Ireland’s National Parks - Where Nature Speaks (original) (raw)

Discover Ireland’s National Parks and experience the beauty of nature up close.

National Parks are guardians of Ireland’s unique geography and ecology to preserve nature for future generations. While visiting the parks it is important to remember that these environments should be treated with appropriate respect, and their importance honoured.

OUR PURPOSE

Step closer to nature. Step closer to Ireland’s timeless glacier-formed landscapes and habitats pulsating with life, where nature speaks directly in its own voice.

Now, more than ever, we must listen to this voice — nature’s voice — in our National Parks.

Our National Parks Our Nature Reserves

02 / Our goals

• Goal 01

To protect and conserve nature for future generations

• Goal 02

To be leaders in conservation education in Ireland

• Goal 03

To instill a sense of pride and respect for nature in all who visit the parks

Our National Parks

Ireland’s National Parks provide unique opportunities to be at one with nature; the purest of experiences in nature giving emotions of awe, wonderment, feelings of connectedness and peacefulness.

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.

John Muir

Our Nature Reserves

A Nature Reserve is a protected area of importance to wildlife. Ireland has 77 registered nature reserves that all play an integral role in preserving nature for future generations. Most are owned by the State, but some are owned by organisations or private landowners.

Find a nature reserve

Leinster

Baldoyle Estuary Nature Reserve

North Bull Island Nature Reserves

Rogerstown Estuary Nature Reserve

Pollardstown Fen Nature Reserve

Ballykeeffe Wood Nature Reserve

Fiddown Island Nature Reserve

Garryricken Woods Nature Reserve

Kyledohir Wood Nature Reserve

Coolacurragh Wood Nature Reserve

Grantsown Wood and Granston Lough Nature Reserve

Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve

Timahoe Esker Nature Reserve

Newcastle Lough, private Nature Reserve

Clara Bog Nature Reserve

Mongan Bog Nature Reserve

Raheenmore Bog Nature Reserve

Slieve Bloom Mountains Nature Reserve

Scragh Bog Nature Reserve

Ballyteigue Burrow Nature Reserve

The Raven Nature Reserve

Wexford Wildfowl Reserve

Deputy’s Pass Nature Reserve

Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve

Glendalough Nature Reserve

Glenealo Valley Nature Reserve

Knocksink Wood Nature Reserve

Vale of Clara Nature Reserve

Munster

Ballyteigue Nature Reserve

Caher (Murphy) Nature Reserve

Dromore Nature Reserve

Keelhilla (Slieve Carron) Nature Reserve

Capel Island and Knockadoon Head Nature Reserve

Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve

Kilcolman Bog Nature Reserve

Knockomagh Wood Nature Reserve

Lough Hyne Nature Reserve

The Gearagh Nature Reserve

Cummeragh River Bog Nature Reserve

Derrycunnihy Wood Nature Reserve

Derrymore Island
Eirk Bog Nature Reserve

Great Skellig Nature Reserve

Little Skellig Nature Reserve

Lough Nambrackdarrig Nature Reserve

Lough Yganavan Nature Reserve

Mount Brandon Nature Reserve

Puffin Island Nature Reserve

Sheheree Bog Nature Reserve

Tearaght Island Nature Reserve

Tralee Bay Nature Reserve

Uragh Wood Nature Reserve

Redwood Bog Nature Reserve

Connacht

Clochar na gCon/Bealacooan Bog Nature Reserve

Coole Park Nature Reserve

Derryclare Nature Reserve

Derrycrag Wood Nature Reserve

Leam West Bog Nature Reserve

Pollnaknockaun Wood Nature Reserve

Richmond Esker Nature Reserve

Rosturra Wood Nature Reserve

Knockmoyle Sheskin Nature Reserve

Oldhead Wood Nature Reserve

Owenboy Nature Reserve

Ballygilgan (Lissadell) Nature Reserve

Easkey Bog Nature Reserve

Union Wood Nature Reserve

Ulster

Ardnamona Nature Reserve

Ballyarr Wood Nature Reserve

Derkmore Wood Nature Reserve

Duntally Wood Nature Reserve

Inch Levels Wildfowl Reserve

Lough Barra Bog Nature Reserve

Meenachullion Nature Reserve

Pettigo Plateau Nature Reserve

Rathmullen Wood Nature Reserve

Sheskinmore Nature Reserve

Protect

Nature

05 / Protect Nature

National Parks inspire visitors to create their own experiences and journeys, where they feel rejuvenated and restored, with a greater understanding of conservation and care.

Now, more than ever, we must listen to this voice — nature’s voice — in our National Parks.

01 / Think about the best time to visit and how you’ll travel here, to minimise your environmental impact.

02 / Respect wildlife and always keep your dogs on a lead.

03 / Leave what you find and do not disturb the flora and fauna.

04 / Dispose of waste properly, litter is a huge threat to nature.

• • Bog

  Blanket bogs form in mountain areas and follow the contours of the hills. Raised bogs grow as large domes, mainly in the midlands. Both are a patchwork of raised drier hummocks and wetter pools and boggy patches.
  Typical bog plants include mosses, especially Sphagnum, and heathers, bilberry, crowberry, sedges and cotton grass, and distinctive lichens.

  • Woodland

  There are various woodland habitats present in Ireland such as Deciduous Woodland, which can contain excellent examples of native species such as ash, hazel, pine and oak.
  These woodlands often contain other native tree species also; wych elm, spindle, downy birch, holly, willow, crab apple, rowan, yew and aspen.

  • Lakes & Ponds

  Lakes and ponds are enclosed bodies of freshwater, varying in size from small pools out on the open bog to large lakes which have formed high in the hollows of mountain corries. Corries are hollows found on mountainsides which were carved out by the action of glaciers during the last ice age. The plants and wildlife in lakes and ponds vary with the surrounding habitats and geology.

  • Calcareous Grassland

  Calcareous grassland is restricted in its distribution and is now largely confined to the steep slopes of esker ridges and moraines in the midlands. It is found on the terraces of the mountains and between the limestone pavement, as well as on glacial deposits throughout the Burren. These calcareous grasslands host an extraordinary composition of flora, and attract botanists from all over the world to study this unique mixture of plants growing together.

  • Limestone Pavement

  Limestone pavement has become synonymous with the Burren and covers most of the National Park, although usually in a mosaic with other habitats. The pavement may be of either a smooth or shattered type.
  The smooth limestone pavement areas consist of clints and grykes. The clints are the slab-like flat surface areas of the pavement and the grykes are the fissured cracks that dissect the clints. The grykes provide shelter for the soil to accumulate and also shelter from the wind.

  • Heath

  Wet heaths are botanically similar to blanket bogs. They can occur on varied types of terrain, but are best represented on moderately steep, badly drained moraine slopes, where the peat is rarely much more than one metre deep. Typical species include ling heather, cross-leaved heath, gorse and bog myrtle, with purple moor-grass, deer-grass, cotton-grass, tormentil, heath rush and some bog moss species.

• • Flora

  There are many interesting species of note to see in Ireland’s National Parks such as the beautiful and varied orchids that grow in the Burren. Species such as the early-purple orchid, bee orchid, butterfly orchid and fly orchid, among others. There are also some rare species to be found in Wild Nephin National Park such as marsh saxifrage; a very rare yellow flower which grows in nutrient rich wet flushes; and ivy-leaved bellflower which grows along the riverbanks of the National Park.

  • Trees

  Glenveagh National Park is home to a mix of native and non-native trees. The main species are sessile oak, downy birch, rowan, holly, hazel, yew and aspen. Native scots pines are also a key feature having been planted as shelter belts around the lake shore. Up to 2,000 seedlings are to be planted as one of the initial steps in the development of an acorn-to-tree approach to woodland conservation management within the park.

  • Mammals

  Some of Ireland’s native mammal species include the red deer, red squirrel, red fox and Irish hare. Native breeds include Kerry cow, Galway sheep and Connemara pony.
  The red deer herd found in Killarney National Park dates back to Neolithic times and is now the only surviving indigenous herd left in the country. While herds of red deer can be found elsewhere in Ireland, they are from re-introduced stock (mainly from Scotland).

  • Birds

  The birdlife that can be spotted in Ireland is plentiful, including bird species of interest; such as the merlin, goosander, whinchat and red grouse. Peregrine falcons are the world’s fastest birds, and are a notable species in Wicklow Mountains National Park. White-tailed sea eagles hadn’t been seen in Ireland since the early 20th century until a reintroduction programme in Killarney National Park, and now there are white-tailed sea eagles in the sky once more.

  • Insects

  There are many magnificant species of butterfly present in Ireland such as the protected marsh fritillary. As the name suggests, the marsh fritillary likes wet or marshy ground and relies on the devil’s bit scabious plant for its lifecycle.
  The Burren National Park is rich in butterfly species; in fact, the area around Mullaghmore is considered to be the richest butterfly site in Ireland. Twenty-seven of Ireland’s 33 resident and regular migrant butterflies have been recorded here.

  • Amphibians, Reptiles & Aquatics

  Ireland’s only native reptile, the viviparous lizard, is versatile in its habitat and can be found in woodlands, marshes, heaths and bogs. Ranging in length from 10–16 cm, they have long bodies, short legs and a long tapering tail. The smooth newt is also native to Ireland and can be found in woodlands, hedgerows, marshes and areas dominated by tussock grassland. They are the only amphibian found in Ireland that has a tail. Atlantic salmon is native to Ireland and is found in most of our rivers.