“Everything beyond that wall is the national park,” said Derek, the driver who’d picked us up from Cork airport and driven us into Killarney town where we were to stay for the Wander Wild festival weekend in early April. It was a pretty stone wall, well maintained, mossy in all the right places. On the brief hour’s journey north-west through the undulating landscape of West Ireland, Derek explained that he’d visited Killarney National Park two decades ago on holiday from Poland. He’d fallen in love with the place instantly and, within a few years, made it his home. By the time the Wander Wild festival had ended on Sunday evening and he’d returned to collect my husband and I, tired but contented, we had grown to understand that Derek was really onto something.

Main image: Our guide strikes an accidental pose before the final ascent to Carrauntoohil | Credit: Francesca Donovan

Killarney – a welcoming town with style and character in spades dubbed ‘the Outdoor Capital of Ireland’ – is uniquely placed. It rubs shoulders with Killarney National Park, Ireland’s oldest national park boasting some of the country’s finest landscapes. It also neighbours the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, and Carrauntoohil (Corrán Tuathail), which towers higher than any other peak in Ireland. From jagged mountaintops with views to the North Atlantic Ocean, ancient woodland, lakeside paths to cascading waterfalls, Killarney National Park is a sumptuous offering for any adventurous soul.

What differentiated it for me, though, is the care taken to protect and preserve these places; both by providing access and education plus the infrastructure to allow a harmonious relationship between people and place. I saw not a single over-flowing car park nor a charred disposable barbecue – just safe cycle paths, thriving wildlife (including a Norwegian white-tailed eagle, no less!), locals who are proud of their park, and joyful people enjoying nature.

Paul O’Neill, one of the organisers of Wander Wild who was born and raised in nearby Muckross, told The Great Outdoors that people here grow up with an innate understanding that the park must be preserved and protected. The concepts of volunteerism and environmentalism are strong here.

Sometimes we equate outdoor festivals with exploitation of our parks. Not here. I saw acts of stewardship at every turn; the single piece of litter I spotted was picked up wordlessly and without call for applause by the Chairman of Wander Wild, Pat Chawke; our Ross Hotel room key wasn’t made of plastic but paper; Killarney has banned takeaway cups and operates a reusable cup deposit scheme; almost every tasty morsel of food I ate was local – and eateries such as The Tan Yard proudly show their sourcing on menus.

Despite its picturesque beauty, the town is unconfined by the stuffiness sometimes associated with places of deep natural and cultural heritage. There’s a bar here to suit every pick of poison. We fell in love with Courtney’s for the richly varnished woodwork and the metal tunes. Traditional and modern culture are celebrated in harmony with both sharing centre stage on the Wander Wild events programme, from local DJ Shee to Irish language singer and instrumentalist Cáit Ní Riain. Their message? “Go to the wellspring” and learn from others in the community; find good teachers. Everyone seems happy to be learning from each other in Killarney.

The sense of play and harmony extends into Killarney National Park. Paul describes the festival simply as a “conduit” for the brilliant local guides and activity providers already operating out of the park. There is no ego or pageantry. Yes, you may encounter some outdoor types sporting expensive trail shoes or cycling goggles – even an insulated jacket or two despite the balmy weather we had – but there was not a whiff of elitism.

While there are ticketed events aplenty to get stuck into, free activities – such as our self-guided walk of Muckross – also feature on the festival programme. Wander Wild offers different strokes for different folks, whether you’re looking to spend time exploring in the mountains, on the water, rambling in the park, or relaxing your mind.

But for me, the thing that really set Wander Wild apart – and made my adventures all the much more enjoyable and guilt-free! – is the relationship the festival organisers share with the National Parks & Wildlife Service (NPWS). Scheduled for the quieter season before the busier summer months, Wander Wild volunteers work closely with the NPWS to the push boundaries of access, respecting the preservation of the natural environment while encouraging access and stewardship.

Pat Dawson, Manager of Killarney House and Regional Manager National Parks and Wildlife Service, told me that each iteration of the Wander Wild festival programme is directly informed by the nature and wildlife messages from the NPWS, delivered via a cohesive and cooperative independent National Park liaison committee with representatives covering conservation of natural heritage and built heritage – such as Muckross Abbey and Ross Castle – education, local business, and disability groups.

A self-confessed “blow in” who has lived in Killarney for 36 years, Pat has witnessed a shift in attitudes in the last quarter century away from exploiting the park for economic benefit and towards caring for the park to ensure it remains a special place for locals and visitors a like for years to come.

“Wander Wild Festival compliments our work here and our core message that the park is for the people of Ireland and visitors to enjoy for free – we ensure that anything on the programme enhances the way we experience the park and its natural landscape, ” he said, adding, “They’ve got the balance right and it’s a win-win!”

Pat estimates Killarney National Park is probably the busiest park in Ireland with over 2.5 million visitors a year – and this put pressure on the landscape. So, the NPWS has strict controls over its water and land to protect these spaces from, for example, the spread of invasive species like zebra oysters, feral goats and Rhododendron ponticum.

Park authorities, however, have exclusively allowed guided stand up paddle boarding on Muckross Lake for Wander Wild festival goers – an example of how tourists, locals and nature can all co-exist when it’s organised mindfully.

With the guarantee that all who SUP wash down their boards and prevent contamination, the festival and park have been able to collaborate and allow people this unique waterbound perspective of the surrounding landscape. That is, of course, unless you have the upper body strength to try the sunrise and sunset kayaking excursions on the Wander Wild programme!

And these methods are working. After we hiked the Gap of Dunloe; we were collected by out boat guide, Dux, who took us back to Killarney by water.

On route he spotted a Norwegian white tailed eagle guard its egg perched high on the cliff tops, sun glinting off its feathered head. Dux also pointed out the local arbutus trees that are thriving despite a forest fire which spread through the area in April 2021.

We heard birdsong a plenty at dusk during our healing sound bath with Emma in a specially-built temporary dome in the courtyard of Killarney House and Gardens, the manicured gateway of the national park, sponsored by the NPWS. Hearing the raving bikers cycle around town, far off bass beats in time with the rhythm of my slow, meditative heart beat, was a personal highlight for me and encapsulated the diversity of festival fun on offer.

In that moment, it truly felt like the whole town was finding joy at their own pace. I smiled dreamily as the person next to me snored softly and Emma kept gently playing her wind chimes. For those looking to quieten the mind, qi-gong, yin yoga and a raft of other restorative breath work and movement sessions are also on offer.

Meanwhile, on the water, swimming is actively encouraged. This is a place where you could dip daily and never get bored.

I almost wept with joy turning into each little secluded bay on the Muckross Lake loop, furtively glance glancing around and seeing not a single “danger of death in cold water” or “swimming strictly forbidden” sign.

Surrounded on almost every side by towering hills, there are plenty of waterfall pools in which to dip, too. Just ask a local – they’ll be happy to tell you their favourite spot, the concept of revealing ‘hidden gems’ something to be scoffed at here, safe in the understanding that all who visit should respect the ecology of this special place.

I swam alone and also within a group as part of the Salty Sisters sunrise session at Dundag beach. Alana led us through a few sun salutations to praise the weather gods for the windless morning and encourgaed us all to let out a primal scream into the pastel pink skies before the cold water swim commenced.

Later, the sauna welcomed us into its warm, woody embrace.

For us mountain lovers, we saved the best until our last day at Wander Wild: a guided walk of the Coomloughra horseshoe taking in the three of the highest peaks in Ireland – plus a fourth aptly named The Bones.

We crossed an undulating knife-edge ridge with rollercoaster like up and down climbs (not unlike Aonach Eagach in miniature, I thought). This was to be my first guided group hike and I was extremely grateful for the local knowledge, my confidence growing as I struck out after our guide Joe on the challenging scramble. We talked about his ascents of a number of the 8000s, and I felt quite safe following in his footsteps.

The other members of our group were returning visitors to Wander Wild and group walk veterans. They were easy company, allowing for lulls in chatter as I puffed my up the first ascent, paces changing for varying degrees of knee and joint pain on the way back down six hours later.

When we said our goodbyes to Chairman of Wander Wild, Pat Chawke, he’d been visibly delighted to hear the festival had given attendees “the gift of a whole new group chat”. Certainly, we came away from the trip with an Irish adventure wish list as long as our arm courtesy of other more local explorers.

As we met back up with Derek to begin our return journey, back to our Peak District home, I felt the sense that we’d only just scratched the surface of what Killarney and its National Park, this unique place where the mountains meet the water, has to offer.

We were tired and dozed much of the way. But in a world where everyone seems to feel a bit tired most of the time, isn’t it better to be tired and contented – a cup full of adventure, confidence outdoors, new friends, developed skills and cherished memories? If you think I might be right about that, mark the Wander Wild dates in your diary for next year. I’ll be back. I hope to meet you there.

Learn more and book your adventure at wanderwildfestival.com.