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Killarney National Park was Ireland's first national park, established in 1932. Situated in southwest Ireland, close to the most westerly point in Europe, the park covers over 25,000 acres of mountain, moorland, woodland, waterways, parks and gardens.
The three scenic interlinked Lakes of Killarney are the centerpiece of this park in County Kerry.
Killarney encompasses several diverse habitats, with an upland area of blanket bogs, and some of the last old-growth oak woods remaining in Ireland.
The last remaining wild herd of native red deer lives within the park. A large stand of pure yew woodland on the Muckross Peninsula is believed to be one of only three surviving in Europe.
History is evident throughout Killarney. Church ruins include the remains of the Inisfallen Abbey, dating from the 7th century, and the Muckross Abbey dating from the 15th century.
The Muckross House and Gardens have been restored to their Victorian splendor. The nearby Muckross Traditional Farming Project illustrates what Ireland was like before electricity. Ross Castle is an excellent example of a 15th-century tower house.
A variety of activities are available in the park, from walking and cycling to boat trips on the lakes and popular horse-drawn jaunting cars that are a constant presence on park roads. Fishing has always been popular on the Killarney Lakes.
Located near the tourist town of Killarney, and encompassing a part of the popular Ring of Kerry scenic route, the park is in one of the most popular tourist areas in Ireland.
In 1981, the park was designated by UNESCO as a Biosphere Reserve, part of a world network of natural areas which have conservation, research, education and training as major objectives.
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