Killarney National Park!

We rode through Ireland’s oldest national park in horse carts. The July day was sunny, 70s and serene in Killarney National Park near the town of Killarney in County Kerry. Created in 1932, the park comprises 25,425 acres of diverse ecology, including lakes and mountains. It has the only red deer herd on mainland Ireland and the most extensive covering of native forest remaining in the republic. The park is of high ecological value because of the quality, diversity, and extensiveness of many of its habitats and the wide variety of species. In 1981, it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Touring the Killarney National Park in horse carts

Liz with Liz, the horse who pulled our cart

Lake Killarney

Ross Castle sits on the shores of Lake Killarney in the park

Red Deer are in the park. This one, barely visible left center, is grazing on the lush grass

Boat ride to the Muckross House, a manor across the lake

Approaching the dock on the other side of the lake

Off the boat and on the grounds of Muckross House

The park is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve