[2] In the eighteenth century the woods were acquired by the White family for whom the title Earl of Bantry was created.

[citation needed] In the 1970s, the ecological value of the remaining areas of oak was recognised and in 1991 a Nature Reserve was designated.

Glengarriff Woods Nature Reserve covers some 300ha and is managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service for conservation and amenity.

The mild climate favours Hiberno-Lusitanian species, such as the Kerry slug, which are to be found in south-west Ireland and the Iberian peninsula.

The Kerry slug thrives in the forest's oak trees, and is a "selection feature" of the Special Area of Conservation.