Kerry Seas National Park

Joining Ireland’s suite of national parks, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí is Ireland’s first marine national park. While known in English as Kerry Seas National Park (alternatively, sometimes it’s written as Kerry Marine National Park), Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí goes by its Irish name, a homage to Ireland’s native language, and its importance in the region the park covers.

This national park covers 283 square kilometres (or 109 square miles) and protects land, sea, and the liminal spaces in between. Within its boundaries, geology, flora, fauna, coastlines, islands, heritage sites, Irish culture, and even the ocean floor all enjoy a degree of protection and conservation.

Keep reading our guide to learn more about this incredible park and discover why you should add Kerry to your next visit to Ireland.

Stunning turquoise seas off Kerry’s Dingle Peninsula.

Designated as a national park in 2024, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara, Ciarraí holds the distinction as Ireland’s first marine national park. It is also currently the only Irish national park to have an Irish name, due to its proximity to the Gaeltacht, or pockets of Irish-speaking regions where the Irish language is still spoken.

Established to recognise and protect Ireland’s rich heritage, flora and fauna, as well as marine biodiversity, Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara covers land, sea and all of the liminal places in between.

The marine nature of the national park allows Kerry’s Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara to protect coasts and shores, islands and shoals, reefs and the water itself. The park includes coastal and underwater habitats, and helps protect the creatures that live off of and move from land to sea.

Puffins, gannets, and many species of seabirds make their home across these islands, most famously, on the Skellig Islands. Seals, whales, dolphins, and other sea creatures regularly inhabit Kerry’s waters. Other plants and animals make their home on the shores of Ireland.

Skellig Michael is also home to one of the world’s most incredible archaeological sites – the island’s iconic medieval monastery. Protected by UNESCO and one of Ireland’s most beloved and iconic spots, protecting this region is important for Ireland’s climate resilience, biodiversity, and unique cultural heritage.

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Páirc Náisiúnta na Mara isn’t just about dramatic headlands and soaring peaks on land — it’s also Ireland’s first national park to extend beneath the waves. Stretching deep into the Atlantic, Kerry Seas National Park protects a mosaic of marine habitats above and below the water.

Kerry Head Shoal, a vast underwater sandbank, supports essential feeding grounds for dolphins, seabirds, and the broader ecosystem. The waters surrounding the Skelligs and Blasket Islands form rich upwelling zones, attracting migrating whales, basking sharks, and playful seals.

Swirling tides and ocean currents support a complex web of life, from plankton and seaweed to marine mammals, seabirds, and even apex predators. Common dolphins, minke whales, basking sharks, porpoises, seals, and more, not to mention dozens of species of seaweed and other aquatic plants, thrive in the nutrient-rich waters, while seabirds like puffins and gannets hunt in the swells.

Like the rest of Ireland, Kerry’s seas are home to a stunning array of marine life. Atlantic currents, sea temperature, and submerged reefs all work together to create an ecosystem vital for both local biodiversity and global conservation efforts. The marine zone is essential for Kerry Seas National Park’s rich and important biodiversity, and protecting it is vital for future generations of all species. The park’s establishment is an incredible blend of collaboration between humans and nature to conserve and elevate a living seascape as vibrant and wild as the land.