Geological Survey Ireland, a division of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, has awarded geoheritage grants to six community-based projects around the country, including an initiative in Co. Clare.
The funds, valued at up to €10,000 each, are available under the Geoheritage Grant Scheme run by the Geoheritage Programme in Geological Survey Ireland. They 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.
Geology is part of the heritage of Ireland and is celebrated as part of who we are. Our tourism industry is influenced by the landscape and the underlying rocks, and the geological and geographical features give rise to our agriculture, food, and often our place names and traditions. Due to the broad diversity of geology in Ireland and the relative recentness of the shaping of the landscape, every townland has the potential for an interesting geoheritage story. The fund has been available to all community and local groups since 2019 in order to promote geodiversity, geoheritage and geoscience education through wider community engagement.
The successful applications in 2022 continue to demonstrate the diversity of Irish geology and geoheritage and its value to local initiatives and communities.
The UNESCO Global Geoparks (UGGps) continue to celebrate their local geology. This year the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark propose to design and produce a series of short animations that graphically tell the story of the geological history of the Geopark.
Koen Verbruggen, Director, Geological Survey Ireland, welcomed the announcement 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. I am delighted the Geoheritage Grant Scheme attracted so many applications this year and I look forward to the results of the community collaborations.”
This project will design and produce a series of short animations that graphically tell the story of the geological history of the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark including the formation of the Burren limestone, the sandstone and shale of the Cliffs of Moher, fossils in the Geopark, the plate tectonic journey and the Ice Age.
These stories will connect the geological processes with the local landscape and promote geoheritage awareness among all age groups and to a wide-reaching audience.
