Fota Wildlife Park

Fota Island was the private home of the Smith-Barry family for nearly 800 years until the estate was sold to University College Cork (UCC) in 1975. Family members were descendants of Philip de Barry, who arrived in Ireland from Wales as part of the Norman invasion (1160s-1170s). De Barry took up residence in Cork after being granted lands across the county, including Fota Island. The family initially settled in Barryscourt Castle near Carrigtwohill before moving to Castlelyons, where they also held extensive properties. Fota House was originally a two-storey hunting lodge, used as a base for fishing, shooting and yachting, but the family made it their primary residence during the 1820s after architect Sir Richard Morrison was commissioned to create the current mansion. Dense undergrowth was cleared from the site, the swamp had to be drained and was then formed into a lake and islands for the primates while roads around the Park were mapped out and built. Buildings were erected as more funding became available and the first animals arrived in late 1982. The Park opened to the general public in the summer of 1983 and now welcomes hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.