Application made for UNESCO status for Mayo/Galway geopark

A FORMAL application has been submitted for UNESCO status for the Joyce Country & Western Lakes Geopark.

The application will be assessed around mid 2022 and the outcome will be known in spring/summer 2023.

The geopark area straddles a unique landscape in southwest Mayo and into north Connemara, with an exceptional geology that tells a story spanning millions of years.

If successful, it will be the first UNESCO brand of this level in Connaught and it will be a big boost for jobs, business growth and community development.

Geoparks are places of internationally important geology which are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and economic development. UNESCO geopark status carries no additional legal status or planning restrictions.

The application is the outcome of intensive work on the ground among the communities and businesses in the region. Collaborating partners include Geological Survey Ireland, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Galway and Mayo County Councils, Fáilte Ireland, Coillte, and the cross-community voluntary group JCWL GeoEnterprise.

Operating under a global brand, the geopark project aims to showcase the local towns and villages, sustaining the rural population through business expansion and start-ups. It is estimated that if successful, it will create an estimated 200 jobs over three to five years.

It also celebrates traditional farming practices and methods, and includes the promotion of the Irish language. Education is also a key component of the project.

As a significant loop off the Wild Atlantic Way, the geopark adds significantly to the tourism product of both counties.