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A NEW Marine National Park is to be established in Kerry.
Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD, Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien TD along with Minister of State for the Office of Public Works, Kieran O’Donnell TD, have today confirmed the establishment of Ireland’s first Marine National Park – Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí.
The new Páirc, which is centred around Corca Dhuibhne, will unite some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places in celebration of nature across 70,000 acres of lands and seas.
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It brings together new acquisitions by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, such as the Conor Pass, the Owenmore River catchment, lands at Mount Brandon and the sand dune system at Inch Peninsula, along with sites already under State ownership, such as the limestone reefs of Kerry Head Shoals and the waters around the Blasket Islands.
The Ministers and local Minister for Education Norma Foley, announced that the Páirc’s heritage legacy would be further enhanced by the inclusion of lands on the Great Blasket Island, the globally significant UNESCO World Heritage property of Sceilg Mhichíl, and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach, which are managed by the OPW.
Further collaborations with BirdWatch Ireland, who manage Little Skellig and Puffin Island, and with the Commissioners of Irish Lights, who manage An Tiaracht Nature Reserve, ensure that these internationally important sites for seabirds are also an integral part of the Páirc.
Speaking at the launch in An Daingean, Minister Noonan said: “With the iconic Conor Pass as the gateway, Ireland’s first Marine National Park brings mountains, blanket bog, heaths, rivers, coastal dunes, limestone reefs, sea cliffs and some of the wildest land and seascapes in the country together in celebration of nature.
“Alongside its seven sister parks, Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí will be a flagship for the protection and restoration of these incredible places and the globally important array of wildlife that they are home to. The Páirc will also honour the island and coastal communities who live alongside it by ensuring that their unique tapestry of cultural and natural heritage is central to the future story of this special place.”
Minister O’Brien said: “Bringing the Conor Pass and the lands at Inch into public ownership has enabled the creation of a wonderful Marine National Park, the first in Ireland’s history. This was a key commitment in the Programme for Government and today’s announcement delivers that commitment. It has been many years in gestation, and made possible through the Government’s renewed support of National Parks and Wildlife Service in recent years. I congratulate the NPWS on realising a national vision of global importance, and thank the Office of Public Works, the Commissioners of Irish Lights and all those who will have such an important role to play in the management of these sites that together form Páírc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí.”
Minister O’Donnell said: “As Minister for the Office of Public Works, I am delighted to confirm that the OPW-managed properties at Sceilig Mhichíl, An Blascaod Mór and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach are integral to Páirc Náisiunta na Mara, Ciarraí. They will continue to be managed by OPW. Sceilg Mhichíl, is one of only two UNESCO World Heritage Properties in Ireland and the most spectacularly situated of all Early Medieval island monastic sites. Together with An Blascaod Mór and Derrynane House, Historic Park and Beach, the three sites combine to bring an epochal spirituality and sense of our cultural history into a Páirc of immense environmental and cultural significance.”
Commenting on the announcement Local Minister and Kerry TD Norma Foley said: “I am delighted that the astounding beauty of my home county and her pristine seas has been recognised today by the creation of a second National Park in Kerry; Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí. This will be an incredible amenity. It is a transformative moment for West Kerry and the entire county, allowing us to showcase the very best of our natural environment locally, nationally and internationally.”
A video introducing the new Park is available on the Department’s YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/jWQ-uZEzkU0
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