Killarney National Park in October

Killarney National Park in October is spectacular as the oranges, russets and yellows fill the woods with warmth and color. Of course, the park is beautiful at every time of year, but fall has always been my favorite season. I love the clear, crisp days when the sun is lower in the sky and the light becomes crystalline. Not to mention the glorious colors.

Killarney National Park is located on the edge of the charming town of Killarney on the Iveragh Peninsula. It was created in 1932, which makes it the oldest park in Ireland. Expanded over the years, the park now encompasses 102.89 square kilometers (25,425 acres). Within its borders are three interconnected lakes (Lough Leane, Muckross Lake and Upper Lake) and the largest native woodland in Ireland. It also provides a home for the only red deer in Ireland.

My husband, Gerhard, and I count ourselves especially lucky because Killarney National Park is only about a 90-minute drive from our home on the Dingle Peninsula. This is why we were able to visit it on the spur of the moment last week.

Muckross Lake

Because we didn’t arrive until mid-afternoon and daylight was becoming limited, we decided to hike only along the southern edge of Muckross Lake, which is the lake in the middle. (See the map below.) The next time we return, we plan to walk completely around the lake in a loop that is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) long. It should take us somewhere between three and five hours depending on how fast we walk and how often we stop to take pictures!

Native Woodlands

It is a bit hard to believe now, but about 9,000 years ago, 80% of Ireland was covered by native forests of oak, ash, alder, birch, Scots Pine, hazel, holly and yew. In ancient times, the Celtic people revered trees and wove them deeply into their religious teachings, alphabet (ogham) and stories.

John McLoughlin writes that:

There are more than 60,000 townlands in Ireland and it is estimated that 13,000 or 20% are named
after trees, collections of trees (e.g. grove) and the uses of trees.

Placenames have been evolving since the dawn of Irish civilisation when most of the country was heavily forested and trees had a prominent role in the economy. Trees provided raw materials, medicine, weapons, tools, charcoal, food (in the form of berries, nuts, fungi, fruit, wild animals, etc.), geographical markers as well as the basis for spirituality and wisdom.

Examples of Placenames Relating to Trees

Many place names in Ireland demonstrate this connection. For example, “Derry” is an anglicization of the Old Irish word “doire” or “daire” meaning “oak grove” or “oak wood.” Examples include Londonderry, County Derry and County Kildare.

The word “kil/kill” stems either from “coill” meaning “wood” or “cill” meaning “church.” To determine which one is meant, it is important to consider other words in the name. For example “Kildare” (kill-dara) likely means the “church of the oak.” But “Killarney” (cill airne) likely means “wood of the sloes.” (“Airne” means sloe berries.)

Unfortunately, over the centuries, people continued to clear more and more forests. By medieval times, the forests had declined considerably, and by the beginning of the 20th century, forests covered only 1% of Ireland.

This makes the native woodlands–consisting mainly of oak and yew–protected in Killarney National Park extremely important. Not to mention the habitat they provide for a myriad of plants and animals.

The Meeting of the Waters

All three lakes come together at a place called ‘The Meeting of the Waters.’ This is what enables people in small boats and kayaks to traverse the lakes from one end to another. As you can see in the following pictures, it is a place of great beauty, peace and tranquility.

The Old Weir Bridge

An ancient, double-arched stone bridge called the ‘Old Weir Bridge‘ connects two points of land so that it is possible to cross over the place where the waters come together. No one is exactly sure how old the bridge is, but it is believed to date from the 16th century.

Because the bridge is a bit off the beaten path, it is possible to miss it when you are visiting the park. As you can see from the pictures below, however, it is well worth the effort to take the narrow path from Dinis Cottage (see the map of Muckross Lake above) to the place where the bridge is located at the Meeting of the Waters. (Originally a hunting lodge, the 200-year-old Dinis Cottage is now a cafe that serves light refreshments during the summer tourist season.)

Killarney National Park has numerous hiking possibilities and fascinating places to explore, and Gerhard and I have just scratched the surface. We plan to continue exploring the park throughout the entire year so we can enjoy it in all its wonderful seasons.