Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) has awarded geoheritage (geological heritage) grants to six community-based projects around the country, it has been announced today (Tuesday, December 29).

The funds, valued at €10,000 each, are available under the Geoheritage Grant Scheme run by the Geoheritage Programme in GSI.

GSI, the national earth science agency, is a division of the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.

According to the department, the aim of the fund is to encourage the telling of the Irish geological story, improve the understanding of geoscience, and to engage with groups throughout the country.

“Geology is part of the heritage of Ireland and is celebrated as part of who we are,” the department said.

Our tourism industry is influenced by the landscape and the underlying rocks, and the geological and geographical features give rise to our agriculture, food, and often our place names and traditions.

“Due to the broad diversity of geology in Ireland and the relative recentness of the shaping of the landscape, every townland has the potential for an interesting geoheritage story.”

Initially, the fund was only available to the three UNESCO Global Geoparks and aspiring geoparks, but has been available to all groups since 2019 in order to promote geodiversity, geoheritage and geoscience education through wider community engagement.

‘Geology can be shown in urban, rural and coastal settings’

Projects awarded funding include UNESCO projects, such as the Marble Arch UNESCO Global Geopark in Fermanagh and Cavan which will show the relationship between poetry and geology in an online geopark poetry map; and the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark in Co. Waterford, which will make its existing information more accessible to the public.

Geology can be “shown in urban, rural and coastal settings”, and projects this year from Slieve League, Co. Donegal; Belturbet, Co. Cavan; Valentia Island, Co. Kerry; and Cork city will use the grants to “bring their geological history to life for locals and visitors”.

Koen Verbruggen, director of GSI said that the projects this year show the “breadth of ways geology and geoheritage can be used for tourism, education and local pride”.

“I am delighted the Geoheritage Grant Scheme attracted so many applications this year and I look forward to the results of these community collaborations.”

GSI is responsible for providing geological advice and information, and for the acquisition of data for this purpose. It produces products including maps, reports and databases and acts as a knowledge center and project partner in all aspects of Irish geology.