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Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
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Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
The Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark formerly known as the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is centred on the Marble Arch Caves and in 2001 it became one of the first geoparks to be designated in Europe.
The Geopark features various sites which demonstrate the geological and wider natural heritage of the area, as well as the cultural heritage relating to 7,000–8,000 years of recorded human occupation since the last ice age. It is jointly managed by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Cavan County Council.
The Geopark consists of over 30 discrete areas of land, largely in public ownership across County Fermanagh and neighbouring parts of County Cavan between Pettigo and Belleek in the north and west and the town of Cavan in the southeast. Most extensive of these are the Cuilcagh Mountain Park, along with the forests of Ballintempo, Belmore, Tullychurry, Lough Navar, Conagher and Big Dog, each of which are managed by the Forest Service Northern Ireland.
A number of national nature reserves and other natural and historic sites and viewpoints also fall within the designated area, the distribution of which has been likened to an archipelago. There are particular concentrations of geopark sites around both Lower Lough Erne and south of Belcoo.
The Breifne Mountains straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a few miles southwest of Enniskillen. Cuilcagh itself attains a height of 666 metres (2,185 ft). The Sruh Croppa, Owenbrean and Aghinrawn rivers flowing on the northern flanks of Cuilcagh Mountain sink underground on reaching the limestone outcrop, combining underground to form the Cladagh River which emerges at a natural rock bridge known as the Marble Arch.
Much of the rest of the Geopark comprises parts of the range of hills stretching between Belmore Mountain, which peaks at 401 metres (1,316 ft), and the Cliffs of Magho overlooking the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne.
The Geopark is almost wholly formed in sedimentary bedrock dating from the Carboniferous Period. These are a suite of faulted and gently folded sandstones, mudstones and limestones assigned to the Visean and Namurian stages of the period. There are however a few areas where older rocks are to be found. The larger part of the Geopark is covered by thick glacial deposits which obscure the bedrock geology across much of the lower ground.
The oldest rocks within the Geopark are quartzo-feldspathic gneisses found to the northwest of Lower Lough Erne. They originated as marine sandstones and were metamorphosed during the Caledonian Orogeny. Further east around Tappaghan Mountain and Lack are a suite of schists, phyllites and marble ascribed to the Dalradian Supergroup.
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Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
The Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark formerly known as the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark straddles the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It is centred on the Marble Arch Caves and in 2001 it became one of the first geoparks to be designated in Europe.
The Geopark features various sites which demonstrate the geological and wider natural heritage of the area, as well as the cultural heritage relating to 7,000–8,000 years of recorded human occupation since the last ice age. It is jointly managed by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council and Cavan County Council.
The Geopark consists of over 30 discrete areas of land, largely in public ownership across County Fermanagh and neighbouring parts of County Cavan between Pettigo and Belleek in the north and west and the town of Cavan in the southeast. Most extensive of these are the Cuilcagh Mountain Park, along with the forests of Ballintempo, Belmore, Tullychurry, Lough Navar, Conagher and Big Dog, each of which are managed by the Forest Service Northern Ireland.
A number of national nature reserves and other natural and historic sites and viewpoints also fall within the designated area, the distribution of which has been likened to an archipelago. There are particular concentrations of geopark sites around both Lower Lough Erne and south of Belcoo.
The Breifne Mountains straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a few miles southwest of Enniskillen. Cuilcagh itself attains a height of 666 metres (2,185 ft). The Sruh Croppa, Owenbrean and Aghinrawn rivers flowing on the northern flanks of Cuilcagh Mountain sink underground on reaching the limestone outcrop, combining underground to form the Cladagh River which emerges at a natural rock bridge known as the Marble Arch.
Much of the rest of the Geopark comprises parts of the range of hills stretching between Belmore Mountain, which peaks at 401 metres (1,316 ft), and the Cliffs of Magho overlooking the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne.
The Geopark is almost wholly formed in sedimentary bedrock dating from the Carboniferous Period. These are a suite of faulted and gently folded sandstones, mudstones and limestones assigned to the Visean and Namurian stages of the period. There are however a few areas where older rocks are to be found. The larger part of the Geopark is covered by thick glacial deposits which obscure the bedrock geology across much of the lower ground.
The oldest rocks within the Geopark are quartzo-feldspathic gneisses found to the northwest of Lower Lough Erne. They originated as marine sandstones and were metamorphosed during the Caledonian Orogeny. Further east around Tappaghan Mountain and Lack are a suite of schists, phyllites and marble ascribed to the Dalradian Supergroup.
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