Irish Examiner view: Let Killarney fires be a real turning point

The fire blazed throughout the night at Killarney National Park. Picture: Valerie O'Sullivan

Around this time last week, when the tremendous threat attacking our oldest national park became apparent firefighters, park staff, conservationists, ecologists, and those living on the fringes of Killarney park longed for heavy rain. 

That rain, so frequent on this damp, Atlantic island, did not materialise. It took five days, tremendous effort and risk, to control the flames. It will take decades for the park to recover — unless there is another park inferno in the interim. The circular nature of stewardship is underlined as heavy rainfall now might deepen the catastrophe. A deluge would wash ash into lakes or rivers adding a carbon spike to waterways already badly compromised. Soil clinging to steep slopes might slide away as the roots knitting soil, plants, and hillside together have been burnt.