News
Rare tropical ferns found in National Park
By Sean Moriarty
A botanist has discovered a rare fern growing in Killarney National Park – so rare in fact that it is the only fern of its kind in Europe.
Botanical researcher Dr Rory Hodd discovered the fern, as part of a National Survey of Upland Habitats, in a secluded location within the park - and the site will remain secret to prevent disturbance. He has sent it to the Natural History Museum in London.
“Dr Hodd was plant-hunting in a remote part of the Killarney National Park in County Kerry, Southwest Ireland - one of Europe’s few remaining fragments of temperate rainforest – when he discovered a few specimens of the fern growing on humid rocks. He collected and pressed a specimen and sent it to Dr Fred Rumsey at the Natural History Museum, London, who, working with American colleagues who are experts on these plants, identified the tiny fern as Stenogrammitis myosuroides, part of a distinctive group of ferns known as the Grammitids, rare ferns that usually grow on trees in the tropics,” said a spokesperson for the Botanical Society for Britain and Ireland.
Experts confirmed that this is a rare species of fern usually found growing on trees in tropical regions like Jamaica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. The Killarney example was found growing on rocks.
“Drs Hodd and Rumsey agree that it is extremely unlikely that this fern was introduced to Europe by humans, as Grammitid ferns have proved impossible to cultivate and this species grows on rocks rather than other plants, so would not be accidentally introduced on other imported species. Their current hypothesis is that S. myosuroides most likely arrived naturally in Ireland without human intervention. It may, they believe, have been lurking overlooked for thousands of years. The fern’s diminutive size could help to explain why it might have been overlooked until now."
Killarney to elect new Mayor on Monday morning
Killarney will have a new mayor by Monday morning as the annual general meetings for the local municipal districts and Kerry County Council take place on Monday.
The Killarney Municipal District AGM is scheduled for 10.00am in the Council Chamber, followed by the full Kerry County Council annual meeting at 12.30pm. The sole business to be conducted at these sessions is the election of the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Cathaoirleach, and Leas-Cathaoirleach.
This transition marks the third year of the current council cycle since the local elections in the summer of 2024, following Councillor Maura Healy-Rae’s term in year one and Councillor Martin Grady’s recently completed term.
Grady described his year in the chair as a memorable honour. The term carried personal significance for Grady, following a family tradition in the role previously held by his grandfather John Grady in 1972, his father Donal Grady in 2010, and his uncle Seán Grady on five separate occasions.
Reflecting on the past 12 months, Grady highlighted key council decisions and district developments, including the retention of
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