Farran Forest Park

Farran Forest Park is located on the southern shore of Inniscarra lake in County Cork. It enjoys panoramic views of the lake and surrounding countryside. This lake is really a reservoir, constructed in the mid 1950’s to store water for the nearby Inniscarra hydroelectric generating station.

The 45 hectare forest once formed a mere fragment of the vast Farran Estate which was owned by a Captain Clarke, of tobacco products fame.

Farran Forest Park has ample car parking, toilets, and a playground. Other notable features include a wildlife enclosure and a large duck pond. The wildlife enclosure holds a small herd of red and fallow deer which can easily be viewed from the way-marked Enclosure Trail that skirts the boundary fence. The duck pond is home to duck species such as mallard, teal, widgeon, shoveler and greylag, white fronted, barnacle, snow and Egyptian geese.

An old shooting lodge adjacent to the wildlife enclosure has been converted into a woodland ecology display centre. Here can be found information on almost everything that exists in a normal forest habitat. The children’s playground, just a short distance from the car park, has an adventure trail to captivate the imagination of the adventurous and energetic children. The challenge here is to get around it without touching the ground. There are two way-marked looped forest trails in the park.

The National Rowing Centre is also located within the park on the lake shores. National and international competitions are held here throughout the year and the centre is used daily as a training facility

A visit to Farran Forest Park is an educational experience for both young and old.