Jarveys, who operate jaunting cars in Killarney, Co Kerry, have been banned from the national park there following their refusal to use so-called dung-catching devices on their horses.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service says the soiling of pathways in the park by the jarveys’ horses is unacceptable.
They have offered to pay for the dung-catching devices, but the jarveys’ claim they are unsafe and dangerous.
45 jarveys have licences from the NPWS to operate 66 horse-drawn jaunting cars in Killarney National Park.
They offer tours of Muckross, Torc and Ross Island on 15km of internal roads and paths to almost 1m people who visit the park every year.
But the soiling of those roads and pathways by the jarveys’ horses has consistently been a contentious issue and the NPWS has said it is no longer acceptable.
After 18 months of consultations and negotiations, the NPWS closed the jaunting car entrances to the park at 6am this morning.
The parks service says the decision was taken as none of the jaunting cars hold a valid permit which requires the use of dung catchers to operate within the park.
They say jarveys will be banned until they sign up to using the dung-catching devices.
Killarney National Park remains open to the public.

....logic?
This is the most rediculous thing I have heard in my life. Horses have been s**ting in the streets and parks of Ireland for centurys. These animals built the parks.
Not only that *this* Parks Department seems to forget that it is they are employed by the state and it is The Jarveys who pay *their* secure wages.
So what is the most logic thing to do – impose the use a nappy of sorts for a horse – that will chafe its rear – I wouldn’t fancy wearing one – or throw the lads out of the park.
It is about as logic as asking the horses to wash their teeth.
What was wrong with dung on the ground for the last couple of hundred years and why only now is it a problem? More importantly what about the tourists who will happily pay for a service and a fine memory as part of *their* holiday and have just had their day ruined….. pure horse s**t I say.
UPDATE 14th july: jarveys picketing Killarney National Park