Killarney hoping for tourism boost from Attenborough series

Episode three, which was televised on Sunday, features stunning footage of Killarney National Park including a fierce battle between two stags during deer rutting season. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Killarney is hoping for a tourism boost after the region was featured prominently in a new nature series presented by David Attenborough.

Extensive featuring of Killarney National Park and its deer is a “tremendous boost” for Killarney and all of Kerry, Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce said, adding that it will provide a “massive pre-season bonus” for the sector.

Currently airing on BCC, the five-part series ‘Wild Isles’ sees Attenborough focus on the nature across Ireland and Britain for the first time.

Filmed over the course of three years and using the very latest technology, the five-part series explores and celebrates different habitats featured, including woodlands, grasslands, freshwater and marine.

Episode three, which was televised on Sunday, features stunning footage of Killarney National Park including a fierce battle between two stags during deer rutting season.

The programme also explores several walking trails winding through lakes, glens, waterfalls and forests, against a striking mountain backdrop.

96-year-old Attenborough is renowned for his encyclopaedic knowledge of nature which has inspired several top-rated television documentaries. This latest series is expected to draw viewers in their hundreds and thousands.

Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce Senior Executive, Bridget O’Keeffe, said it is a “wonderful compliment” that the legendary conservationist and broadcaster has zoomed in on local nature, wildlife and the magnificent scenery that can be enjoyed in the 26,000-acre park.

Ms O’Keeffe said that the programme reveals the “surprising and dramatic habitats that exist right on our doorstep”, and has been described as “home like you’ve never seen it before”.

“This is hugely significant and it will be a major advantage in showcasing the charms and the beauty of the national park to such a wide audience around the world, both on the BBC and online,” she said.

The Chamber said the documentary feature will be a “tremendous boost” for tourism in Killarney and all of Kerry.

Fáilte Ireland’s latest Hotel Survey for December 2022 showed occupancy rates in Kerry hotels were “especially strong” at 50%, up 29% on pre-covid occupancy in December 2019. 20% of visitors last December were from overseas, with average revenue per available room up 45% on the same period in 2019.

However, peak summer hotel occupancy of 83% in August 2022 was still 8% below occupancy levels in August 2019. In August 2022, revenue per available room was up 4% on the same month in 2019, and 36% of visitors were from overseas.

Episode three of Wild Isles featuring Killarney National Park is currently available on BBC iPlayer.

A later episode of the series, which airs every Sunday at 7pm on BBC One, is set to feature a congregation of basking sharks in early summer off the west coast of Ireland.