Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark
Encyclopedia
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 Geopark
s 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 7–8000 years of recorded human occupation since the last ice age. It is managed by Fermanagh District Council
.
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 Northern Ireland Forest Service.
A number of National Nature Reserve
s and other natural and historic sites and viewpoints also fall within the designated area, the distribution of which has been likened to an archipelægo. There are particular concentrations of Geopark sites around both Lower Lough Erne and south of Belcoo
.
The Cuilcagh Mountains straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a few miles southwest of Enniskillen
. Cuilcagh itself attains a height of 665 metres (2,181.8 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 which stretch between Belmore Mountain
, which peaks at 401 metres (1,315.6 ft), and the Cliffs of Magho
overlooking the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne.
, mudstone
and limestone
assigned to the Visean
and Namurian stages of the Carboniferous
period.
The caves are developed in the Asbian age Glencar Limestone Formation and the Knockmore Limestone Member of the overlying Dartry Limestone Formation. Cuilcagh Mountain and the hills to its northwest are largely made up of rocks of the Asbian/Brigantian age Glenade Sandstone Formation, the Brigantian/Pendleian age Dergvone and Carraun Shale
Formations, the Pendleian age Briscloonagh Sandstone Formation and the Arnsbergian age Bencroy Shale, Lackagh Sandstone and Gowlaun Shale Formations.
Many of these formations are heavily faulted. Those at Cuilcagh are intruded by the WNW–SSE-oriented Cuilcagh Dyke
– one of several vertical intrusions in the area of dolerite of Palaeogene age whilst a dolerite sill
intrudes into the area to the west of Conagher Forest.
The limestone formations have given rise to Northern Ireland's finest karst
landscape. The caves themselves are of unknown age but date back in part over 380,000 years.
The area was subject to repeated glaciation during the Quaternary
period. The most recent ice age, the Midlandian or Devensian, has left a spread of glacial erratics across the landscape.
(SAC) under the European Union's Habitats Directive and as a Ramsar site designated under the Ramsar Convention
.
together with naturalist Lyster Jameson. It was 40 years before members of the Yorkshire Ramblers' Club made further explorations of the system. Fermanagh District Council
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.
The two areas became one of the first European Geoparks in 2001 and gained the status of Global Geopark in 2004 following the Madonie Agreement between UNESCO
and the European Geoparks Network
. In 2007 the Geopark was extended to cover many thousands of hectares of afforested 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 County Cavan
in the Republic of Ireland.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. It is centred on the Marble Arch Caves
Marble Arch Caves
The Marble Arch Caves are a series of natural limestone caves located near the village of Florencecourt in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. They are formed by water draining off the northern slopes of Cuilcagh mountain.- History of exploration :...
and in 2001 it became one of the first Geopark
Geopark
A Geopark is defined by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in its UNESCO Geoparks International Network of Geoparks programme as follows:...
s to be designated in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
The Geopark features various sites which demonstrate the geological and wider natural heritage of the area, as well as the cultural heritage relating to 7–8000 years of recorded human occupation since the last ice age. It is managed by Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. The borders of the district are very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, containing all of that county plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore Road and Kilskeery Road areas. Council headquarters are...
.
Geography
The Geopark consists of over 30 discrete areas of land, largely in public ownership across County Fermanagh and neighbouring parts of CavanCounty Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
between Pettigo
Pettigo
Pettigo is a small village on the border of County Donegal, Republic of Ireland and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is bisected by the Termon River which is part of the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland...
and Belleek
Belleek, County Fermanagh
Belleek is a village in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. While the greater part of the village lies within County Fermanagh, part of it crosses the border into County Donegal, a part of Ulster that lies in the Republic of Ireland. This makes Belleek the western-most village in the United Kingdom...
in the north and west and the town of Cavan
Cavan
Cavan is the county town of County Cavan in the Republic of Ireland. The town lies in the north central part of Ireland, near the border with Northern Ireland...
in the southeast. Most extensive of these are the Cuilcagh
Cuilcagh
Cuilcagh, historically Slieve Cuilcagh , is the highest mountain in the Breifne area and the 165th highest on the island of Ireland . The summit lies on the border between County Fermanagh and County Cavan , and is the highest point in both counties...
Mountain Park, along with the Forests of Ballintempo, Belmore
Belmore Mountain
Belmore Mountain is a hill in the townland of Gortgall, western County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. With a summit roughly above sea level, it is the second highest point in Fermanagh, the highest being at Cuilcagh on the Northern Ireland–Republic of Ireland border in the south of the...
, Tullychurry, Lough Navar, Conagher and Big Dog, each of which are managed by the Northern Ireland Forest Service.
A number of National Nature Reserve
National Nature Reserve
For details of National nature reserves in the United Kingdom see:*National Nature Reserves in England*National Nature Reserves in Northern Ireland*National Nature Reserves in Scotland*National Nature Reserves in Wales...
s and other natural and historic sites and viewpoints also fall within the designated area, the distribution of which has been likened to an archipelægo. There are particular concentrations of Geopark sites around both Lower Lough Erne and south of Belcoo
Belcoo
Belcoo is a small village and townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 10 miles from Enniskillen. It is on the County Fermanagh/County Cavan border beside the village of Blacklion in the Republic of Ireland...
.
The Cuilcagh Mountains straddle the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a few miles southwest of Enniskillen
Enniskillen
Enniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
. Cuilcagh itself attains a height of 665 metres (2,181.8 ft). The Sruh Croppa, Owenbrean
Owenbrean River
The Owenbrean River , is a small river in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland which flows down from Cuilcagh Mountain before sinking underground, eventually reaching the Marble Arch Cave system...
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 which stretch between Belmore Mountain
Belmore Mountain
Belmore Mountain is a hill in the townland of Gortgall, western County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. With a summit roughly above sea level, it is the second highest point in Fermanagh, the highest being at Cuilcagh on the Northern Ireland–Republic of Ireland border in the south of the...
, which peaks at 401 metres (1,315.6 ft), and the Cliffs of Magho
Cliffs of Magho
The Cliffs of Magho are a 9km long limestone escarpment located in the townland of Magho, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. The NNW-facing cliffs overlook the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne and define the northern edge of Lough Navar Forest, a major plantation managed by the Forest Service...
overlooking the western reaches of Lower Lough Erne.
Geology
The Geopark is underlain by a suite of southerly dipping beds of sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, mudstone
Mudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
assigned to the Visean
Viséan
The Visean, Viséan or Visian is an age in the ICS geologic timescale or a stage in the stratigraphic column. It is the second stage of the Mississippian, the lower subsystem of the Carboniferous. The Visean lasted from 345.3 ± 2.1 to 328.3 ± 1.6 Ma...
and Namurian stages of the Carboniferous
Carboniferous
The Carboniferous is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Devonian Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya , to the beginning of the Permian Period, about 299.0 ± 0.8 Mya . The name is derived from the Latin word for coal, carbo. Carboniferous means "coal-bearing"...
period.
The caves are developed in the Asbian age Glencar Limestone Formation and the Knockmore Limestone Member of the overlying Dartry Limestone Formation. Cuilcagh Mountain and the hills to its northwest are largely made up of rocks of the Asbian/Brigantian age Glenade Sandstone Formation, the Brigantian/Pendleian age Dergvone and Carraun Shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
Formations, the Pendleian age Briscloonagh Sandstone Formation and the Arnsbergian age Bencroy Shale, Lackagh Sandstone and Gowlaun Shale Formations.
Many of these formations are heavily faulted. Those at Cuilcagh are intruded by the WNW–SSE-oriented Cuilcagh Dyke
Dike (geology)
A dike or dyke in geology is a type of sheet intrusion referring to any geologic body that cuts discordantly across* planar wall rock structures, such as bedding or foliation...
– one of several vertical intrusions in the area of dolerite of Palaeogene age whilst a dolerite sill
Sill (geology)
In geology, a sill is a tabular sheet intrusion that has intruded between older layers of sedimentary rock, beds of volcanic lava or tuff, or even along the direction of foliation in metamorphic rock. The term sill is synonymous with concordant intrusive sheet...
intrudes into the area to the west of Conagher Forest.
The limestone formations have given rise to Northern Ireland's finest karst
KARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
landscape. The caves themselves are of unknown age but date back in part over 380,000 years.
The area was subject to repeated glaciation during the Quaternary
Quaternary
The Quaternary Period is the most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the ICS. It follows the Neogene Period, spanning 2.588 ± 0.005 million years ago to the present...
period. The most recent ice age, the Midlandian or Devensian, has left a spread of glacial erratics across the landscape.
Protected areas
There are several National Nature Reserves within the Geopark, including those of Correl Glen, Hanging Rock, Cladagh Glen and Killykeegan. Some of the blanket bog on Cuilcagh Mountain is protected as a Special Area of ConservationSpecial Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
(SAC) under the European Union's Habitats Directive and as a Ramsar site designated under the Ramsar Convention
Ramsar Convention
The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands, i.e., to stem the progressive encroachment on and loss of wetlands now and in the future, recognizing the fundamental ecological functions of wetlands and their economic, cultural,...
.
Principal attractions
- Marble Arch Caves are a major draw for visitors in Northern Ireland and these show caveShow caveShow caves — also called tourist caves, public caves, and in the United States, commercial caves — are caves that are managed by a government or commercial organization and made accessible to the general public, usually for an entrance fee...
s exhibit a wide range of classic cave features which are enjoyed by visitors by boat and on foot. - The Calf House or Druid's Altar in Burren Forest, County Cavan is a fine example of a portal tomb or dolmenDolmenA dolmen—also known as a portal tomb, portal grave, dolmain , cromlech , anta , Hünengrab/Hünenbett , Adamra , Ispun , Hunebed , dös , goindol or quoit—is a type of single-chamber megalithic tomb, usually consisting of...
dating from NeolithicNeolithicThe Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
times. Nearby is the Giant's Leap wedge tomb. - There a number of castles in the Geopark dating from the sixteenth century, now largely in ruins.
- Shannon PotShannon PotShannon Pot is a small lake in the Karst topography found on the slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain in County Cavan, Ireland. An aquifer-fed naturally fluctuating pool, it is the traditional source of the River Shannon.The pool itself is approximately in diameter. It was first explored by divers in 1971...
is a natural feature which is considered to be the source of Ireland's longest river, the ShannonRiver ShannonThe River Shannon is the longest river in Ireland at . It divides the west of Ireland from the east and south . County Clare, being west of the Shannon but part of the province of Munster, is the major exception...
. It has a rich mythological associations, not least the story of Sionnan, grand-daughter of the Celtic sea-god LirManannán mac LirManannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
, who came to this spot in search of the great Salmon of WisdomSalmon of WisdomThe Salmon of Knowledge is a creature figuring in the Fenian Cycle of Irish mythology. This salmon was sometimes called Fintan, or Finntan, in ancient times and is sometimes confused with Fintan mac Bóchra who was also known as, "The Wise" and once transformed into a salmon...
.
History
The caves were first explored in 1895 by the French speleologist Édouard-Alfred MartelÉdouard-Alfred Martel
, the 'father of modern speleology', was a world pioneer of cave exploration, study, and documentation...
together with naturalist Lyster Jameson. It was 40 years before members of the Yorkshire Ramblers' Club made further explorations of the system. Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council
Fermanagh District Council is a local council in Northern Ireland. The borders of the district are very similar to those of the traditional County Fermanagh, containing all of that county plus a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore Road and Kilskeery Road areas. Council headquarters are...
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.
The two areas became one of the first European Geoparks in 2001 and gained the status of Global Geopark in 2004 following the Madonie Agreement between UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
and the European Geoparks Network
European Geoparks Network
The European Geoparks Network, often known as the EGN, is a trans-national partnership of Geoparks across Europe formed in 2000 to provide mutual support to established and prospective Geoparks across the continent...
. In 2007 the Geopark was extended to cover many thousands of hectares of afforested 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 County Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
in the Republic of Ireland.
Events
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 event in Geoparks across Europe.See also
- Castle ArchdaleCastle ArchdaleCastle Archdale in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland is the home of Castle Archdale Country Park, situated near Irvinestown and owned and run by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.- History :...
- Cladagh Glen Nature Reserve
- Hanging Rock Nature Reserve