Wild Nephin (Irish: Néifinn Fhiáin, NAY-FINN) is a national park located in northwest County Mayo, Ireland. It covers much of the Nephin Beg Mountains and includes one of the largest areas of peatland in Europe, with 150 square kilometers of Atlantic blanket bog. This area supports a wide variety of plants and animals, making it a unique habitat. The park was first created as Ballycroy National Park in 1998 and later expanded and renamed Wild Nephin in 2018. Plans are in place to restore the additional lands at Nephin Forest, which lies east of the Nephin Beg Mountains. Wild Nephin includes the most remote point of land on the Irish mainland. The park is designated as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC) as part of the Owenduff/Nephin Complex. It is also recognized as a Special Protection Area and is part of the Natura 2000 network.
History
The European Union Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) became part of Irish law in 1997. This law required the Irish Government to identify and protect certain habitats and species by designating them as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs). Blanket bogs are one of these habitats. The bog at Ballycroy is especially important because it is one of the largest examples of a blanket bog habitat in Western Europe. Ballycroy National Park was created on 1 November 1998 and is managed under the State Property Act of 1954.
In 2017, 4,000 hectares of conifer forest and mountain land owned by Coillte were added to the 11,000 hectares of Ballycroy National Park. This area will be managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and is considered a place where rewilding could happen. The land was originally an industrial forest with lodgepole pine and spruce trees, and it had many forestry roads.
Features
Blanket bogs, cliffs, and river habitats are found in the park. The blanket bog is one of the largest areas of peatland remaining in Europe. Protecting the bog is very important worldwide because it provides homes for many species, including rare plants like Hamatocaulis vernicosus. The Owenduff River is also a key area for conservation because it is the only river in Western Europe that drains a relatively intact and large blanket bog system. It is also an important river for salmon and sea trout.
The Owenduff area is a place where many migratory birds rest, eat, and raise their young. These birds, such as the Greenland white-fronted goose, are protected by the European Union Birds Directive. Other rare animals found in the park include the whooper swan and the peregrine falcon.
Wild Nephin National Park is also known as the Mayo Dark Sky Park, which is Ireland’s first International Dark Sky Park. The park received a Gold Tier certification in May 2016. This certification follows conservation programs used at other World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves. A Gold Tier award is the highest honor, showing that Mayo is now recognized globally as one of the best places to view the night sky.
A visitor center for the national park opened in 2009. The building, which is 700 square meters in size, overlooks the Atlantic Ocean in Ballycroy village. It is open daily from mid-March until the start of November.