Province Ulster Established 1984 | Phone +353 76 100 2537 Nearest town Letterkenny | |
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Location County Donegal, Ireland Area 169.58 km (65.48 sq mi) Governing body NPWS National Parks and Wildlife Service Address Claggan Mountain South, Churchill, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, Ireland Similar Glenveagh Castle, Slieve League, Mount Errigal, Malin Head, Grianan of Aileach Profiles | ||
Glenveagh national park and castle county donegal
Glenveagh (from Irish Gleann Bheatha, meaning 'glen of the birches') is the second largest national park in Ireland.
Contents
Glenveagh is happy
Geography
The park covers 170 square kilometres of hillside above Glenveagh Castle on the shore of Lough Veagh (Loch Ghleann Bheatha), 20 km from Gweedore in County Donegal. The network of mainly informal gardens displays a multitude of exotic and delicate plants from as far afield as Chile, Madeira and Tasmania, all sheltered by windbreaks of pine trees and ornamental rhododendrons.
History
The estate was established by John Adair, who became infamous for evicting 244 of his tenants and clearing the land so they would not spoil his view of the landscape. The gardens and castle were presented to the Irish nation in 1981 by Henry P. McIlhenny of Philadelphia who had purchased the estate in 1937.
Environment
The park is home to the largest herd of red deer in Ireland and the formerly extinct golden eagle were reintroduced into the park in 2000.