Understanding geomorphological heritage. A geohistoric approach of landforms by archival documents. The Killarney National Park example (Kerry, Ireland)

This contribution suggests understanding how landforms acquire heritage status by studying ancient literature (picturesque guides, traveller tales and journalistic accounts) and iconographic archive documents (old postcards, photographs, paintings, engravings). Applied to Killarney National Park (Kerry, Ireland), these documents show how abiotic nature has an effect in the creation of the National Park and identify the different values given to landforms through times. Heritage status acquisition is simultaneously individual and collective, private and public, sublime and picturesque, fitted Killarney landforms in the construction of aesthetic landscape representations and in touristic economy. The former different values are today reinterpreted by heritage purpose mainly linked to ecology.