The Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark has over 400 million years of geological history. It charts the closure of the Iapetus Ocean and the bringing together of the two parts of what we now know as the island of Ireland, its passage through tropical latitudes, the birth of the North Atlantic Ocean, and finally the shaping of landscape by ice during the last glaciation.
Tale of Two Oceans
The Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark has over 400 million years of geological history. It charts the closure of the Iapetus Ocean and the bringing together of the two parts of what we now know as the island of Ireland, its passage through tropical latitudes, the birth of the North Atlantic Ocean, and finally the shaping of landscape by ice during the last glaciation.
The landscape of the Mourne Gullion Strangford 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
People have inhabited the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark since just after the end of the last Ice Age, their lives have been shaped by the unique landscape and its underlying geology. In the same way, they have shaped the land with agriculture and industry. The stories of ancient traditions, lost religions and power struggles are written across the mountains, drumlins, plains and coasts.
Most of Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark once lay at the bottom of the ancient Iapetus Ocean, the seafloor sediments resulted in the sandstone, mudstone and siltstone bedrock that underlies much of the area. These have been sculpted by ice into the Lecale drumlins and the subsequent glacial material has been deposited to form the Mourne Plain. Good drainage and nutrient-rich soils have provided prime conditions for farming which developed in the Neolithic period and continues today.
Where Nature Starts
The Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark features a diversity of landscape taking in mountain, craggy uplands, rolling green hills, coastal plains and hard and soft seashore. The Geopark takes in three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, designated for the distinctiveness and quality of the landscape.
These landforms support a rich array of wildlife and plants recognised in a range of world, European and national conservation designations. For those wondering why such a variety of natural heritage can be found in this compact region, the answer lies deep in the prehistory of the earth, beginning when this place and indeed the surface of the earth, looked very different. It took millennia, the shifting of continents, volcanic activity and, particularly, the effects of the various Ice Ages that sculpted the rocks and shaped the land and habitats. The story of the natural heritage of our region is a long and epic one.
Legendary Heroes
Legends have grown up around geological features of the landscape, Fionn MacCumhaill is credited with throwing the Cloughmore stone, a 5 tonne glacial erratic, now known to have come from Scotland. The Celtic epic “Tain Bo Cuillangne” or the Cattle Raid of Cooley is set in the hills of south Armagh and north Louth and features the ancient hero Cúchulainn. CS Lewis holidayed in Rostrevor and he imagined the land of Narnia rising out of the Mournes. The last of the Ulster poets, Art Mac Cooey, is buried at Creggan graveyard and more recently, local writer Michael J Murphy started recording local customs and traditions in Ring of Gullion and ended up with one of the largest collections of oral tradition in the English-speaking world.
Of course, the most famous figure in Irish history is St. Patrick, the patron saint of the island with his feast day celebrated all around the world as St. Patrick’s Day on 17 March. Patrick was born in Britain in the 5th century and was captured by Irish pirates before being brought to Ireland when he was 16. He escaped after six years before returning to Ireland as a Christian missionary and is reported to have brought Christianity to Ireland. Whilst he may have been born in Britain, his final resting place is at Down Cathedral in Downpatrick.
See what UNESCO Global Geoparks are doing here
Check out our map for some more information about the Mourne Gullion Strangford Geopark including a list of Geopark sites to help you plan your trip. Learn more local Geology and how this has influenced the physical and human geography characteristics of the aspiring Geopark.
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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.
