An undisturbed wood in Co Kerry associated with a Civil War massacre and which narrowly escaped felling only 10 years ago was officially opened yesterday as a major amenity.
The 80 acres of broadleaf woodland at Ballyseedy, on the edge of Tralee, was the scene of a massacre of Republican prisoners by Free State troops in March 1923.
Part of the original forest of Co Kerry, it was destined for felling in the early 1990s when advertised for sale by Coillte.
Plans to drive a dual-carriageway through it in 1997 were shelved only when the EU pulled funding following a campaign by environmentalists attached to the Ballyseedy Wood Action Group, some of whose members were present at the opening this weekend.
Now owned by Kerry County Council, 4.5 kms of paths have been developed through the groves of oak, yew, hazel and hornbeam. With large tracts of alder and ash and grey willow, the site on the flood plain of the river Lee is one of the largest examples of wet woodland in the southwest, and one of the few remaining woodlands in north Kerry.
It also hosts kingfishers, otters and is a nesting place for the long-eared owl.
Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism John O'Donoghue, who officially opened the woods, said the name Ballyseedy resonated because of its attachment to one of the darkest and most difficult periods in Irish history, but it was now a beacon of hope.