Ireland’s first marine national park was announced on Monday and will include the sea off the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry and significant adjacent land areas, including the nationally acquired scenic Conner Pass.
Further information on Pairc Naisiunta na Mara, Siarai, will be outlined by Minister for Nature Malcolm Noonan and Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O’Brien at an event in Dingle to coincide with Earth Day. . The park is expected to promote outdoor tourism in the region and strengthen protection of its rich biodiversity.
The Irish Times understands that the state has reached an agreement to buy 1,400 acres at Connor Pass. The American owners had asked for 10 million euros, but a government official said a deal was agreed for a much lower amount, adding: “It was a good deal for the country.”
This is in addition to a series of new sites acquired by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) across the Dingle Peninsula, including land at Inch Beach, Mt Brandon and the River Owenmore, all of which are rated as ‘very high It has biodiversity” and heritage value.
The ecologically important area has also been developed in partnership with the Department of Public Works, Birdwatch Ireland and the Commissioners to create the country’s eighth national park, along with a number of islands including the Blaskets Islands, home to important populations of breeding seabirds. It is scheduled to be incorporated into the Irish light.
Officials say no new designations are planned as sites within the park are already highly protected under existing biodiversity laws. The aim is to maximize the protection of biodiversity from a habitat perspective while supporting tourism.
The narrow, winding road through the Conner Pass, one of Ireland’s highest mountain ranges, runs for 12km between Dingle and Kilmore Cross on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula. These lands are famous for their spectacular mountain views and natural beauty. This glacial landscape overlooking the valley is popular with tourists, walkers and cyclists.
US-based owner Michael Noonan spent several years buying the land in parcels, grazing sheep and farming it. The property, which overlooks Brandon Bay, consists of about 1,000 acres of pasture, about 400 acres of forestry, and three lakes. Lake Utley, Lake Bearn, and Peddler Lake.
When it went on the market, the government’s Leo Varadkar said the government was interested in buying the land, but only at a “reasonable price”.
The Dingle Peninsula is designated as a Special Area of Protection for Rare and Endangered Species under the EU Birds Directive. The Inch Dunes are home to many natterjack toads, and Owenmore is an important habitat for freshwater pearl oysters. Conner Pass and Brandon are rich in blanket marshes, and puffins, storm petrels, carpenters and gannets are among the island’s rare bird species, and sharks and rays are considered among the most important marine life.
The pressure on the government to strengthen protection off the west coast coincides with the designation of a new ‘Place of Hope’ off the Greater Skellig Coast, an area of high conservation value.
Hope Spots have been scientifically identified as important to ocean health and designated by the marine conservation movement Mission Blue. 7,000km2 of coastal water stretches from Kenmare Bay in County Kerry to Loophead in County Clare. The initiative, led by oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, lists 148 wish spots around the world. Through the designation of special places for protection, it aims to raise public awareness and support for a global network of marine protected areas.
