Farran Forest Park

Farran Forest Park has a lot to offer in terms of activities and features. It has a diverse mixture of tree and shrub species that make it attractive all year round for visiting. It’s location on the southern shore of Inniscara lake and next to the National Rowing Centre, offers offer fantastic views of the reservoir and the many rowers at every level who train here, from amateur to Olympian. The lake or reservoir was created in the mid-1950’s by flooding agricultural lands to store water for the nearby Inniscarra hydroelectric generating station. The Park is a mere fragment of the vast Farran estate that was owned by a Captain Clarke who was involved in the tobacco industry. The demesne passed onto Captain Mathews who converted some of the pasture land to forest. Being a keen sportsman, the Captain planted some carefully sited clumps of broom, laurel and rhododendron to provide cover for game birds as well as planting conifers and broadleaves and creating the lake and hunting lodge. The easy grade 1km Enclosure Trail gives a 360* view of the resident deer.