This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Killarney National Park, Ireland’s first state-recognised park, known for its importance as a semi-natural landscape and a popular tourist hub. However, legislation to outline its mandate is still not in place. Criticisms on its biodiversity handling by the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS), the responsible state agency, have been persistent and supported by scientific evidence. Although the recent reintroduction of white-tailed sea eagles in the park has been noteworthy, it doesn’t make up for the need for fully functional ecosystems.
One of the major shortcomings of the NPWS in Killarney is the inadequate management of non-native species like Rhododendron ponticum, which pose a threat to its valuable oak woodland ecosystems by inhibiting regeneration. The agency has also failed in controlling populations of deer, sheep, and goats that threaten most of the remaining seedlings.
Although Minister Malcolm Noonan, who oversees the NPWS, pledged in June to prioritize Rhododendron management, this commitment has been met with scepticism due to past failures. Recently, the publication of a Native Woodland Strategy from Glenveagh National Park in Donegal was a step in the right path, but it is to be noted that previously, similar strategies were adopted and then prematurely abandoned in Killarney.
Undoubtedly, Noonan does deserve credit for his efforts towards the enactment of the imperative EU Nature Restoration Law and the successful attainment of a remarkable 170% increment in NPWS funding during this government’s tenure. Nevertheless, the execution of the new law will be challenging and may strain the financial resources.
The critical point—and one that remains dubious—is that this budget should be utilized judiciously, particularly in relation to the removal of Rhododendron in Killarney, and under guided scientific directives. Simply boosting the budget without improving management could result in wastage of resources.
Daniel Kelly, a woodland ecologist and retired fellow from Trinity College Dublin’s Botany Department, located in Dublin, noted that the Rhododendron problem arose while Killarney was under national custody and asserted that the nation deserved better. Kelly, to this day, stands by this claim.
This month, Noonan declared a public consultation, ‘Your Parks, Your Say,’ which encourages citizens and stakeholders to contribute to the shaping definition, purpose, and administration of our national parks. In light of this, we consulted various independent conservation advocates and biodiversity specialists, asking them to share their thoughts on the park’s achievements, any shortfalls, and what needs to be done to tackle modern-day hurdles.
Their feedback revealed that a drastic shift in methodology is crucial. Moreover, if the NPWS takes Noonan’s public consultation into consideration earnestly, everyone would get an opportunity to contribute their insights to these significant enquiries.
Dr. Liam Lysaght, a former ranger of the Burren National Park, and CEO of the National Biodiversity Data Centre, expressed his views. He believes that by bestowing Killarney the title of a national park, it has received international recognition as an area of unparalleled conservation value. Nonetheless, the introduction of beneficial conservation management practices has been hampered due to an inability to adequately overcome challenges such as reducing grazing pressure, eradicating rhododendron, and improving water quality.
For sufficient progress, he suggests the implementation of legislation that recognises national parks, substantial increase in the budget allocated for positive habitat administration, and the establishment of an adequately funded focal point for biodiversity learning.
Brendan Dunford, the co-founder of the Burren Programme and a consultant for High Nature Value Services, highlighted that national parks do not stand alone. They are part of larger landscapes that are most often agriculturally driven. The wellbeing of the parks is reliant on the management of these neighbouring landscapes, which allows for their continual renewal.
Enabling local farmers and offering them incentives to contribute to nature, using parks for local community events and as a learning resource for schools, and establishing them as places of work for local dwellers are some of the diverse approaches required for this.
The ecological author Pádraic Fogarty also provided his expert insights.
Killarney National Park’s forest remains one of Ireland’s vital biodiversity hotspots. However, due to its primary perception as a tourist attraction instead of a significant ecological asset, the necessary investment in forest preservation has suffered. Consequently, what should be an epitome of nature conservation has become a stark criticism of the State’s failure to address the biodiversity issue. This negligence is unacceptable yet can be rectified. It requires dealing with over-grazing and rhododendron growth and increasing ambition for escalating the park and forest extension.
In the year 1981, the management of Killarney National Park praised and aided Groundwork, a volunteer group with a plan to combat the invasive rhododendron. By 2004, their efforts managed to clear 350 hectares of the most crucial oak woods in the park and maintained them free from rhododendron blossoms. However, when Groundwork was hindered from continued scientific upkeep of the cleared woods due to a new management policy in 2005, the woods suffered a reinfestation, resulting in habitat decline.
Greater transparency and accountability are necessary regarding the updated rhododendron management plan, complying with the legislation for environmental information access.
Liam Heneghan, a professor of environmental science and studies at DePaul University in Chicago, highlights his crucial visits to Killarney National Park in the 1980s. These trips, one involved removing invasive rhododendron as a Groundwork volunteer and the other of beetle collection facilitated by the National Museum of Ireland, were instrumental in his development as an ecologist. These experiences signify the Park’s goals: maintaining its distinctive natural resources and supporting education.
The park has been the focus of numerous high-quality scientific studies, substantiating the unique opportunities it provides. However, the ineffective rhododendron management has been cause for concern in the conservation sector. Heneghan remains hopeful for the future, asserting that successful education, research, and nature conservation hinge upon exceptional resource management.
Anja Murray, a respected ecologist, writer, and broadcaster, is of the opinion that the value of Killarney National Park surpasses that of even our most prized artistic masterpieces. The park, home to some of the last temperate rainforests, also known as oceanic oak woodlands, in the world, has been as much a part of Ireland’s history as its people. Killarney’s diverse environment of lakes, mountain areas, and the uncommon native Yew forests make it a sanctuary for a wide variety of life forms.
It is shocking, however, that over the years, the detrimental effects of invasive species like sika deer and rhododendron on these woods have been largely overlooked. Their continued growth has thwarted the rejuvenation efforts of the woodlands, causing damage to the herbs and lower plant strata essential for various fauna such as wild bees, moths, and woodland beetles. Murray sounds a clarion call to make amends and accord nature the opportunity to regenerate in the park.
Echoing Murray’s sentiments, Ray Ó Foghlú, the Wild Atlantic Rainforest lead and co-ordinator of farms programmes at Hometree, laments over the gradual deterioration of the national park. Despite this, the park signifies a significant glimpse of Ireland’s possible ecological future as well as its past. It is the only place within Ireland’s borders that grounds 3,000 acres of native woodlands, abounding heath, and strategically important blanket bogs.
Ó Foghlú is critical of the park management by the State, stalwartly asserting its failure to safeguard Ireland’s ecological jewel. He is quick to point out the government’s hypocritical stance concerning land management, as the unchecked growth of invasive flora and fauna contradicts its expectations of other landowners. He advocates for a comprehensive, long-term plan of action, along with adequate resources and accountability.
Documented in his book, Eoghan Daltun, an accomplished author and forest manager, quotes a noteworthy case study. His journey began in 2009 when he purchased a 73-acre farm in Beara, West Cork. Although majorly a wild native rainforest, the area was severely ravaged by feral goats and sika deer, with a substantial growth of rhododendron. However, after an exhaustive campaign to eradicate these invasive species, he witnessed an extraordinary surge in biodiversity and abundance, reinstating the ecological balance in the forest.
Killarney National Park has been experiencing a major ecological crisis for over five decades, primarily attributed to similar factors. This has resulted in the absence of young indigenous trees and increasing domination of rhododendrons over massive regions. The wildlife is gradually depleting. The indigenous rainforest could experience a resurgence if all intrusive sika, goats, and rhododendrons were eliminated, in the same way it happened in my area. The solution is not complex.
Catherine Farrell, a restoration ecologist and senior research associate at TCD who supports farming communities in land restoration for nature and a former peatland restoration ecologist at Bord na Móna, makes clear that nature sustains our existence. It offers benefits like clean air, water, biodiversity, remarkable beauty, and tranquillity, all of which are available in Killarney. A national park should be a celebration and display of nature’s grace.
Farrell’s first exploration of KNP [Killarney National Park] in 1997 as a budding peatland scientist, helping monitor the impact of Kerry cattle grazing on peaty terrains, shed light on deeper facets of park management, aspects somewhat removed from the vibrant park centre – Muckoss House, a hub for tourists – and tourism appears to retain its status as the park’s main interest. Crucially, there was then, and still is today, a lack of a comprehensive approach towards the park’s biodiversity.
It falls to us – the nation and its citizens – to prioritise nature in our national parks and provide them with the necessary support.
Declan Little, the ecological lead for Coillte Nature, highlights the challenge of addressing this issue in the absence of all the relevant data. The goals of the management plan and whether they have been met remain uncertain to him. He believes that NPWS has added to the confusion surrounding biodiversity because significant strides that were made in the 1980s/1990s in controlling invasive species and managing deer numbers have regressed due to internal conflict. The ability to maintain efforts to regulate deer population is questionable. These two programmes are key to enhancing biodiversity within the park.
Should control over invasive species remain stalled, this indicates unmet goals and backward progress, as invaders are seeding areas already cleared. This renders the resources already expended on the invasive species programme futile.
A consensus must be reached on the strategy to be implemented, complete with precise objectives and long-term funding. Concurrently, agricultural workers must receive compensation for upkeeping the ecological services on the peripheries and within the park. This perspective was shared by Ella McSweeney, a prominent writer and broadcaster.
The story of the Killarney National Park traces back to 1933, when American energy mogul, William Bowers Bourn, granted the 11,000-acre Muckross Estate located in Killarney to the Irish Government. The estate was converted into the Killarney National Park via a governmental Act, assigning the park officials with the authority to manage the area for public recreational activities.
The park was reclassified in the ’90s as a national park following the guidelines laid down by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. However, it has struggled to break free from its initial objective that underscored human enjoyment as its main purpose.
In 2021, this park succumbed to a massive fire outbreak that resulted in significant destruction including some of the rarest natural habitats left in Europe. It wasn’t the occurrence of the fire that was shocking – expert warnings had been ignored for years – rather the public apathy towards the massive loss suffered by this magnificent Unesco biosphere reserve was startling.
The successive government administrations have not endeavored to legally classify a “national park” and there are scant laws that are in place to safeguard the unique ecosystems and wildlife that they house. Perhaps we need to reset our conversation about national park conservation. What exactly constitutes a national park? And what strategies should we employ to protect and rejuvenate them?