Ireland

Wicklow National Park

Located to the South of Dublin, in County Wicklow, Wicklow National Park is relatively inacessible by Public Transportation. With bus routes only running to towns far enough away that they require a multi-hour walk or a taxi ride in order to reach the park. A few private bus options exist, however the timetables for these, make spending a full day in Wicklow, without an overnight stay, realtively impossible.

Much of the Wicklow Mountains is relatively barren, populated mainly by Heather, types of grasses, and shrubs. A large portion of this area is also peat bog land. In other areas, particulary near Glendalough, woodland becomes much more common. With an altitude on average of 600m, the highest point being Log na Coille at 925m, temperatures can be significantly lower than the surrounding areas, as well rain, fog, and clouds on the peaks being common occurance. This is also a popular area for Hill walking, as well as the cutting of Peat. Also the source of the River Liffey is located in these hills, in addition to the water source for the Guinness Brewery.

The village of Glendalough is the closest town to the National Park and is the location of a 6th century Monastery, a National Monument. This is one of the most visited sites in Ireland, and the Upper Lake at Glendalough is one of the most photographed places in all of Ireland. Despite this, the entire area, seems well protected, with only minimal litter, and very little obvious disturbance of ecological systems, particularly in the bog lands.

Below are photographs showing posted signs regarding the use of the park.
    

Killarney National Park

 Located in County Kerry in Soutwest Ireland, and designated as a UNESCO Biosphere reserve, Killarney National Park is a large draw for recreation and tourism alike. Containing both historic sites, such as Muckross House, and Carrauntoohil, Ireland´s tallest Peak, Killarney presents a wealth of oppotuinites. The park is relatively accesible, if only due to it´s proximity to the town of Killarney. It is quite possible to walk or bike throughout the Park from this hub.

In exploring the National Park, I climbed Carrauntoohil (1040m), the highest mountain in Ireland, located in MacGillycuddy´s Reeks. In order to reach the trailhead, I cycled 20km from Killarney to Cronin´s Yard, because no public transportation exists for these areas. The hike was challenging, due to the terrain, elevation change, duration, and weather. The terrain is mainly rocky underfoot, with particular attention given to the section known as the Devil´s Ladder, a rocky scree that ascends 200m in less than half a kilometer. The duration of the hike, 15km, in addition to the constantly shifting weather, and overall low visibilty because of fog, mist, and clouds, makes this one of the harder mountains to summit in Ireland. 

The Devil´s Ladder

Overall, the section of the Park that I visited, seemed well preserved, with little evidence of disturbance, aside from the flocks of sheep pasturing in the hills. Any major evidence of human presence is largely due to careless hikers that have lost a personal item or a piece of litter from lunch. Speaking with a gentleman hiker from England, I learned about some of the differnces in management and use of the land between Engalnd and Irealand, and I hope to see these firsthand as my trip progresses.                

Burren National Park

Limestone formations

Burren National Park, found in County Clare, is a UNESCO Global Geopark due to the unique features an landscapes found here. According to the Burren National Park website, "The word "Burren" comes from an Irish word "Boíreann" meaning a rocky place." As you travel through the Burren, as it is often referred to by, the limestone landscape is one of the most striking features found in the park. In addition, the Burren is home to over 70% of Ireland's native plant species and you can find notices throughout the park declaring areas of special botanical interest.

Preservation of the unique ecological resources seems to be of great importance inside the park. Travelling through it, one can easily find notices, signs, and warnings, to leave things as you find them, to not remove plants or rocks, or proclaiming principles of Leave No Trace. The Burren Code is also posted with astonishing frequency, and can be found on many informational brochures, maps, and signs throughout the park, usually in four languages: Irish, English, French and German. In addition to the ecological treasures of the Burren, there are many prehistoric monuments, including tombs and forts, in the area. One of the best examples of this is Poll ná bron, or Poulnabrone, a megalithic tomb found near the center of the park. Thirty-three bodies were found during excavations of the tomb, some of them a few millenia in age. the conservation efforts were particularly noticeable here, with signs everywhere asking visitors to disturb the site in any way.

Poll ná bron

Connemara National Park

Connemara National Park is located in County Galway, with the nearest town being Letterfrack, approximately 200 meters up the road from the park entrance. Access to the park by public transportation is very easy, with a bus service connecting Galway to Letterfrack. The visitor center in the park is well mantained and contains informational displays about early settlement of the region, the ecology of the park, and about the peat and bogland that makes up a large portion of the park.

The majority of the park is unoccupied and seems relatively unused except for some areas utilized for the grazing of livestock. During my hike in the park, I summited 4 different peaks, with a route that cut through the middle and then followed the border of the park. Diamond Hill (445m), the first peak, had mantained trails all the way to the peak, and formed a straightforward walk. On the descent, I veered from the trail, travesersing some relatively dry bogland, heading towards Knockbrack (442m). There was no trail leading to the top of the hill, and both the descent from Diamond hill and the ascent of Knockbrack were quite steep. On top of Knockbrack there was a small path, not mantained, leading to the summit of Benbrack (582m). This section of the trail followed a ridge and covered some more bog and peatland. The summit of Benbrack was largely a rocky area, providing a fine example of the Connemara marble, famous from this area. The descent towards Kylemore Abbey, the original owner of much of the land in the park, covered some grazing land and the last peak of the day, Benbaun (477m). Unfortunately, by the time I had reached Kylemore Abbey, the grounds were cclosing and did not afford me an opportunity to visit. The walk along the road back to Letterfrack was about 5km, and rounded out the hike of 17km for the day.

Kylemore Abbey

The park itself was realtively untouched by modern man, though through the information found at the visitor center, this was not always the case. In my opinion, this was the easiest park to access using public transportation. Moreover, the park is small enough to permit extensive hiking, even for a day trip.

Glenveagh National Park

Glenveagh National Park is perhaps the hardest of the National Parks to reach in Ireland. Located in the Northwest, in County Donegal, one of the closest major towns is about a 45min drive from the Park, and no public transportation options exist to arrive at the Visitor Center. This restricts access considerably to the park and it´s central attraction, Glenveagh Castle and Gardens.

The Castle and Gardens are the main feature of the Park, but hill walking is also prominent. There are several trails that exsist, mainly along the Lough and near the Castle grounds. Hill walking is permitted throughout the entire area as well, enabling hikers to reach any point in the park.

The area surrounding Glenveagh appears much more remote with people mainly accessing the developed areas of the park, with the remainder remaining in a relatively wild state. There are several project currently underway, working to reintroduce certain species to the park, most notably, Golden Eagles. The gardens of the castle showcase many plants, both native and exotic, and provide a place that people of all ages enjoy.