Geo tourism project

We operate two Self-catering Businesses in County Down

Dundrum Bay Holiday Homes Tory Bush Cottages

Why I did the Geo-Ambassador Course

• Personal Knowledge, I had a little bit of knowledge but you know what they say about a little bit of knowledge.

• I wanted to able to talk to my guests about the Mournes. They always ask was Bearnagh a Volcano, indeed I had written a blog about that back in 2008.

• I knew this region was special, I just didn’t know how special until I did the course.

• The worldwide classification system for granite was based on the system first used in the Mournes

What I got out of the CourseI certainly learnt a lot about the Geology, Geomorphology and Archaeology of the area both on the course and on subsequent Field trips and Bus Tours.

Personal development• This talk• Radio Ulster, I compared the Mournes to a ‘Big Blister’• Taking guided Tours of Tollymore

Personally for me what I got out of the course was an abiding interest in Tollymore Forest Park. I had been born and bred beside the Park, it was our childhood playground. I have learnt so much in the last two years and my passion is to share this knowledge.

Tours of Tollymore to date

First for Mourne Cooley Gullion2 Tours for EHOD on behalf of Follies Trust

Halloween Tour part of Hallowtides2nd Tour for MCG

4 Public toursTour for MHT for local tourism businesses

Ghostly Church Building, where is it?, what is it?

Tour in Association with Mourne Rambler Bus

Along with two other Geo-ambassadors we are trialinga ‘Day of Guided Walking Tours along the route of the Mourne Rambler’, on Sunday the 16th of August

• Tollymore 09.15-11.15• Spelga Dam, Ott Mountain 11.31-14.31• Silent Valley 14.53-16.53

EHOD tour planned for September

A walking tour looking at Industrial Heritage within Tollymore Forest Park. This will include Timber Production, and the location of Sawmills, - the Oak for Titanic Grand Staircase came from Tollymore. The built infrastructure featuring the Gothic Architecture, of the Follies; Entrance Gates and limekiln.

It will also take in the site of 3 mills on the edge of the forest, a wool mill; a flax mill and a corn mill.

And finally talk about the latest industry, the Film and TV industry.

The legacy of the MCG Geo-Tourism Project

• Collaborations and business opportunities.• The project shows what can be done but also that

much more still to be done.• Geo-Tourism Study Visits• Visitors of Cruise ships - Belfast and Warrenpoint?• Promotion of the region as Geo-destination• To get visitors we have to express our uniqueness

and our geology and geomorphology is our uniqueness.