63-564: Muckross may refer to various places: Ireland [ edit ] Muckross Estate, now Killarney National Park , County Kerry; including Muckross Abbey Muckross House Muckross Lake , one of the Lakes of Killarney Muckross Head , County Donegal Muckross Park College , Dublin Scotland [ edit ] Muck Ross or Muckross, an old name for Fife Ness Topics referred to by
126-697: A biosphere reserve because of the presence of such rare species. Significant amounts of plant species found in the park have unusual geographic distributions and are of localised occurrence within Ireland. These plant species are grouped within four main categories: arctic-alpine plants, Atlantic species, North American species and very rare species. Atlantic species are species which are otherwise found mostly in southern and south-western Europe, for example arbutus , St Patrick's cabbage and greater butterwort . North American species include blue-eyed grass and pipewort . Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) flourish in
189-565: A highly diverse lichen flora. Shehy Mountains The Shehy Mountains ( Cnoic na Seithe in Irish , meaning "Hills of the animal hides" ) are a range of low mountains situated on the border between County Cork and County Kerry , in Ireland . The highest peak (also the highest mountain in County Cork), Knockboy ( Cnoc Buí , "yellow hill"), is 706 metres high and most of
252-518: A low of 5.88 °C (42.58 °F) in January to a high of 15.28 °C (59.50 °F) in July. The park experiences high rainfall and changeable fronts , with light showery rainfall being frequent throughout the year. The mean rainfall is 1,263 millimetres (49.7 in) per year, 223 days per annum typically having more than 1 millimetre (0.039 in) precipitation. The mean number of frost days
315-527: A meagrely inhabited wilderness of forest and mountains. From the 18th century the land in today's park were divided between two great estates, the Herberts of Muckross and the Brownes ( Earls of Kenmare ). During the 17th and 18th centuries the woods were extensively utilised for local industries including charcoal production, cooperage and tanning . Pressure on the woods intensified in the later part of
378-524: A notable part of these woods. There are also scattered yews . The field layer includes bilberry and woodrush . The herb layer is not rich in species. Bryophytes, lichens and filmy ferns ( Hymenophyllaceae ), thrive in the humid oceanic climate. Species with restricted Atlantic distributions grow in the woods. The bryophytes in these woods are perhaps the best-developed Atlantic bryophyte community in Europe. The remote Glaism na Marbh valley has
441-604: A number of notable species, including mosses ( Sphagnum pulchrum , S. fuscum , S. platyphyllum , S. strictum , S. contortum and Calliergon stramineum ), liverworts ( Cladopodiella francisci and Calypogeia azurea ) and lichens ( Cladonia mediterranea , C. macilenta , C. rangiferina , C. arbuscula and Cetraria islandica ). The remoteness of some of the upland areas aids the survival of Ireland's only remaining wild herd of native red deer. The bogs are threatened by grazing, turbary , burning and afforestation. A large number of plant and animal species of interest occur within
504-423: A particularly rich flora of bryophytes, some of which are scarce or absent in other parts of the woods. Mosses, ferns and liverworts frequently occur as epiphytes, attached to the trunks and branches of oak trees. Rare species growing in the woods include Cyclodictyon laetevirens , Daltonia splachnoides , Lejeunea flava , Radula carringtonii , and Sematophyllum demissum . Bird species that reside in
567-408: A permanent change in the lake's ecosystem, a review of land use in the catchment area is being carried out. Water quality in the lake appears to have improved since phosphates were removed from sewage in 1985. As of August 2007, several large hotels and businesses have stated their intention to stop using phosphate detergents, in an effort to preserve the quality of the lake water. Muckross Lake
630-507: A unique ecosystem. The lakes join at the Meeting of the Waters, a popular tourist area. Sport angling on the lakes has been a pastime in the area for some time, in particular of the lakes' brown trout and salmon populations. Lough Leane is approximately 19 square kilometres (4,700 acres) in size and is by far the largest of the three lakes. It is also the largest body of fresh water in
693-529: Is 40. The geological boundary, the park's wide range of altitudes, and the climatic influence of the Gulf Stream combine to give the park a varied ecology. These ecosystems include bogs , lakes, moorland , mountains, waterways, woodland, parks and gardens. Outcropping rock , cliffs and crags are features of the park. Above 200 metres (660 ft), the mountainous sandstone areas support large areas of blanket bog and heath . Killarney National Park
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#1732771775032756-463: Is also found in the park. The greater butterwort ( Pinguicula grandiflora ) (also known as the Kerry violet) is a carnivorous plant found in bogs. It digests insects to supplement the poor supply of nutrients (especially nitrogen) available from the bog. Its purple flowers bloom in late May and early June. Irish spurge ( Euphorbia hyberna ) is an Atlantic species that in Ireland is only found in
819-636: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Killarney National Park Killarney National Park ( Irish : Páirc Náisiúnta Chill Airne ), near the town of Killarney , County Kerry , was the first national park in Ireland , created when the Muckross Estate was donated to the Irish Free State in 1932. The park has since been substantially expanded and encompasses over 102.89 km (25,425 acres) of diverse ecology, including
882-430: Is encompassed by the national park. There are three main types of woodland in the park: acidophilous oak woodland ( Quercus petraea-Ilex aquifolium ) on Devonian sandstone; moss -rich yew woodland ( Taxus baccata ) on Carboniferous limestone outcrops; and wet woodland (also called carr) dominated by alder on low-lying swampy limestone soils on the lake edges. The woods in the park fall naturally into two sectors, along
945-469: Is in southwest Ireland close to the island's most westerly point. The Lakes of Killarney and the Mangerton , Torc , Shehy and Purple Mountains are in the park. Altitudes in the park range from 22 metres (72 ft) to 842 metres (2,762 ft). A major geological boundary between Devonian Old Red Sandstone and Carboniferous limestone lies in the park. The underlying geology of the majority of
1008-548: Is now more than double the size it was in 1932. As the Irish economy became wealthier and the perception of the role of national parks changed, much more money was made available to the park. The Lakes of Killarney are Lough Leane (the lower lake), Muckross Lake (the middle lake), and the Upper Lake. These lakes are interlinked and together make up almost a quarter of the park's area. Despite being interlinked, each lake has
1071-410: Is of considerable ecological and conservation interest, as yew is rarely a woodland dominant. The western limit of the wood lies along the geological boundary with Devonian Old Red Sandstone. The wood is bounded to the east by parkland where the limestone no longer outcrops. Muckross bog, a raised bog 0.02 square kilometres (4.9 acres) in area, is in the southern part of the wood. There are hollows between
1134-438: Is one of the most extensive areas of this woodland type in Ireland. The dominant canopy species here are alder ( Alnus glutinosa ), ash ( Fraxinus excelsior ), downy birch ( Betula pubescens ), and willow ( Salix spp.). The areas that are periodically covered by water are rich in species including grasses, rushes, sedges, and flowers such as marsh bedstraw, meadow sweet, and water mint. Red deer and sika deer heavily use
1197-517: Is one of the very few places in Ireland that has been continuously covered by woodland since the end of the most recent glacial period , approximately 10,000 years ago. Humans have lived in the area since at least the Bronze Age , approximately 4,000 years ago. Archaeologists have found evidence that copper mining took place in the Ross Island area during this period, which suggests that
1260-474: Is relatively common in the park, it is one of Ireland's rarest native tree species and is found in very few locations outside Killarney. In the park it is found on cliff tops and the edges of the woodlands around the lake. Killarney whitebeam ( Sorbus anglica ) is a shrub or small tree that grows on rocks close to lakeshores. It is found only in Killarney. The more common Irish whitebeam ( Sorbus hibernica )
1323-609: Is the core of today's enlarged national park. Initially the Irish Government was unable to provide much financial support to the park, so it operated primarily as a working farm that was open to the public. Muckross House was closed to the public until 1964. Around 1970 there was public disquiet about threats to the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. The Irish authorities looked at international practices in classifying and managing of national parks. It
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#17327717750321386-401: Is the deepest of the three lakes. It has a maximum depth of 73.5 metres (241 ft), close to where the steeply sloping side of Torc Mountain enters the lake. The lake lies on the geological boundary between the sandstone mountains to the south and west and the limestone to the north. Lough Leane and Muckross Lake lie across the geological boundary. The presence of limestone causes both of
1449-470: Is under way in the park. The yew woodlands have been negatively affected by heavy grazing for many years. The park is perhaps most famous for its oak woodlands, which are about 12.2 square kilometres (3,000 acres) in size. They form the largest area of native woodland remaining in Ireland and are a remnant of the woodland that once covered much of Ireland. Derrycunihy Wood is perhaps the most natural sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ) wood in Ireland. Most of
1512-465: Is very susceptible to browsing and bark stripping by deer, rabbits, hare, and domestic animals. It is one of the most grazing sensitive trees in the Killarney woodlands. Sika deer have killed yews by scoring the trees with their antlers. Wet woodland (also called carr) on the low-lying swampy limestone areas within Lough Leane's floodplain is about 1.7 square kilometres (420 acres) in size. This
1575-486: The Lakes of Killarney , oak and yew woodlands of international importance, and mountain peaks. It has the only red deer herd on mainland Ireland and the most extensive covering of native forest remaining in Ireland. The park is of high ecological value because of the quality, diversity, and extensiveness of many of its habitats and the wide variety of species that they accommodate, some of which are rare . The park
1638-514: The Norman invasion of Ireland , the land around the lakes was owned by the McCarthys and O'Donoghues . Ross Castle is a 15th-century tower house on the shore of Lough Leane. It was once the residence of the chieftain O'Donoghue Mór. The castle was extended in the 17th century. It has been restored and is open to the public. A 1580s Elizabethan military record describes the Killarney area as
1701-435: The 18th century. The biggest cause of oakwood destruction in Killarney in the 18th century was the production of charcoal to fire smelters used in the local iron industry. Approximately 25 tons of oak was needed to produce one ton of cast iron . In 1780 Young famously described Derrycunihy wood as "a great sweep of mountain, covered partly in wood, hanging in a very noble manner, but part cut down, much of it mangled, and
1764-634: The American William Bowers Bourn bought Muckross Estate as a wedding present for his daughter Maud on her marriage to Arthur Vincent . They spent £ 110,000 improving the estate between 1911 and 1932, building the Sunken Garden, the Stream Garden, and a rock garden on an outcrop of limestone. Maud Vincent died from pneumonia in 1929. In 1932, Arthur Vincent and his parents-in-law donated Muckross Estate to
1827-618: The Irish state in her memory. The 43.3 square kilometres (10,700 acres) estate was renamed as the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park. The Irish government created the national park by passing the Bourn Vincent Memorial Park Act in 1932. The Act required the Commissioners of Public Works to "maintain and manage the Park as a National Park for the purpose of the recreation and enjoyment of the public." The memorial park
1890-424: The Killarney woods, the roots spread out over the rock surface and penetrate deeply into fissures in the limestone. The wood has a low canopy of 6–14 m (20–46 ft). Yew's extreme tolerance of the dense shade its canopy creates has allowed it to outcompete other species to create the pure yew woodland present today. This dense shade prevents flowering plants from establishing themselves in these woods and prevents
1953-485: The Shehy Mountains are mostly the same as those found throughout the lowlands, but some are more often seen in the mountains than elsewhere, including: The area has a very long history of human habitation, going back at least 5000 years. Numerous Neolithic megalithic monuments are found in the foothills and valleys, as well as ringforts , fulachta fia and later antiquities. One of the most historic sites in
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2016-680: The Shehy mountains is Gougane Barra in the Coomroe valley, where Saint Finbarr established a hermitage in the 6th century. During the Irish War of Independence , the mountains were an IRA stronghold, and continued to be so for the anti-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War . The following table lists the 5 highest major mountain peaks of the Shehy Mountains, all with a topographic elevation of at least 625 metres (2,050 ft). After
2079-469: The area and also eroded the mountains down to their present height. When the icecaps retreated, they left behind hundreds of lakes in the valleys and on the mountain tops. The Shehy Mountains are mostly covered with peat bogs and coarse grassland, but there are also some small conifer plantations scattered around the area. Plants typically found here include butterworts , sundews , heather , and bilberry , among many others. The animal species found in
2142-454: The area was of considerable importance to Bronze Age people. The park has many archaeological features, including a well preserved stone circle at Lissivigeen. The woods in the park have been disturbed and cleared at different periods since the Iron Age . This has caused a gradual decline in the diversity of tree species in the park. Some of the most impressive archaeological remains in
2205-414: The geologic divide. The oak and yew woodlands are of international importance. Mixed woodland and conifer plantations also occur in the park. The mixed woodland on Ross Island has one of the richest herb layers in the park's woods. Grazing and rhododendron invasion threaten the park's woodlands. Rhododendrons affect approximately two-thirds of the oak woodlands. A rhododendron removal programme
2268-522: The herb layer from developing. Bryophytes are, however, abundant and thrive in humid and cool conditions. In some parts of the wood, there are continuous dense blankets of moss that can be up to 152 centimetres (60 in) deep. The moss species present are primarily Thamnium alopecurum with Eurhynchium striatum and Thuidium tamariscinum . Some of the trees in Re-enadinna wood are two hundred years old. There has been little regeneration of
2331-469: The lakes to be slightly richer in nutrients than the Upper Lake. There are many caves in the limestone at lake level, created by wave action combined with the dissolution effect of the lakes' acidic water on the exposed rock. These caves are largest on the northern shore of Muckross Lake. From the Meeting of the Waters a narrow channel called the Long Range leads to the Upper Lake, the smallest of
2394-604: The land on the Muckross Peninsula from 1770 onwards. They became very wealthy from copper mines on this land. Henry Arthur Herbert and his wife—the water colourist Mary Balfour Herbert —finished building Muckross House in 1843. The Herbert's financial situation became precarious in the late 19th century, and the Muckross estate was purchased by Lord Ardilaun of the Guinness brewing family in 1899. In 1910,
2457-453: The limestone outcrops. Deep rendzina soils have developed in some of the hollows. It is estimated that the wood developed 3,000–5,000 years ago. Yew is a native evergreen tree that grows best in the high humidity of mild oceanic climates, which makes Killarney a very suitable location. The soil in the wood is mostly thin and in many places the trees are rooted to fissures in the bare limestone. Yew has an extensive horizontal root system. In
2520-415: The monastery from the 11th to 13th centuries. It is thought that the monastery gave rise to the name Lough Leane, which means "Lake of Learning". Muckross Abbey was founded in 1448 by Observantine Franciscans and is also still standing, despite having been damaged and reconstructed several times when its inhabitants were raided. "Friars Glen" on Mangerton Mountain is customarily said to have been one of
2583-414: The most rare plant species in the park. It is a filmy fern that grows in the splash zone of waterfalls and other damp places. Although it was once quite common, it was picked almost to extinction when pickers collected it to be sold to tourists. The few sites where this fern remain tend to be in isolated mountainous locations where pickers never found it. Although the strawberry tree ( Arbutus unedo )
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2646-399: The mountains are virtually treeless and are dominated by blanket bog and wet heath. The bogs in the park mostly have a characteristic flora that includes heather ( Calluna vulgaris ), bell heather ( Erica cinerea ) and western gorse ( Ulex gallii ), with occasional bilberry ( Vaccinium myrtillus ). Large-flowered butterwort ( Pinguicula grandiflora ) is common. The bogs also support
2709-572: The oak woodlands are located on the lower slopes of the Shehy and Tomy mountains, adjacent to Lough Leane. They are typically dominated by sessile oak, which favours the acidic soils of the sandstone mountains. The woods have Annex I status in the EU Habitats Directive because of their diverse and rich flora, most notably their bryophytes ( mosses and liverworts ). The oak woodlands typically have an understory of holly ( Ilex aquifolium ). Strawberry trees ( Arbutus unedo ) are
2772-422: The oak woods include blue tit , common chaffinch , goldcrest , European robin , and wren . Mammals include badger , red fox , pine marten , red deer , sika deer , and red squirrel . Insects include many species of the parasitic gall wasp and the purple hairstreak butterfly, whose caterpillar is entirely dependent upon oak trees. The introduced common rhododendron is a large threat to certain areas of
2835-423: The oak woods. For example, it is widespread throughout Camillan Wood despite ongoing attempts to control it. The yew woodland in the park is known as Reenadinna Wood. It is about 0.25 square kilometres (62 acres) in size and is located on low-lying karst limestone pavement between Muckross Lake and Lough Leane on Muckross Peninsula. Yew woodland is the rarest habitat type in the park. Yew woodlands are one of
2898-584: The other peaks in the range are between 500 and 600 metres high. The River Lee rises in Coomroe, a small valley at the eastern end of the range, before flowing eastwards towards Cork Harbour , where it enters the sea. The peaks mostly consist of Old Red Sandstone laid down in the Devonian period. During the Ice Age , the Shehys took their present form, when glaciers carved out the many deep valleys in
2961-456: The park are from the early Christian period. The most important of these features is Inisfallen Abbey , the ruins of a monastic settlement on Inisfallen Island in Lough Leane. It was founded in the 7th century CE by St. Finian the Leper and was occupied until the 14th century. The Annals of Inisfallen , a record of the early history of Ireland as it was known by the monks, was written in
3024-587: The park is sandstone , with the limestone pavements occurring on the low eastern shore of Lough Leane. Lough Leane is the largest of the Killarney lakes and contains over 30 islands. Some visitors avail of boat trips to Innisfallen , one of the larger islands on Lough Leane. The park has an oceanic climate , heavily influenced by the Gulf Stream . It experiences mild winters (6 °C (43 °F) February average) and cool summers (15 °C (59 °F) July average). Mean daily temperatures range from
3087-401: The park, due partly to the area's mild oceanic climate. The park is internationally significant for bryophytes. Many of the bryophytes found in the park are not found anywhere else in Ireland. Mosses, ferns such as filmy ferns, and liverworts grow luxuriantly. Many of them live as epiphytes, growing on the branches and trunks of trees. The Killarney fern ( Trichomanes speciosum ) is probably
3150-531: The places the monks would flee to when the monastery was attacked. The central feature of Muckross Abbey is a central courtyard that contains a huge yew tree surrounded by a vaulted cloister . It is traditionally said that this tree is as old as Muckross Abbey itself. The abbey was the burial place of local chieftains . In the 17th and 18th centuries the Kerry poets Seafraidh O'Donoghue , Aogán Ó Rathaille , and Eoghan Rua Ó Súilleabháin were buried there. After
3213-540: The rarest types of woodland in Europe, mostly restricted to western Ireland and southern England. It has priority habitat status under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. Reenadinna Wood is also one of the largest woods that are dominated by common yew ( Taxus baccata L.) in the UK and Ireland. It is the only significant area of yew woodland in Ireland and is one of just three pure yew woodlands in Europe. It
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#17327717750323276-414: The region. It is also the lake richest in nutrients . It has become eutrophic as a result of phosphates from agricultural and domestic pollution entering Lough Leane Reedbed, an important habitat on the edge of Lough Leane. This nutrient enrichment has caused several algal blooms in recent years. The blooms have not yet had a severe effect on the lake's ecosystem. To prevent further pollution causing
3339-489: The rest inhabited by coopers, boat-builders, carpenters and turners..." Woodland exploitation again increased during the Napoleonic era in the early 19th century, probably because of the high prices that oak was commanding at this time. Replanting and management of the oak forests was promoted at this time. There was a large-scale felling of oak trees at Ross Island in 1803, Glena in around 1804 and Tomies in 1805. Tomies
3402-451: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Muckross . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Muckross&oldid=895286147 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
3465-457: The site, including most of the native Irish mammal species, several important fish species including Arctic char , and a range of rare or scarce plant species. Several of the animal and plant species in the park have a hiberno-lusitanean distribution, meaning that they only occur in southwest Ireland, northern Spain, and Portugal . The main reason for this is the effect of the Gulf Stream on southwest Ireland's climate. The park has been designated
3528-615: The southwest. In the past the milky sap from its stem was used to cure warts. Fishermen used it to capture fish, utilising compounds in the sap that prevent fish gills from functioning properly and so suffocate the fish. A number of rare species of myxomycete fungus have been recorded in the park. These are Collaria arcyrionema , Craterium muscorum , Cribraria microcarpa (the only known location in Ireland), C. rufa , C. violacea , Diderma chondrioderma , D. lucidum , D. ochraceum , Fuligo muscorum , and Licea marginata . The park has
3591-403: The three lakes. This lake is located in rugged mountain scenery in the upper Killarney/Black Valley area. The fast run-off in its catchment area can cause the level of the lake to rise by up to a meter in a few hours during heavy rain. Muckross Lake and the Upper Lake are high quality oligotrophic systems, with water that is slightly acidic and low in nutrients. This is caused by run-off from
3654-568: The upland sandstones and blanket bogs in their catchment areas. They have diverse aquatic vegetation , including quillwort ( Isoetes lacustris ), shoreweed ( Littorella uniflora ), and water lobelia ( Lobelia dortmanna ). All three lakes are very acid sensitive and therefore vulnerable to afforestation within their catchment areas. Killarney possesses the most extensive area (approximately 120 square kilometres (30,000 acres)) of semi-natural native woodland (woodland dominated by indigenous species ) remaining in Ireland. Most of this woodland
3717-477: The wetland woods as cover, and bare muddy "deer wallows" are a characteristic feature. Rhododendrons are the greatest threat to these woodlands. They are invading the woodlands, using raised areas such as tussocks or tree bases where the floor is too wet for seedlings to become established. Although some clearance has occurred reinvasion continues. While the lower slopes of the mountains are dominated by sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ), above 200 metres (660 ft)
3780-411: The yew trees in the wood. Overgrazing of the woodland floor by sika deer may be part of the reason for this, but small areas of the wood that have been fenced off since 1969 have experienced very little yew regeneration. The dense canopy created by the yew trees that lets very little sunlight through to the woodland floor may also prevent the growth of yew seedlings. Despite its poisonous properties, yew
3843-405: Was decided to expand and re-designate the park as a national park that corresponded broadly to IUCN Category II . A decision was also made to establish other national parks in Ireland. Almost 60 square kilometres (15,000 acres) has been added to the original park, including the three lakes, Knockreer Estate , Ross Island, Innisfallen, and the townlands of Glena, Ullauns, and Poulagower. The park
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#17327717750323906-490: Was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1981. The park forms part of a Special Area of Conservation and a Special Protection Area . The National Parks and Wildlife Service is responsible for the management and administration of the park. Nature conservation is the main objective of the park, and ecosystems in their natural state are highly valued. The park is known for its scenery, and recreation and tourism amenities are provided for. Killarney National Park
3969-458: Was then replanted with three-year-old oak and Glena was coppiced . These activities have increased the relative abundance of oak in the park in the past 200 years. As most of the oak trees in the woods today are around 200 years old, it is likely that the majority of them were planted, and the oakwoods that have never been disturbed by humans are restricted to a few isolated pockets in remote areas such as mountain valleys. The Herbert family owned
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