This is more than forestry. This is Cloudforest Five
Rooted in Reforestation, Steeped in Antiquity
Nestled atop sweeping coastal slopes mere minutes from Tralee, the Cloudforest Five site in Mountoven, County Kerry, marks Cloudforests’ first planting on the storied Dingle Peninsula. Spanning over 14 acres, this forest creation project unfurls toward the Atlantic, offering panoramic sea views against the backdrop of a dramatic Irish landscape.
Planting for the Future
During the 2022/23 winter planting season, 15,851 native Irish trees—including Downy Birch, Oak, Rowan, Scots Pine, Alder, and Holly—found a new home here. Each sapling is a testament to ecological resilience and a step toward reviving local biodiversity.
Buzzing with Purpose
Beyond planting trees, the site supports a colony of native Irish honey bees, tended by John of the Native Irish Honey Bee Society. Cloudforest Five serves as a conservation hub, expanding habitat for these vital pollinators across Cloudforests’ broader land portfolio.
Echoes Through Millennia: The Dingle Peninsula’s Living History
The Dingle Peninsula isn’t just a breathtaking setting—it’s a tapestry of human history stretching back 6,000 years.
Mesolithic Dawn: Archaeological sites like Ferriter’s Cove reveal early hunter-gatherer camps exploiting rich coastal and terrestrial resources.
Bronze & Iron Ages: Valleys like Loch a’-Dúin hide a labyrinth of stone structures—walls, burial mounds, and dwellings—preserved under layers of peat. Clocháns, or beehive huts, dot the terrain, built without mortar and used for centuries, including by early medieval hermits and monks.
Early Christian Heritage: Over 30 monastic sites survive across the peninsula—cross slabs, ogham stones, and enchanting beehive huts. Sites such as Reask were vibrant learning centers from the 6th century onward, sending monks across Europe.
Power & Pilgrimage: In the 16th century, Dingle blossomed into a maritime trading port, engaging with Spanish and French merchants. It also became a gateway for pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
A Legacy of Culture: The Gaeltacht tradition remains strong—Irish language, storytelling, and music thrive here. Writers like Tomás Ó Criomhthain captured the peninsula’s soul, while its villages continue to inspire artists and poets.
A Land Preserved: Remote and rugged, the peninsula’s isolation helped preserve over 2,000 monuments, making it one of western Europe’s richest archaeological landscapes.
A Narrative of Land, Legacy & Living Ecosystems
Cloudforest Five now sits amid this ancient terrain, bridging past and future:
Renewal & Resilience: Planting native species echoes the peninsula’s prehistoric groves, restoring what once thrived here.
Guardianship & Continuity: The integration of honey bee conservation adds a modern layer of care to a landscape that has long supported human and natural communities.
Nature Meets Narrative: Against a backdrop of prehistoric structures, monastic stones, and Gaelic tradition, Cloudforest Five becomes more than a forest—it’s a living chapter in the peninsula’s story.
A Story Rooted in Place: From Mesolithic settlements to modern-day rewilding, the Dingle Peninsula remains a place where history is palpable, and conservation feels inherited.
Final Thoughts
Cloudforest Five isn't just a new woodland—it’s an invitation to walk through time. It asks us to plant not just trees, but hope; to preserve not just bees, but ecosystems; to stand amidst ancient stone and young sapling, aware of the deep roots beneath our feet.
