Opinion: As half Killarney National Park is lost, we must end the cycle of infernos

Pádraic Fogarty THE BURNING TO the ground of half of Killarney National Park over the weekend has rightly caused shock and anger across Ireland. But for those of us working in the field of nature conservation, these kinds of events have become all too routine and even predictable.

In some parts of the world, like Australia, California or the Mediterranean, fire is a natural part of how ecosystems work. Not so in Ireland where our natural oak woodlands and bogs, which would dominate if we didn’t have farm animals and turf-cutting, are simply not flammable. So we can be pretty confident that all of the fires which happen are the result of people starting them, rather than occurring naturally.

Repeated wildfires have resulted in the collapse of ecosystems in our upland and hill landscapes. Taken alongside industrial plantations of non-native conifers, turf-cutting and over-grazing by sheep, it means that the whole community of birds which once thrived on the hills is now all but extinct. From golden eagles to curlews and hen harriers, red grouse to the nocturnal nightjar, there’s virtually no habitat left that allows these birds to feed, nest and breed in peace.

Across the uplands, the solution lies in rewilding the hills so that we can see the return of natural ecosystems like blanket bogs and native woodlands. These are not only fire resistant but are carbon sinks, will help to clean our water and can provide attractive amenity areas for local people. But how can we get to that point?

Burning peatland, even if done in a controlled way, pollutes air and water, damages the soil and releases greenhouse gases. So a clear signal that it must be stopped in all its forms would help to change the culture of burning. Next, we need a massive investment programme in our uplands. Environmentally, socially and culturally they are simply too important to have been allowed to deteriorate to this point.

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