Geoheritage grant awarded to Mayo/Galway geopark

THE Geological Survey Ireland has awarded geoheritage grants to six community-based projects around the country, including the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark in Mayo and Galway.

The funds, valued at up to €10,000 each, will support the development and publication of educational and outreach materials by local groups, established geotourism sites, aspiring geoparks and UNESCO Global Geoparks. The aim of the fund is to encourage the telling of the Irish geological story, improve the understanding of geoscience, and to engage with local groups throughout the country.

The aspiring Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark will showcase the karst landscape of the region in counties Mayo and Galway by producing an animated video to tell the story of the karst landscape development that takes place over centuries to millennia.

The video will focus on the karst landscape of the Western Lakes (Loughs Carra, Mask and Corrib) that has developed in the lower carboniferous limestone and the karstic features to be found there, including the Cong Iisthmus area with the Cong Canal development, the Lough Mask shore epikarst feature and the Lough Carra marl lake processes.

Koen Verbruggen, director, Geological Survey Ireland, welcomed the announcements and commented: “The Geological Survey has been working throughout the country since 1845 and this is one way to give back to communities, to foster good relationships, and to encourage people to work with us to use the data, maps and expertise to develop local tourism and educational resources.

“The projects this year show the breadth of ways geology and geoheritage can be used for tourism, education and local pride building on the work undertaken by local community projects who received similar funding in 2021-2022.”