National Park come alive this August with talks, walks and exhibitions

Killarney National Park is one of six such parks, nationally, that will put on an extended programme of events for the month of August.

The parks will offer a programme of public events on topics as varied as plant life, bats and history.

Throughout August, visitors will be able to engage with the history, plant and animal life of national parks through a diverse programme of events.

Visitors can expect to learn about topics like the natural life blooming in the parks, with talks, free guided walks and workshops on wildflowers, bats, poetry and the parks’ history.
Here’s a snapshot of what’s on offer at Killarney National Park this month.

The Killarney National Park photography competition is an exciting way to celebrate Heritage Week 2022 and, in keeping with the theme for this year, the title is ‘Our History, Our Future’.

Heritage Week is all about sustainability; sustainability of our natural and built heritage. Killarney National Park wants to see young people’s interpretation of our beautiful landscape. In addition to the photograph, they’re asking for a short story (no more than 250 words) to accompany the image; what is it and why is it important.
See Killarney National Park website for further information:
https://www.killarneynationalpark.ie/killarney-national-park-photography-competition/
The closing date is 4:30pm on Friday August 5.

The park is also coming to your small screens through a new app called Ciar’s Quest has been launched this summer; Ciar’s Quest uses augmented reality to bring to life the rich folklore and heritage of County Kerry. Ciar is a descendant of the O’Connor Chieftain Ciar, the founder of the Kingdom of Kerry, and his adventurous quest is to find the Kingdom’s rich wildlife and to seek the hidden gems. Ciar is based on Ross Island and the app invites you to join in his treasure hunt. A treasure map will guide you to the special marker posts, simply hold your phone in front of it and watch the magic happen!
The app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

All the details can be found on the website at:
https://ciarsquest.ie/

Muckross Traditional Farms is offering an exciting programme of events throughout Heritage Week (August 13 to 21) with everything from basket making, a session with a pipeband and súgan chair making sessions taking place during the week.