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Fota (statutory spelling Foaty; ) is an island in Cork Harbour, County Cork, Ireland, just north of the larger island of Great Island. It is the home of Fota Wildlife Park—the only such zoo or animal park (besides Dublin Zoo) in the country—, the historical Fota House and Gardens, and the Fota Island Golf Club and Resort. The island comprises two , both called Foaty; one is located in the civil parish of Clonmel (the western half of Great Island) and the other in Carrigtohill civil parish (on the mainland).
The last member of the Smith-Barry family to live in Fota House was Dorothy Bell (1894–1975), daughter of Arthur Smith-Barry, 1st Baron Barrymore (1843–1925). She continued to develop and record the plant collections in the gardens and in the arboretum, which her family had started in the 1840s. On Bell's death in 1975, the estate was sold to University College, Cork.
During the latter part of the 20th century, the house fell into some disrepair – culminating in the collapse of a ceiling. This closed the house to the public for some time. It was restored using EU, Irish government and private funding, prior to reopening in early 2002. In December 2007, the new Irish Heritage Trust took over responsibility for Fota House. Irish Heritage Trust - Our Properties - Fota House, Republic of Ireland.
The layout and structure of the arboretum and gardens date largely from the tenure of the Smith-Barry family, who recognised the significance of Fota's sheltered location and warm soil — "Fota" is derived from the Irish "Fód te" meaning warm soil. The conditions are appropriate for the growing and cultivation of certain trees and exotic plants.
The development of the arboretum and gardens coincided with the great plant hunting expeditions around the world bringing back specimens from places such as Asia, South America and the Pacific coast of northwest America. Some of these rare plants found their way to Fota within a few years of their discovery.
In the 1840s, John Smith-Barry ensured that trees were well-spaced - enabling them to thrive with displays of seasonal colour. The family also recorded the plant collections throughout the 19th and most of the 20th century and this work of cataloguing, conservation and development continues today.
Many of these plant collections are arranged in association with the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, and other botanic institutions such as the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Scotland.
In 1996 the Irish state was given control of the arboretum and gardens which had fallen into disrepair due to funding issues. Since 2007 they are administered by the Office of Public Works in conjunction with the Irish Heritage Trust. Restorations subsequently undertaken included the reopening of the Victorian working garden and several greenhouses.
In 1993, Fota Island Golf Club was further developed by Christy O'Connor Junior (Irish Ryder Cup), and Peter McEvoy (two-time British Amateur Champion). The golf resort has hosted a number of tournaments, including the Irish Club Professional Championship, 2011 PGA Europro "Audi Cork Irish Masters", and the Irish Open in 2001, 2002 and 2014.
In 2004 the resort was purchased by the Killeen Group (owners of Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel in Kilkenny), who invested to bring facilities in-line with European Tour standards. In November 2004, Killeen sold the club to the Fleming Group. In 2006, the Fleming Group completed construction of the 5-star Fota Island Hotel & Spa as well self-catering accommodation.
On 27 September 2013, Fota Island Resort management announced a handover to new owners, the Kang Family Worldwide Group. The Kang family, originally from Hebei Province in China, acquired the 500-acre resort from the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).
Fota Wildlife Park has more than 70 species of exotic wildlife in open surroundings. Animals include , Giraffe, , and antelope. Most of the animals who inhabit the island are allowed to roam throughout more than of mature grassland, with the exception of the and other predators, which have fenced enclosures. Ring-tailed lemurs, Wallaby and other animals freely roam the park.
Many of the animals at Fota are under threat of extinction, and Fota Wildlife Park is involved in breeding programs for these endangered species, as well as being a breeding source for other around the world. An Asian sanctuary opened between in 2015, and includes enclosures for tigers and other animals. In 2017 the park was the eleventh most popular paid attraction in Ireland, with 455,559 visitors that year.
By road, Fota lies just south of the N25 road from Cork to Rosslare Harbour. It is directly accessible via Cobh and Carrigtwohill on the R624 regional road - which runs from Tullagreen (N25 Southside Carrigtwohill-Cobh interchange) to Cobh town centre.
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