The landscape encompasses Newry, Mourne and Down District Council’s three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Mourne, Ring of Gullion and Strangford Lough and Lecale.
Mourne Gullion Strangford’s varied and beautiful landscape has been shaped over aeons by the collision of continents, the appearance and disappearance of oceans, through tumultuous volcanic events, and the rough treatment of ice ages. It has shaped a rich biodiversity and a vibrant cultural life, which the new Geopark will celebrate.
It is unique amongst UNESCO Global Geoparks as it tells ‘A Tale of Two Oceans’ across 400 million years of geological history. The geology of the area charts the closure of the ancient Iapetus Ocean, which brought together the island of Ireland's two parts. It follows the island drifting with the continents through tropical latitudes and then welcomes the birth of the modern North Atlantic Ocean. Finally, the last glaciation carved this ancient landscape into the fantastic place we see today.
No other UNESCO Global Geoparks has such a range of geological characteristics or can tell this story.
“The status of the Geopark is hard won; since 2012 the Council’s Geopark project, in partnership with the Geological Survey Northern Ireland, has worked on an intense engagement programme with residents and stakeholders.” said Newry, Mourne and Down District Council Chairperson, Councillor Michael Savage. “As a result, everyone involved is delighted that Mourne Gullion Strangford has been awarded the UNESCO Global Geopark (UGG) status in recognition of this work and the extraordinary landscape it praises. It puts us on the world stage and firmly on people's bucket lists of places they must see.”
A Geopark is a single unified geographical area, in this case, stretching from the waters of Strangford across the Mourne Mountains to the Ring of Gullion and beyond. A Geopark is a landscape that is managed holistically for the protection of its geology, the education of its people and visitors, and the sustainable development of its businesses.