The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS ) held a special heritage event last week where staff and community partners celebrated the unique biodiversity and cultural heritage of the park, which is expanding in the region. Most of the bog and mountain parkland was originally property attached to Kylemore Abbey and the Letterfrack Industrial School.
In March, the State purchased 250 hectares in Conamara to add to the National Park for a joint venture with Failte Ireland. It will double the current 8km of pathways, to 16km, including 6.5km of the iconic Diamond Hill Walk.
The new land, within the townland of Tievebaun, increases the size of the park from 2,055 to over 2,300 hectares.
Last week, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Cork TD Christopher O’Sullivan, issued a statement on how important the park is for nature, community and cultural heritage, topics of concern for renowned local archaeologist and tour guide, Michael Gibbons, who has publicly criticised the park since its expansion earlier this year.
“Since it was opened in 1980, the team at Connemara National Park have overseen the protection and restoration of over 2,300 hectares of precious habitats and species. These include the scenic mountains which form part of the spectacular Twelve Bens range, along with western blanket bog,” said Minister O’Sullivan.
“Recent developments, such as the expansion of the Park, significant investment in sustainable visitor experience, and progress in managing invasive species are all really positive achievements that the team should be very proud of. The success of Connemara National Park really shows that conservation brings benefits both for nature and for communities.”
After the March purchase of new lands, however, Gibbons published a widely shared social media post criticising expansion of the park, the new fencing it required, and a perceived lack of environmental oversight.
“Na Beanna Beola – the 12 Bens [is] an exceptional upland landscape now being bought up by the Connemara National Park, displacing indigenous families in the process. Local farmers can not compete with the deep pockets of the state… Miles of new fencing has gone in through protected habitats without any environmental assessment,” he wrote.
“It is pushing ahead with plans for a new bus park [and] toilet block on a dangerous stretch of road through Kylemore Valley,” he added.
Connemara National Park brings 300,000 visitors to the area each year, and is the largest state employer in the rural north west Connemara region. The NPWS says its activity benefits both the local community and many local small and medium-sized enterprises in the surrounding area.
“Forty-five years on, this place is very much part of the fabric of the local community. It is a privilege for us to be part of the story of Connemara National Park, and I would like to pay tribute to staff both past and present for their role in protecting our unique natural heritage,” says Eugene Finnerty, NPWS Regional Manager.
The Irish Farmers Journal reported the NPWS paid just over €2,000 per acre for some of its recent land acquisitions in Conamara, with a 249 hectare purchase costing the tax payer €1,242,500.
In his online posts, Gibbons criticised the NPWS for buying up farms rather than partnering with local landowners in an area where traditional hill farming is in decline.
