Conor Pass farmers fear visitor surge will destroy way of life

Ireland’s eighth and largest National Park will bring more than 70,000 acres of lands and seas into public ownership.

Farmers have worked hard over the generations to eke out a living from the rugged but beautiful uplands of the Conor Pass in the Dingle Peninsula.

But the Government’s recent decision to acquire the lands and develop it into the country’s newest National Park caused concern that these farming practices might be discontinued.

Those fears have now been dispelled by the National Parks and Wildlife Service which has committed to maintain the activities in what will be known as Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí The commitment was given at a recent meeting between regional NPWS staff and a delegation from the Irish Natura and Hill Farmers Association (INHFA).

Ireland’s eighth and largest National Park will bring more than 70,000 acres of lands and seas into public ownership and will also include new sites at Inch Peninsula, Mount Brandon and the Owenmore River.

Housing, Local Government and Heritage Minister Darragh O’Brien said bringing the Conor Pass and the lands at Inch into public ownership has enabled the creation of a wonderful Marine National Park, the first in Ireland’s history.

The Páirc will be dedicated to the protection and restoration of internationally significant biodiversity and archaeological heritage INHFA national council member for Kerry DJ Buckley welcomed the commitment to work with the existing farmers.

“These farmers are critical in managing the existing landscape and sensitive habitats through sustainable grazing practices which we have been assured will be supported by the NPWS,” he said.

Mr Buckley said concern had been expressed around the possibility of a major increase in visitors and the knock-on effect this will have in the area.

But commitments were given to the INHFA that any access will be tightly controlled and limited to existing pathways with assurances given that the surrounding area won’t become a gigantic car park.

“While the purchase of this land has received a lot of national attention, it is vital that local farmers and the wider community are involved in any future plans, as this is, above all else, their home, their community and their livelihoods.

“With this in mind the INHFA will work to ensure the commitments given are delivered on in the coming months and years,” he said.

Minister of State for the Office of Public Works Kieran O’Donnell has also reassured those living in the Dingle Peninsula that the project would not impact their daily lives.

Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime programme, he said they would be working with Kerry County Council and the local community, as well as farmers and fishermen in the area.

"We will be looking to put in place an overall universal master plan in terms of biodiversity and sustainability, and to grow the area in terms of tourism, but in a sustainable way," he said.

Minister of State Malcolm Noonan, with responsibility for the NPWS, told Kerry Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin in the Dail that the new national park is an important and wonderful initiative by the State.

He said he and Minister O'Brien were clear that they want to develop a management plan for entire park and are embarking on that process.

The new Páirc, which is centred around Corca Dhuibhne, will unite some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places in celebration of nature across land and seas.

It brings together new acquisitions such as the Conor Pass, the Owenmore River catchment, lands at Mount Brandon and the sand dune system at Inch Peninsula.

Sites already under State ownership, such as the limestone reefs of Kerry Head Shoals and the waters around the Blasket Islands, are also included.

Mountains, blanket bog, heaths, rivers, coastal dunes, limestone reefs, sea cliffs and some of the wildest land and seascapes in the country will be brought together in celebration of nature.

The Páirc will also honour the island and coastal communities who live alongside it by ensuring that their unique tapestry of cultural and natural heritage is central to the future story of this special place.

All lands within it are in State ownership and already designated under European Law, or as statutory Nature Reserves.

This means that there will be no additional regulatory burden or restriction on activities resulting from the creation of the Páirc.

Education Minister Norma Foley, a TD for Kerry, said she was delighted the astounding beauty of her home county and its pristine seas have been recognised by the creation of a second National Park in the county.

NPWS director general Niall Ó Donnchú said the new park is a celebration of heritage in all its forms.

Our biodiversity and natural heritage sit layered in harmony alongside monuments and historic wrecks from many periods.

This is a place of iconic significance and majestic beauty, at times shrouded in mist as a far outpost, ethereal in its past, evocative in its firing of the imagination, and vital in its biodiversity, he said.