What's New on the Island of Ireland

Ireland designates its first marine national park (May 2024) Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara on the Wild Atlantic Way has been designated Ireland's first marine national park, covering more than 70,000 acres on land and at sea on and near the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula in County Kerry.

The marine park encompasses some of Europe’s most ecologically valuable places and crucial breeding grounds- from the blanket bogs of Mount Brandon home to the peregrine falcon, otter and marsh fritillary butterfly and the UNESCO World Heritage site of Skellig Michael, which is a breeding ground for colonies of puffin, storm petrel, gannet and razorbill, whilst the surrounding seas host populations of shark, ray, dolphin and visiting whales. The marine park designation means that the biodiversity of the area will be protected by government and the tourism footprint will be managed sustainably. The park also contains archaeological monuments that will be protected, including the historic artefacts that lie deep in the seas. www.nationalparks.ie/kerry-seas/ Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coast to be linked as part of Shared Ireland Initiative (early 2025)

The Wild Atlantic Way and Causeway Coastal Route are set to become even more significant for tourists thanks to a collaborative effort supported by the Shared Island Initiative. With an allocation of €7.6 million, the project aims to link these two iconic routes, encouraging visitors to extend their stays and easily explore more of the island’s coastline. The plan includes the establishment of discovery points, improved signage, investment in local tourism businesses and orientation aids for travellers, as well as the development of cross-border regional destinations.

Boyne Valley becomes Ireland’s seventh and smallest national park (2024) Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Boyne Valley, County Meath, has become Ireland’s seventh National Park, the first in 25 years. The new National Park in Ireland’s Ancient East is in development and will stretch over 550 acres, a unique area encompassing history, heritage, nature, and culture. The park is situated in the 18th-century Dowth demesne, which overlays a prehistoric landscape that is the location of significant archaeological remains including a Neolithic passage tomb, the Late Neolithic Dowth henge, two smaller passage tombs, early medieval ringforts, and a Bronze Age field system.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Brú na Bóinne, is home to the largest collection of megalithic art in Europe, dotted across over 90 Neolithic monuments. More info here. Medieval manuscript with first mention of whiskey to go on display on 700th anniversary (July 2024) A fourteenth-century manuscript famed for having one of the first descriptions of whiskey distilling will go on display in St Canice’s Cathedral, Kilkenny in July 2024. The Red Book of Ossory, is internationally renowned as it contains the provisions of the Magna Carta along with one of the earliest known recipes for whiskey distillation. The book refers to aqua vitae, meaning water of life. Although this is the first known written reference to whiskey distilling in Ireland, it is believed that the distillation process was actually introduced to Ireland by monks between the eighth and eleventh centuries. The Red Book will return to its home and be put on public display in St Canice’s Cathedral to mark its 700-year anniversary.