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The
Geopark promotes walks and events of various sorts to interpret its attractions both to local people and visitors. These include a celebration of European Geoparks Week which takes place at the end of May – start of June, coinciding with similar events in geoparks across Europe.
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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
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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.
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upland to the north west of
Cuilcagh Mountain, and in September 2008 it became the world's first transnational geopark in the European and Global Geoparks Networks as it was extended across the international border into
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in County Cavan, which contains a wealth of prehistoric monuments linked by trails, with a visitors' centre providing interpretation of the features. These include the
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across the landscape. Erratics at Cavan Burren Park feature in an interpretive trail at this locality. The larger part of the
Geopark is covered by a huge swarm of
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extend to the shores of Lower Lough Erne though, as elsewhere across the lower lying ground of the area, are largely obscured by much younger superficial deposits.
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began to consider developing a show cave at the site and they eventually opened them to the public in 1985. The nearby
Cuilcagh Mountain Park was opened in 1998.
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and
Aghinrawn rivers flowing on the northern flanks of Cuilcagh Mountain sink underground on reaching the limestone outcrop, combining underground to form the
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is on situated off the northern shore of Lower Lough Erne and is accessible by road. It contains important scheduled monuments related to early
Christianity.
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and other natural and historic sites and viewpoints also fall within the designated area, the distribution of which has been likened to an
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There are a number of castles and historic buildings in the
Geopark, now largely in ruins. These include Castle Caldwell,
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The
Breifne Mountains straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a few miles southwest of
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Many of these formations are heavily faulted. Those at Cuilcagh are intruded by the WNW–SSE-oriented Cuilcagh
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exhibit a wide range of classic cave features which are enjoyed by visitors by boat and on foot.
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landscape. The caves themselves are of unknown age but date back in part over 380,000 years.
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The Geopark consists of over 30 discrete areas of land, largely in public ownership across
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is a natural feature which is considered to be the source of Ireland's longest river, the
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The two areas became one of the first European geoparks in 2001 and gained the status of
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Much of the rest of the Geopark comprises parts of the range of hills stretching between
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age are found around the margins of the southern extent of the Geopark at Cavan and
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139:. Cuilcagh itself attains a height of 666 metres (2,185 ft). The Sruh Croppa,
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Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark; Exploring the landscape of Fermanagh and Cavan
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and Killykeegan. Some of the blanket bog on Cuilcagh Mountain is protected as a
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and other speleological organisations made further explorations of the system.
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Marble Arch Caves are a major draw for visitors in Northern Ireland and these
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The Geopark is almost wholly formed in sedimentary bedrock dating from the
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published in 2008 by Natural History Museum of the Lesvos Petrified Forest
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Formations, the Pendleian-age Briscloonagh Sandstone Formation and the
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Blanket bog near Florencecourt, on the foothills of Cuilcagh mountain.
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The limestone formations have given rise to Northern Ireland's finest
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which emerges at a natural rock bridge known as the Marble Arch.
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The Marble Arch Caves were first explored in 1895 by the French
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Clifftop pathway at the Cliffs of Magho, above Lower Lough Erne.
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Jones, Gareth Ll.; Burns, Gaby; Fogg, Tim; Kelly, John (1997).
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Cuilcagh Mountain, with Upper Lough Macnean in the foreground.
836:(Map) (1999 ed.). Geological Survey of Northern Ireland.
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The oldest rocks within the Geopark are quartzo-feldspathic
848:"Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland"
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The Carboniferous strata consists of numerous recognised
980:"Geopark News: The World's First International Geopark!"
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intrudes into the area to the west of Conagher Forest.
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overlooking the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne.
154:, which peaks at 401 metres (1,316 ft), and the
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within the Geopark, including those of Correl Glen,
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and the Knockmore Limestone Member of the overlying
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745:(2nd ed.). Lough Nilly Press. pp. 79–84.
402:period. The most recent ice age, the Midlandian or
93:in the southeast. Most extensive of these are the
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834:Geological Map of Northern Ireland, 1:250K solid
593:in 2004 following the Madonie Agreement between
578:. During the following 70 years, members of the
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512:, who came to this spot in search of the great
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275:. Also of Silurian age is a small outcrop of
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930:"Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark – Ireland"
1012:Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark official website
16:Lies on the Fermanagh-Cavan border, Ireland
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1017:European Geoparks Network official website
442:and as a Ramsar site designated under the
548:is a registered ancient monastic site in
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49:and in 2001 it became one of the first
482:or Druid's Altar, a fine example of a
89:in the north and west and the town of
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319:and an overlying (therefore younger)
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470:The Cavan Burren Park is an area of
59:Fermanagh and Omagh District Council
1487:Geoparks in the Republic of Ireland
855:Joint Nature Conservation Committee
494:times, and the nearby Giant's Leap
1126:Basalt columns at Giant's Causeway
693:"Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark"
264:. This outcrop is intruded by the
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955:"The Organisation – Introduction"
438:(SAC) under the European Union's
394:The area was subject to repeated
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789:Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland
771:Ordnance Survey Northern Ireland
743:The Caves of Fermanagh and Cavan
718:Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
35:Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
1492:Global Geoparks Network members
103:Forest Service Northern Ireland
880:"British Caves and Speleology"
375:in the area whilst a dolerite
299:age sandstones, mudstones and
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1497:Transboundary protected areas
37:straddles the border between
1477:Geoparks in Northern Ireland
1356:Ulster White Limestone Group
610:in the Republic of Ireland.
552:which is accessible by boat.
436:Special Area of Conservation
53:to be designated in Europe.
1472:Geology of Northern Ireland
1409:Northern Ireland portal
644:Hanging Rock Nature Reserve
634:Cladagh Glen Nature Reserve
371:age vertical intrusions of
333:Glencar Limestone Formation
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1321:Hibernian Greensands Group
984:Fermanagh District Council
672:Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark
584:Fermanagh District Council
347:-age Dergvone and Carraun
337:Dartry Limestone Formation
206:found to the northwest of
77:and neighbouring parts of
31:Cuilcagh Lakelands Geopark
1467:Parks in County Fermanagh
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959:European Geoparks Network
934:European Geoparks Network
599:European Geoparks Network
574:together with naturalist
1438:54.2584278°N 7.8143139°W
885:The Geographical Journal
668:"History & Folklore"
580:Yorkshire Ramblers' Club
424:national nature reserves
198:Pre-Carboniferous strata
118:national nature reserves
787:(Map) (2003 ed.).
769:(Map) (2003 ed.).
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170:. These are a suite of
45:. It is centred on the
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986:. 2008. Archived from
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95:Cuilcagh Mountain Park
33:formerly known as the
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1462:Parks in County Cavan
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572:Édouard-Alfred Martel
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527:, Drumlane Abbey and
458:Principal attractions
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359:Palaeogene intrusions
327:are developed in the
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307:Carboniferous strata
271:emplaced during the
232:Dalradian Supergroup
168:Carboniferous Period
63:Cavan County Council
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1311:Benaughlin Mountain
714:"Home- Marble Arch"
43:Republic of Ireland
1482:Geology of Ireland
1397:Geology portal
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529:Enniskillen Castle
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440:Habitats Directive
422:There are several
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816:(map), 2015 GSNI
802:European Geoparks
444:Ramsar Convention
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325:Marble Arch Caves
293:Old Red Sandstone
283:. An area around
244:, sandstones and
47:Marble Arch Caves
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1361:Waterloo Bay
1351:Tyrone Group
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1336:Magheramorne
1268:Slieve Croob
1205:The Skerries
1108:Murlough Bay
992:. Retrieved
988:the original
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784:
779:
766:
761:
742:
721:. Retrieved
717:
708:
696:. Retrieved
687:
675:. Retrieved
671:
662:
617:
608:County Cavan
588:
569:speleologist
566:
538:Tully Castle
525:Monea Castle
521:Tully Castle
490:dating from
432:Cladagh Glen
428:Hanging Rock
421:
393:
386:
362:
317:Tyrone Group
310:
262:Killashandra
256:and between
236:
201:
165:
149:
134:
116:A number of
115:
79:County Cavan
72:
55:
34:
30:
28:
18:
1441: /
1326:Islandmagee
1298:Sedimentary
1283:Slieve Muck
1243:Mullaghmore
1238:Mullaghcarn
1228:Loughermore
1215:Metamorphic
1200:The Maidens
964:4 September
939:4 September
502:Shannon Pot
484:portal tomb
398:during the
353:Arnsbergian
289:Irvinestown
214:during the
174:and gently
137:Enniskillen
122:archipelago
1456:Categories
1223:Benbradagh
1148:Scawt Hill
1078:Benevenagh
994:22 January
860:2 November
698:10 October
655:References
603:afforested
556:Boa Island
496:wedge tomb
480:Calf House
465:show caves
400:Quaternary
396:glaciation
383:Quaternary
369:Palaeogene
341:Brigantian
313:formations
301:siltstones
277:turbidites
266:Crossdoney
250:Ordovician
238:Greywackes
187:limestones
179:sandstones
1190:Fair Head
1065:Volcanism
492:Neolithic
476:Blacklion
404:Devensian
345:Pendleian
285:Lisnarick
281:Lisbellaw
224:phyllites
183:mudstones
141:Owenbrean
69:Geography
1316:Cuilcagh
1288:Sperrins
1088:Cavehill
878:(1897).
677:8 August
623:See also
597:and the
540:in 2006.
412:drumlins
373:dolerite
297:Devonian
258:Lismoren
204:gneisses
81:between
51:geoparks
41:and the
1153:Slemish
1053:Geology
911:24 July
906:1774383
791:(OSNI).
773:(OSNI).
563:History
506:Shannon
269:granite
220:schists
172:faulted
162:Geology
99:Belmore
87:Belleek
83:Pettigo
904:
820:
749:
723:1 July
614:Events
595:UNESCO
488:dolmen
329:Asbian
323:. The
242:shales
228:marble
191:Visean
176:folded
130:Belcoo
1370:Lists
1182:sills
1178:Dykes
1093:Divis
902:JSTOR
851:(PDF)
474:near
389:karst
349:Shale
331:-age
91:Cavan
1180:and
996:2009
966:2012
941:2012
913:2012
862:2010
818:ISBN
747:ISBN
725:2020
700:2009
679:2022
377:sill
365:Dyke
287:and
260:and
226:and
185:and
85:and
61:and
29:The
1055:of
894:doi
510:Lir
486:or
279:at
248:of
1458::
982:.
957:.
932:.
921:^
900:.
888:.
882:.
853:.
733:^
716:.
670:.
523:,
446:.
430:,
240:,
234:.
222:,
181:,
132:.
105:.
65:.
1045:e
1038:t
1031:v
998:.
968:.
943:.
915:.
896::
890:X
864:.
755:.
727:.
702:.
681:.
516:.
498:.
343:/
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