Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

This wonderful project originated on the initiative of the late Dr. Bill Mangan, who was a trustee of long standing and a former chairman. This historic island in the lake of learning, Lough Leane, fascinated him as indeed it does us all. He was particularly interested in the monks' way of life and the world-renowned Annals of Innisfallen, which were written there and are now preserved in the Bodleian Library, Oxford. The annals make reference to the island monastery in the year 1010, even though the monks were known to be on the island for some hundreds of years before that. The good doctor's main interest however, was in the island gardens and their cultivation. He had a particular interest in the herbs which were believed to have important medicinal properties and hence this botanical survey and hopefully the significant information it will reveal.

Innisfallen is famous for the beauty of its woods and among the species found there are oak, ash, holly and arbutus. It is believed that the Innisfallen community adopted the rule of St. Augustine during the monastic reforms of the 12th century when the monastery became known as the Priory of St. Mary. The monastery is believed to have survived until 1652 but was finally abandoned with the coming of the Cromwellians.

The significance of this ancient island with its historic ruins together with its rich array of plants, flowers and trees is of tremendous importance to all. The island has remained largely undisturbed for more than 100 years and this survey will greatly improve the cultural heritage experience of visitors to Killarney and the kingdom of Kerry. The island is an integral part of Killarney National Park and managed jointly by the Office of Public Works and the National Parks and Wildlife Service. I do not believe we should have two Departments involved and I hope the next Government will decide to amalgamate them again. It does not lead to best practice and sometimes because of human nature civil servants engage in turf wars, etc. I am sure that recommendation is in the mind of the Government.

Valuable repair work has been carried out on the monuments by the Office of Public Works. In addition to the rare herbs already mentioned, the island also contains many mosses and orchids. I look forward to the encouraging words of the Minister of State for this project. To avoid any possible accusation of conflict, I add that I have been a trustee of Muckross House for a number of years and was honoured to have been chairman in the past.