The Conor Pass – West Kerry’s most famous rally stage is for sale for a cool €10 million

Seán Kelly, MEP for Ireland South, has urged the Irish Government to take action and purchase the stunning land and forestry on Kerry’s Conor Pass to create a national park. The site, which includes four lakes – Pedlar’s Atlea, Beirne, and Clogharee – along with a beautiful waterfall and mature forest, presents a unique opportunity for the government to show leadership in nature restoration.

The expansive site, bordered on the west by the Owenmore river, offers breath-taking views over Dingle Town, Brandon Bay, and the majestic Atlantic Ocean. Currently, the land attracts thousands of walkers and tourists each year, making it an ideal location for a national park that can benefit both nature conservation and Ireland’s tourism industry. The site approximately 1,000 acres of land and nearly 400 acres of valuable forestry. 

Killarney-based Kelly said: Killarney’s tourism has benefited massively from a national park, so there can be tangible economic benefits beyond just the significant benefits for biodiversity. We have discussed nature restoration intensively over the last number of months and this is a golden opportunity for the government to show leadership and dispel some of the damaging rhetoric that was associated with that debat.”

“Conor Pass has already garnered international attention, with foreign buyers expressing interest in just a few days. If the government were to submit a bid, it would be better to do it sooner rather than later. A holistic and long-term view should be taken into account for consideration, but I really do think a serious assessment should be carried out.”

Kelly called on the government to show leadership and seize this golden opportunity to create a national park on the Conor Pass. The purchase of this picturesque land and forestry would not only enrich Ireland’s natural landscape but also send a strong message about the country’s commitment to nature conservation and sustainable tourism.

WHY IS THE CONOR PASS SO FAMOUS FOR RALLYING

Ireland’s highest mountain pass was, once upon a time, the jewel in the crown of Kerry rallying. Some say the stage offered a better challenge than Moll’s Gap.

Former Circuit of Kerry winner Gwyndaf ‘Readymix’ Evans often said he made the long journey from his Carmarthenshire home just for one crack at the Pass and if his car stopped on the next test he would still go home happy.

Modern progress means the road is now far too wide and open for modern rally cars, the speeds and the risks simply too high to run it safely.

Some evidence of the pass’s challenges remain, including the run down from the viewing park to the waterfall where an unaware driver faces either a sheer drop or a solid rock-cliff face as they thread their way through the very narrow road.

---

---