this time, suggesting the region was important to Bronze Age people. The park has many archaeological features, including a well-preserved stone circle at Lissivigeen. Since the Iron Age, the woods in the park have been cleared at different times, leading to a gradual decrease in the variety of tree species.
Some of the most important archaeological remains in the park date to the early Christian period. A key example is Inisfallen Abbey, the ruins of a monastery on Inisfallen Island in Lough Leane. It was built in the 7th century CE by St. Finian the Leper and remained occupied until the 14th century. The Annals of Inisfallen, a record of early Irish history written by monks, was created in the monastery between the 11th and 13th centuries. It is believed the monastery gave the lake its name, "Lough Leane," which means "Lake of Learning."
Muckross Abbey was founded in 1448 by Observantine Franciscans and still stands today, despite being damaged and rebuilt several times after attacks. "Friars Glen" on Mangerton Mountain is traditionally said to be where monks fled during attacks. The main feature of Muckross Abbey is a central courtyard with a large yew tree surrounded by a vaulted cloister. This tree is said to be as old as the abbey itself. The abbey was a burial site for local chieftains. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Kerry poets Seafraidh O'Donoghue, Aogán Ó Rathaille, and Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin were buried there.
After the Norman invasion of Ireland, the land around the lakes was owned by the McCarthys and O'Donoghues. Ross Castle, a 15th-century tower house on the shore of Lough Leane, was once the home of the chieftain O'Donoghue Mór. The castle was expanded in the 17th century and restored for public visits. A 1580s record describes the Killarney area as a sparsely populated wilderness of forest and mountains.
From the 18th century, the land in today's park was divided between two estates: the Herberts of Muckross and the Brownes (Earls of Kenmare). During the 17th and 18th centuries, the woods were heavily used for local industries like charcoal production, cooperage, and tanning. Pressure on the woods increased in the late 18th century. The main cause of oakwood destruction in the 18th century was charcoal production for local iron smelters. About 25 tons of oak were needed to make one ton of cast iron. In 1780, Young described Derrycunihy wood as "a great sweep of mountain, covered partly in wood, hanging in a very noble manner, but part cut down, much of it mangled, and the rest inhabited by coopers, boat-builders, carpenters and turners."
Woodland use increased again during the Napoleonic era in the early 19th century, likely due to high oak prices. Replanting and managing oak forests were encouraged at this time. Large-scale cutting of oak trees occurred in Ross Island in 1803, Glena around 1804, and Tomies in 1805. Tomies was replanted with three-year-old oak, and Glena was coppiced. These activities increased the number of oak trees in the park over the past 200 years. Most oak trees today are about 200 years old, likely planted, while undisturbed oakwoods are limited to remote areas like mountain valleys.
The Herbert family owned the Muckross Peninsula from 1770 onward and became wealthy from copper mines there. Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife, Mary Balfour Herbert, completed building Muckross House in 1843. The Herberts faced financial difficulties in the late 19th century, and the estate was sold to Lord Ardilaun of the Guinness family in 1899.
In 1910, William Bowers Bourn bought Muckross Estate as a wedding gift for his daughter Maud, who married Arthur Vincent. Between 1911 and 1932, they spent £110,000 improving the estate, building the Sunken Garden, Stream Garden, and a rock garden on limestone.
Maud Vincent died of pneumonia in 1929. In 1932, Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law donated the estate to the Irish state in her memory. The 43.3 square kilometers (10,700 acres) estate was renamed the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. The Irish government created the national park through the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park Act in 1932, requiring the Commissioners of Public Works to "maintain and manage the Park as a National Park for the purpose of the recreation and enjoyment of the public." The memorial park forms the core of today's larger national park.
Initially, the Irish government provided little financial support, so the park operated mainly as a working farm open to the public. Muckross House was closed to the public until 1964.
Around 1970, concerns arose about threats to the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. Irish authorities studied international practices for managing national parks and decided to expand and reclassify the park as a national park matching IUCN Category II. Other national parks were also established in Ireland. About 60 square kilometers (15,000 acres) were added to the original park, including the three lakes, Knockreer Estate, Ross Island, Innisfallen, and the townlands of Glena, Ullauns, and Poulagower. The park is now more than double its size from 1932. As Ireland's economy grew and the role of national parks changed, more funding became available for the park.
Lakes of Killarney
The Lakes of Killarney include Lough Leane (the lower lake), Muckross Lake (the middle lake), and the Upper Lake. These lakes are connected and together cover nearly one-fourth of the park’s area. Even though they are connected, each lake has its own unique ecosystem. The lakes meet at a place called the Meeting of the Waters, which is a popular spot for visitors. People have enjoyed fishing in these lakes for many years, especially for brown trout and salmon.
Lough Leane is about 19 square kilometers (4,700 acres) in size and is the largest of the three lakes. It is also the largest freshwater body in the region and has the highest level of nutrients. However, it has become overly rich in nutrients because phosphates from farming and household waste have entered Lough Leane Reedbed, an important habitat near the lake. This nutrient increase has led to algae growth in recent years, though it has not yet harmed the lake’s ecosystem. To protect the lake, a review of land use in the area is being done. Water quality improved after phosphates were removed from sewage in 1985. By August 2007, several hotels and businesses had agreed to stop using phosphate-based detergents to help keep the lake clean.
Muckross Lake is the deepest of the three lakes, reaching a maximum depth of 73.5 meters (241 feet) near the steep slope of Torc Mountain. It is located at the boundary between sandstone mountains to the south and west and limestone to the north.
Lough Leane and Muckross Lake are found across this geological boundary. The presence of limestone makes both lakes slightly richer in nutrients than the Upper Lake. Many caves exist in the limestone near the lake, formed by waves and the acidic water dissolving the rock. These caves are largest on the northern shore of Muckross Lake.
From the Meeting of the Waters, a narrow channel called the Long Range leads to the Upper Lake, the smallest of the three. This lake is in a rugged mountain area near Killarney and the Black Valley. Heavy rain can cause the lake’s water level to rise by up to one meter in a few hours due to fast runoff from its catchment area.
Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake are high-quality lakes with slightly acidic, low-nutrient water. This is because runoff from upland sandstones and blanket bogs in their catchment areas provides few nutrients. These lakes support a variety of aquatic plants, including quillwort (Isoetes lacustris), shoreweed (Littorella uniflora), and water lobelia (Lobelia dortmanna).
All three lakes are very sensitive to acid and are at risk of harm from tree planting in their catchment areas.
Woodlands
Killarney has the largest area of natural native woodland in Ireland. This area covers about 120 square kilometers (30,000 acres) and is mostly protected within the national park. There are three main types of woodland in the park: oak woodland on Devonian sandstone, yew woodland on Carboniferous limestone, and wet woodland (called carr) near lakes, where alder trees grow on swampy limestone soil. The woods are divided into two areas based on the geology of the land. The oak and yew woodlands are especially important globally.
Mixed woodland and conifer trees also grow in the park. The mixed woodland on Ross Island has one of the most diverse layers of plants in the park.
Grazing by animals and the spread of rhododendron plants threaten the woodlands. Rhododendrons cover about two-thirds of the oak woodlands, and efforts are being made to remove them. Heavy grazing has harmed the yew woodlands for many years.
The park is most famous for its oak woodlands, which cover about 12.2 square kilometers (3,000 acres). These woodlands are the largest remaining native woodland in Ireland and are a remnant of the forests that once covered much of the country. Derrycunihy Wood is one of the most natural examples of sessile oak woodland in Ireland. Most of the oak woodlands are found on the lower slopes of the Shehy and Tomy mountains near Lough Leane. These woodlands are protected under the EU Habitats Directive because of their rich and varied plant life, especially mosses and liverworts.
The oak woodlands typically have holly trees growing beneath the oaks. Strawberry trees are also common, and yew trees are scattered throughout. The ground layer includes bilberry and woodrush, but the herb layer has few plant species.
Mosses, lichens, and filmy ferns thrive in the humid climate of the area. Some plant species found here are rare in other parts of Europe. In the Glaism na Marbh valley, mosses grow in dense layers that are uncommon elsewhere in the woods. Many mosses, ferns, and liverworts grow on the trunks and branches of oak trees. Rare species in the woods include Cyclodictyon laetevirens, Daltonia splachnoides, Lejeunea flava, Radula carringtonii, and Sematophyllum demissum.
Birds that live in the oak woodlands include blue tits, common chaffinches, goldcrests, European robins, and wrens. Mammals found here include badgers, red foxes, pine martens, red deer, sika deer, and red squirrels. Insects such as parasitic gall wasps and purple hairstreak butterflies, whose caterpillars depend on oak trees, also live in the woodlands.
Rhododendrons, which were introduced to the area, are a major threat to parts of the oak woodlands. For example, they are widespread in Camillan Wood despite efforts to control them.
The yew woodland in the park is called Reenadinna Wood. It covers about 0.25 square kilometers (62 acres) and is located on low-lying limestone near Muckross Lake and Lough Leane. Yew woodlands are among the rarest types of woodland in Europe and are protected under the EU Habitats Directive. Reenadinna Wood is one of the largest yew woodlands in the UK and Ireland and is the only significant yew woodland in Ireland. It is also one of only three pure yew woodlands in Europe. The wood is about 3,000–5,000 years old and is located near a geological boundary. A small raised bog is found in the southern part of the wood. The trees grow in thin soil and have roots that spread across limestone rocks. The dense canopy of yew trees creates shade that prevents flowering plants from growing but allows mosses to thrive. In some areas, mosses form thick layers up to 152 centimeters (60 inches) deep.
Some yew trees in Reenadinna Wood are over 200 years old. Few new yew trees are growing, possibly because sika deer eat the young trees. Fenced areas of the wood have also seen little new growth. The dense canopy of yew trees blocks sunlight, which may prevent young yew trees from growing.
Although yew trees are poisonous, they are easily damaged by animals like deer, rabbits, and domestic animals. Sika deer have harmed yew trees by scraping their antlers against them.
Wet woodland (carr) near Lough Leane covers about 1.7 square kilometers (420 acres) and is one of the largest areas of this type of woodland in Ireland. Alder, ash, birch, and willow trees grow in these wet areas. The ground is covered with grasses, sedges, and flowers like marsh bedstraw and water mint.
Red deer and sika deer use the wet woodlands for shelter, and muddy areas where they wallow are common. Rhododendrons are a major threat to these woodlands, as they grow on higher ground where the soil is not too wet. Efforts to remove rhododendrons have had limited success, and the plants continue to spread.
Bogland
The lower parts of the mountains are covered mostly by sessile oak (Quercus petraea). Above 200 meters (660 feet), the mountains have very few trees and are mostly covered by blanket bog and wet heath. The bogs in the park have a special group of plants that include heather (Calluna vulgaris), bell heather (Erica cinerea), and western gorse (Ulex gallii). Occasionally, bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) can be found. Large-flowered butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora) is common in these areas. The bogs also support several important species, such as mosses (Sphagnum pulchrum, S. fuscum, S. platyphyllum, S. strictum, S. contortum, and Calliergon stramineum), liverworts (Cladopodiella francisci and Calypogeia azurea), and lichens (Cladonia mediterranea, C. macilenta, C. rangiferina, C. arbuscula, and Cetraria islandica).
The remote location of some upland areas helps protect Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native red deer. The bogs are at risk from grazing, turbary, burning, and afforestation.
Flora
A large number of plant and animal species live in the park, including most of the native Irish mammal species, several important fish like Arctic char, and many rare or uncommon plant species. Some of the animals and plants in the park are found only in southwest Ireland, northern Spain, and Portugal. This happens because the Gulf Stream affects the climate in southwest Ireland. The park is named a biosphere reserve because it has so many rare species.
Many plants in the park have unusual geographic patterns and are found only in certain parts of Ireland. These plants are grouped into four main types: arctic-alpine plants, Atlantic species, North American species, and very rare species. Atlantic species are usually found in southern and southwestern Europe, such as arbutus, St Patrick's cabbage, and greater butterwort. North American species include blue-eyed grass and pipewort.
Bryophytes, which are mosses and liverworts, grow well in the park because of its mild, rainy climate. The park is very important for bryophytes, as many of them are not found anywhere else in Ireland. Mosses, ferns like filmy ferns, and liverworts grow abundantly. Many of these plants live as epiphytes, growing on tree branches and trunks.
The Killarney fern (Trichomanes speciosum) is probably the rarest plant in the park. It is a filmy fern that grows near waterfalls and other damp areas. People collected it until it was almost gone, and now it only lives in remote mountain areas where pickers never found it.
Although the strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is common in the park, it is one of Ireland’s rarest native trees. It is found in only a few places outside Killarney and grows on cliff tops and near lakes.
Killarney whitebeam (Sorbus anglica) is a shrub or small tree that grows on rocks near lakes. It is found only in Killarney. The more common Irish whitebeam (Sorbus hibernica) is also in the park.
The greater butterwort (Pinguicula grandiflora), also called the Kerry violet, is a carnivorous plant that lives in bogs. It eats insects to get nutrients it cannot get from the bog soil. Its purple flowers bloom in late May and early June.
Irish spurge (Euphorbia hyberna) is an Atlantic species found only in southwest Ireland. In the past, people used its milky sap to treat warts and to catch fish by making their gills stop working.
Several rare types of myxomycete fungus have been found in the park, including Collaria arcyrionema, Craterium muscorum, Cribraria microcarpa (the only place in Ireland where it is found), C. rufa, C. violacea, Diderma chondrioderma, D. lucidum, D. ochraceum, Fuligo muscorum, and Licea marginata. The park also has a wide variety of lichen species.
Fauna
Most mammals that live in Ireland and have been in the park for a long time are found there. The bank vole was first seen in northwest Kerry in 1964. Its area has grown, and now it lives in the park too. Another important animal in the park is the pine marten.
The park is home to Ireland's only wild herd of native deer (Cervus elaphus hibernicus). There are about 900 deer now, up from less than 100 in 1970. These deer live in upland areas, mostly on Mangerton and Torc mountains. This herd has lived in Ireland for about 4,000 years, since red deer returned to the island after the last ice age, around 10,500 years ago. Humans may have helped them return. The deer were once protected by the Kenmare and Muckross estates. However, the herd is not completely pure because male deer were added in the 19th century to improve antler quality.
Pregnant female deer from lowland areas often move to the mountains to give birth in early June. Park staff tag the baby deer. Although red deer and sika deer can mix, no mixing has been recorded in the park. Protecting the genetic purity of the native red deer herd is a top priority. Red deer are fully protected by law, and hunting them is not allowed.
Sika deer (Cervus nippon) were brought to the park from Japan in 1865. Their numbers have grown a lot since then. It is estimated that there are up to 1,000 sika deer in Killarney National Park. They live in both open upland areas and woodlands.
The park has many bird species and is important for bird life. 141 different bird species have been found in the park, including upland, woodland, and wintering waterfowl. Some rare birds in Ireland live here, like the redstart (1–2 pairs), wood warbler (1–2 pairs), and garden warbler (possibly up to 10 pairs). The red grouse and ring ouzel are listed on the IUCN Red List because they are at high risk of disappearing (1–2 pairs each). The Greenland white-fronted goose, merlin, and peregrine are on Annex I of the EU Birds Directive. Other birds in the park include the chough, nightjar, and osprey. The osprey sometimes flies through the park during its migration between northern Africa and Scandinavia. Old records suggest that ospreys used to live in the area. Golden eagles once nested in the park but disappeared around 1900 due to disturbance, nest robbing, and persecution.
The most common birds in upland areas are meadow pipits, ravens, and European stonechats. Rare birds include merlins (up to five pairs) and peregrine falcons (at least one pair).
In woodlands, the most common birds are chaffinches and robins. Other birds that breed there include blackcaps and garden warblers. The rare redstart and wood warbler are thought to have a few breeding pairs in the park's woodlands.
Grey herons, little grebes, mallards, water rails, dippers, and common kingfishers live in the park's water areas.
Lough Leane and other lakes support wintering birds that travel from higher latitudes. These include redwing, fieldfare, golden plover, and waterfowl like teal, goldeneye, wigeon, pochard, and whooper swan. The park's bird populations are joined by migrant birds in both winter and summer. A small group of Greenland white-fronted geese (Anser albifrons flavirostris) from a global population of about 12,000 migrates to the Killarney Valley to winter. Fewer than 20 of these geese stay in the park. This group is important because it is the southernmost in Ireland and one of the few that live entirely on bogland, with habitat mostly in a protected area.
Other wintering waterfowl include coot, cormorant, goldeneye, mallard, pochard, teal, and tufted duck. Other birds that live on the lakes are black-headed gulls, little grebes, and mute swans.
Birds that migrate from Africa in summer include cuckoos, swallows, and swifts. Some birds appear rarely, like during storms or cold weather in Europe.
The park is also the site of a project to reintroduce white-tailed eagles, which began in 2007 with the release of 15 birds. The project will last several years, with more eagles released. The species became extinct in Ireland in the 19th century due to persecution by landowners. Fifteen chicks will be brought in each year for five years. Despite a poisoning incident in 2009, the program continues, and eagles released in the area have been tracked to Wicklow and Donegal.
The Lakes of Killarney have many brown trout and an annual salmon run. Rare species in the lakes include Arctic char and Killarney shad. The lakes have natural stocks of brown trout and salmon that can be fished, following usual Irish salmon license rules.
Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus L.) are usually found in sub-Arctic lakes much further north
Conservation threats
The park faces several challenges in protecting and managing its natural environment. One challenge is its closeness to Killarney town, a popular tourist spot in Ireland. Killarney receives many visitors each year, and most of them spend time in the park. Managing the park carefully is important to balance protecting the environment with allowing visitors to enjoy it.
In the past, people introduced several non-native species to the park, which has harmed the natural environment. These species include the common rhododendron, a plant that has taken over large areas of the National Park, and sika deer, which eat too much of the forest floor and may harm the native red deer population. Both rhododendron and sika deer can prevent native plants from growing by blocking new plants from starting. Another non-native species, the American mink, was accidentally brought to the park and now lives there alongside native otters. Humans have also caused the extinction of the wolf and the golden eagle in the area.
Fires caused by people happen often in the park. Even though the climate is usually wet, fires can spread quickly and cover large areas. These fires rarely burn through dense forests but can easily spread in open woodlands. The park suffered serious damage from fires in April 2021.
The main use of the land in the park is for grazing by sheep, and deer also graze there. Sika deer have overgrazed the forest, causing harm to many land areas, including heath and blanket bogs, and preventing new trees from growing. In higher areas, grazing worsens soil erosion because the land is exposed. The loss of natural predators like the wolf and golden eagle has increased pressure from native animals such as red deer and Irish hares. Grazing and damage to plants help rhododendron spread more easily.
The common rhododendron is the biggest threat to the park’s environment. It is a green plant that naturally grows in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. Rhododendron plants disappeared from Ireland long ago due to climate changes. They were brought to the Killarney area in the 19th century and quickly spread. The plant produces many tiny seeds that are easy to spread. Rhododendron grows so thick that it blocks sunlight, stopping native plants and trees from growing. Over 6.5 square kilometers (1,600 acres) of the park are now completely covered by rhododendron. In some areas, the plant has caused major harm. Because rhododendron blocks sunlight, very few plants can grow under it. The park’s oak forests are at risk because they cannot regrow. The park has a plan to control and remove rhododendron.
Tourism
The park is open to visitors all year. A visitor and education center is located at Killarney House. Attractions in the park include Dinis Cottage, Knockreer Demesne, Inisfallen Island, Ladies View, the Meeting of the Waters, the Old Weir Bridge, Muckross Abbey, Muckross House, the Muckross Peninsula, the Old Kenmare Road, O'Sullivan's Cascade, Ross Castle, Ross Island, Tomies Oakwood, and Torc Waterfall. Paved paths are available in the Knockreer, Muckross, and Ross Island areas for use by cyclists and walkers. The Old Kenmare Road and the path around Tomies Oakwood offer views of Lough Leane and Killarney. Boat trips on the lakes are available.
Muckross House is a Victorian mansion located near the eastern shore of Muckross Lake, with Mangerton and Torc mountains in the background. The house has been restored and receives more than 250,000 visitors each year. Muckross Gardens are known for their collection of rhododendrons, hybrids, azaleas, and exotic trees. Muckross Traditional Farms is a working farm that shows what Irish rural life was like in the 1930s, before electricity was available. Knockreer House serves as the National Park Education Centre.