Everything you need to know about Ireland's newest national park, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara

The Government is set to announce the creation of Ireland's newest national park on the Corca Dhuibhne peninsula in west Kerry later today.

This new national park will bring together some of the most ecologically valuable sites in Europe. The site will be named Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí, and will be the largest national park in the country, covering an area of more than 70,000 acres.

The park will include 1,400 acres of land and forestry close to the landmark Conor Pass. Most of the area covered by Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara (which translates to National Park of the Sea or Marine) will be at sea, making it Ireland's first marine national park.

Lands at Mount Brandon, the sand dune system at Inch, along with lands on the Great Blasket Island, the UNESCO World Heritage site Skellig Michael, and Derrynane House will all be incorporated into the park.

It is expected that a number of islands that are important breeding sites for seabirds will also be brought into the park, along with stretches of marine territory critical to sea-life.

The region is known for birds such as puffins, storm petrels and peregrine falcons, as well as animals such as otters, badgers and mountain hares, and marine life that includes whales, dolphins and basking sharks.

Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan are due to officially launch the park at an event in Dingle this afternoon.

This land surrounding Conor's Pass was put on the market in August last year by its US owner, and was acquired by the state recently for and has been acquired by the State for a price understood to be in the region of €6m. The land reportedly had an asking price of €10 million.

Speaking this morning, Junior Minister Malcolm Noonan TD told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland they “engaged in a very good process” and paid €6m for the Conor Pass lands.

Speaking about more tourists visiting the south-west, the junior minister said; “You won’t find a more welcoming people."

Noonan also said that the State was working alongside Fáilte Ireland to "ensure that we have a good code of practice around not putting too much pressure on sites and damaging the very habitats that people are coming to see."