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Our Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark encompasses stunning landscapes bound and blessed by their mountain and maritime settings. The foundation for many of our myths and legends, this dramatic place shaped by fire and ice is millions of years in the making - a world apart!
DISCOVER A TALE OF TWO OCEANS — EXPERIENCE THE PEOPLE AND PLACES — FIND WHERE NATURE STARTS — CELEBRATE LEGENDARY HEROES
MOURNEGULLIONSTRANGFORDGEOPARK.COM
The Mourne, Gullion, Strangford Aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark takes in the breathtaking beauty of the Ring of Gullion, Mourne Mountains and Strangford & Lecale. The Geopark is jam-packed full of world-class geological marvels, stunning landscapes and a wealth of opportunities to experience the great outdoors. The area’s spectacular beauty has been forged by nature, torn apart by volcanic activity and sculpted by ice, providing a stunning backdrop to remarkable people and places. This dramatic and thriving landscape is where people live and work every day. UNESCO Global Geopark status will act as a catalyst to grow a vibrant community upheld by tourism with the potential to develop a sustainable future for the region.
A myriad of ancient monuments from ancient civilisations, famous for battles that have been both won and lost, and a home to countless generations. The variety of landscapes found within the Geopark have led to a rich cultural and built heritage bounded and blessed with mountains and maritime settings.
The landscape of the Geopark has undergone an incredible journey. Travelling thousands of miles over many millions of years, the area has seen the death of one ocean and the birth of another all of which is evident in the underlying rocks. Since then, vast ice sheets have sculpted and shaped the mountains and valleys, leaving behind a truly spectacular outdoor classroom.
PEOPLE AND PLACES
TALE OF TWO OCEANS
WHERE NATURE STARTS The exceptional geology of the Geopark has led to a remarkable range of natural and semi-natural habitats. All of these combine to make a varied mosaic of heather, moor, bog and pasture, dotted with freshwater and woodlands, and meeting sand and rocky shores, mudflats and salt marshes.
LEGENDARY HEROES The dramatic scenery of the Geopark has been shaped by the underlying geology but it has also given inspiration to some of Ireland’s most famous and legendary heroes. Both Cú Chulainn and Fionn mac Cumhaill, the legendary Irish heroes, have legends based in the Geopark area and more often than not inspired by the local geology.