History
Fota Island was the former home of the Smith-Barry family, descendants of Normans who came to Ireland in 1185. In those days the family’s lands were very extensive but they dwindled over the years until they were restricted to Fota Island. The estate was sold to University College Cork in 1975.
In the meantime, Dublin Zoo had reached maximum development with the space available. So in 1979, the Director of Dublin Zoo proposed to the Zoological Society of Ireland Council that a wildlife park should be established. It was thought that it should be quite different in concept from a conventional zoo or safari park. It was then that Fota Island was proposed.
That same year it was formally agreed that the Society would establish a wildlife park on 70 acres (28 ha) at Fota. University College Cork offered the land free of charge under license agreement. Fota Wildlife Park became a joint project of the Zoological Society of Ireland and University College Cork. Fundraising committees were set up in both Dublin and Cork. All the funds for the development were raised from public subscriptions, apart from a grant from Bord Fáilte for the perimeter fence.
The first animals started to arrive to Fota Wildlife Park in late 1982, and Fota Wildlife Park was opened in the summer of 1983 by the then President of Ireland, Dr. Patrick Hillery.
Read more about this topic: Fota Wildlife Park
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