Six of the best in the great outdoors
7 June 2011
The stamps, designed by Steve Simpson, feature Connemara, The Burren, Glenveigh, Killarney, Wicklow and Ballycroy (Mayo) National Parks and are based on photographs by well known international photographer Walter Pfeiffer.
Also issued to accompany the stamp set are three first day covers, two sets of mini sheets and a prestige booklet featuring the stamps and a wealth of background information about Ireland’s National Parks. Each of these beautiful items is available from www.irishstamps.ie also from main post offices and from the Irish Stamps Shop in Dublin’s GPO (Tel: 01-7057400).
The entire set celebrates Ireland’s top national parks, unrivalled in their beauty and home to a range of wonderful wildlife and flora. The Burren, Connemara and Ballycroy feature on 55c stamps with Glenveigh, Killarney and Wicklow each shown on 82c stamps.
Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal was opened to the public in 1984 and continues to attract visitors from all over the world. The park is home to a successful re-introduction programme for the once extinct golden eagle.
Ballycroy National Park in Mayo, established in 1998, is a vast, unspoilt wilderness dominated by the Nephin Beg mountains. The park also includes the Owenduff bog, one of the last intact blanket bog systems in Western Europe. Opened in 1980, Connemara National Park in Galway includes the Twelve Pins mountain range.
The Burren National Park in Co. Clare is internationally famous and features a unique diversity of plants in 1,500 hectares of rocky landscape. Killarney National Park in the heart of County Kerry is home to Muckross House, glorious oak woods and red deer. Wicklow Mountains National Park includes Glendalough, the ancient monastic settlement of St. Kevin.
