Glenveagh
Encyclopedia
Glenveagh — covering 170 square kilometres of hillside above Glenveagh Castle
on the shore of Lough Veagh (Loch Ghleann Bheatha), some 20 km from Gweedore
in County Donegal
, Ireland
— forms the heart of the Glenveagh National Park
(Páirc Naisiúnta Gleann Bheatha), the second largest national park in Ireland. The network of mainly informal gardens displays a multitude of exotic and delicate plants from as far afield as Chile
, Madeira
and Tasmania
, all sheltered by windbreak
s of pine trees
and ornamental rhododendrons.
The estate was established by John Adair, who became infamous for evicting 244 of his tenants and clearing the land so they would not spoil his view of the landscape. The gardens and castle were presented to the Irish nation in 1981 by Henry P. McIlhenny
of Philadelphia who had purchased the estate in 1937.
The park is home to the largest herd of red deer
in Ireland and golden eagle
, formerly extinct in Ireland, were reintroduced into the park in 2000.
Glenveagh Castle
Glenveagh Castle is a large castellated Mansion house built in the Scottish Baronial style within Glenveagh National Park, near both Churchill and Gweedore in County Donegal, Ireland...
on the shore of Lough Veagh (Loch Ghleann Bheatha), some 20 km from Gweedore
Gweedore
Gweedore is an Irish-speaking district located on the Atlantic coast of County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in Ireland. Gweedore stretches some 16 miles from Meenaclady in the north to Crolly in the south and around 9 miles from Dunlewey in the east to Magheraclogher in the west, and...
in County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
— forms the heart of the Glenveagh National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
(Páirc Naisiúnta Gleann Bheatha), the second largest national park in Ireland. The network of mainly informal gardens displays a multitude of exotic and delicate plants from as far afield as Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
and Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, all sheltered by windbreak
Windbreak
A windbreak or shelterbelt is a plantation usually made up of one or more rows of trees or shrubs planted in such a manner as to provide shelter from the wind and to protect soil from erosion. They are commonly planted around the edges of fields on farms. If designed properly, windbreaks around a...
s of pine trees
Pine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
and ornamental rhododendrons.
The estate was established by John Adair, who became infamous for evicting 244 of his tenants and clearing the land so they would not spoil his view of the landscape. The gardens and castle were presented to the Irish nation in 1981 by Henry P. McIlhenny
Henry P. McIlhenny
Henry Plumer McIlhenny was an American connoisseur of art and antiques, world traveler, socialite, philanthropist and the chairman of the Philadelphia Art Museum....
of Philadelphia who had purchased the estate in 1937.
The park is home to the largest herd of red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
in Ireland and golden eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, formerly extinct in Ireland, were reintroduced into the park in 2000.