Junior Rangers explore historic Glaisín na Marbh site

Members of the Killarney National Park Junior Ranger+ programme completed a hike into Glaisín na Marbh last weekend to mark European Youth in the Park Day

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The trek into one of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the National Park launched the group’s third season. Located on the lower slopes of Shehy Mountain in the western section of the park, Glaisín na Marbh features ancient oak woodland that has remained continuously wooded for approximately 9,000 years since the last ice age.
Participants navigated mountain terrain and blanket bog during the hike. Park staff covered key conservation topics with the group, including peatland protection, vegetation monitoring, grazing pressure management, and invasive rhododendron control.
The group visited deserted settlements within the woodland that were inhabited up to the Famine of the 1840s and 1850s. The site takes its name—which translates to “little stream of the dead”—from a Famine-era burial ground located within the woods.
During the visit, the Junior Rangers also inspected “The Great Alder,” an ancient tree situated deep in the valley that stands as the largest of three historic alders growing in the area.

Killarney was strongly represented among the award recipients at the 29th annual Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Achievement Awards, held at the Rose Hotel in Tralee on Friday, September 18.

Over 200 guests attended the ceremony to celebrate young people aged between 13 and 21 from across the county.

A total of 25 awards were presented during the event, recognizing community involvement, leadership, and personal resilience.

Kacper Robak from Killarney was named the recipient of the Lee Strand Kerry Garda Youth Special Achievement Award.

Killarney youths also featured prominently among the Merit Award winners.

Certificates of Merit were awarded to Nathan O’Brien, Oisín Doyle, the team from St Brigid’s Killarney (comprising Fiona Brunner, Blaithnaid O’Connell, Keelin O’Shea, Hannah Kelliher, Lucy Lenihan, Rachel Clifford, Sophie Duke, and Tara O’Sullivan), and the Killarney Order of Malta group (Faye Sparling O’Riordan, Michael O’Donovan, and Eoin Cremin).

Speaking at the event, Superintendent John Ryan commended the recipients for identifying needs within their local communities and stepping up to address them. Ronan Savage, Chairperson of Lee Strand, noted the co-operative’s ongoing commitment to supporting the youth initiatives alongside An Garda Síochána since the scheme began in 1998.