Monday, November 13, 2006

Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal

This 170 sq km granite-bedded wilderness of lakes, ice-carved cliffs, gentle hills, deep peat bogs and the swampy Owencarrow river valley cradles Ireland's golden eagle reintroduction project. Natural woodlands of oak and birch are inhabited by badgers, foxes and stoats. Bird life includes siskins, treecreepers, redstarts and wood warblers. Pyramidal Errigal, Donegal highest peak overlooks the park, its uplands punctuated by ravens, peregrines, stonechat and grouse, and prettied with the yellow flowers of tormentil and bog asphodel. Glenveagh (meaning Glen of the Birches) contains a herd of red deer (not of native Irish stock).

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The island of ireland

Once upon a time, and for 15000 years, ice a mile high blanketed Ireland. When the lingering Ice Age finally released and the Irish ice departed it left a landscape scoured. Across land bridges linking Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe plants and animals arrived to colonise the new lowlands, mountains and valleys. The world’s ice continued to melt, the sea levels to rise, and some 8000 years ago Ireland became the island we now know, accounting for just 0.01% of the world's total land area and the most westerly point of Europe.

Though at Alaskan latitudes, the country's climate is tempered, due partly to the neighbouring waters of the Gulf Stream and partly the prevailing southwesterlies that veering and backing make landfall on our sodden coast. These offerings from the Atlantic mean it is never too hot, never too cold. But without doubt it is wet. Rain lingers year round, never far away, though is most frequent in winter, the western counties and, inevitably, on the day of your parade.