The Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are two of the most popular sites in the country, with visitors from home and abroad flocking in their thousands every year. But did you know that they're not only beautiful, but also officially one of the most significant geological sites in the world?
Both have just been added to the Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites by the International Union of Geological Sciences. The news is a huge boon for Irish tourism, and - when it comes to our geological standing - a very big deal.
Dr Eamon Doyle, Geologist with the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark joined Drivetime to chat about the accolade.
"We've made the top table", Doyle says, speaking about the long and labour-intensive process of applying to be included. "There were 400 different experts from across the world involved in this, so from 50 different countries, so these are independent geologists looking at your site and giving their ranking of it."
Also on the list is none other than Mt. Vesuvius in Italy, Yosemite Valley in California and the Dead Sea. So how did we make the cut?
"It's about understanding the sequence of events that have happened in these rocks", Doyle explains. One of the more important factors is that the rocks in the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher are "spectacularly exposed".
"The Burren, it's a photographer's paradise, going there", he adds, from the plants to the creatures that live there. But ultimately, he says, it's about the rocks "and the stories they tell".
With Norway calling time on some tourism campaigns for fear of causing ecological damage to the country, is there any chance of a similar reaction closer to home?
Doyle stresses that his job is to explain the context of such monumental areas as the Burren and the Cliffs of Moher, adding that, "The more you understand, the more you appreciate, the less damage you're going to do".
"It's not an ideal situation in some cases but we're constantly learning and constantly improving. The landscape is in very good hands, actually."
Putting it into context for those of us still unconvinced on the significance of this accolade, Doyle compares it to the Olympics:
"We've seen how we love it when our athletes are as good as any other athlete in the world, or sportspeople, but it's like that for us. Our geology has now been compared with everywhere across the world that they've seen, [saying] 'Yeah, you're one of the best.'"
For more, listen back to the full interview above.
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