Hidden Gems:IF YOU GO down to the woods today, you're in for a hidden treat. If you visit the magical yew wood in Killarney National Park, that is.
The Co Kerry spot is the only significant area of yew woodland left in Ireland and probably one of only three pure yew woods in Europe. At this time of year the scarlet berries brighten the dark green needles of this evergreen tree like lanterns.
An off-trail venture into the heart of the woods is very atmospheric, though it can be a little discomforting as the gloom envelops you and your feet sink deeper into the thick moss that thrives in the shaded environment.
Persist until you reach the edge of the woods and gaze over Lough Leane, though, and you'll agree there's an aura about this tree.
A legend tells the story of a man who dies while attempting to fetch leaves for his beloved from a yew at nearby Muckross Abbey, which was allegedly planted by St Columba and protected by his powers.
Since pagan times the yew was revered as a tree of life, as it still is in many countries. This reverence is based on its ability to grow anew from old hollow or decomposing trunks by dropping aerial roots to support the crown.
Over centuries a new trunk can develop inside the shell of the old one. Thus yews can grow to a very old age indeed. The Fortingall Yew, in Scotland, is Europe's oldest organism, estimated to be 3,000 years old, though it may be thrice that age. The national park's Reenadinna Yew Wood has stood on the Muckross Peninsula, between Loch Leane and Muckross Lake, for at least 3,000 years. Today it extends for 25 hectares at the eastern end of the peninsula. You can follow the Arthur Young Nature Trail through the wood. You won't be disappointed.
• Yew Wood, Killarney National Park, Co Kerry. www.killarneynationalpark.ie
• Do you know of a hidden gem? E-mail us at go@irish-times.ie