Pathways to a better Mournes

Pathways to a better Mournes

THE repair of heavily eroded upland paths in the Mournes was celebrated at a special event at the Tollymore National Outdoor Centre last week.

Around three miles of paths in the Slieve Binnian, Brandy Pad and Slieve Donard areas have been repaired by skilled contractors, working to a detailed specification prepared by the Mourne Heritage Trust as part of a £750,000 investment.

Funding for the initiative — which was carried out over three years — was provided by the Environment Agency, Sport NI, the Tourist Board and Heritage Lottery Fund.

During the work on the upland paths, Mourne Heritage Trust staff also carried out repairs to key access corridors to facilitate people walking in the upper Mournes. Volunteers working under the Trust’s Active Lifestyles programme also carried out reinstatement works to minimise adverse impacts on sensitive habitats and visual amenity.

Stormont Environment Minister, Mark Durkan, who was the special guest at the event, highlighted the value of local partnerships with organisations like Mourne Heritage Trust in helping achieve government objectives in “our most prized landscape areas.”

He continued: “These mountains are not only beautiful and important for recreation, but they also represent a most important biodiversity habitat.

“The eastern Mournes is designated a Special Area of Conservation, marking it as one of Europe’s most important tracts of upland heath. The pioneering work carried out by Mourne Heritage Trust will help ensure that people can continue to enjoy and appreciate this sensitive area in the knowledge that its special qualities are protected,” he said.

Mr. Durkan said the Trust has shown that, with the right technical approaches and involvement of partners, conservation and sustainable development can go hand in hand.

The Minister said the work in the Mournes was a perfect example of working to protect the environment, while helping provide tourism with a major boost.

Trust chairman, Desmond Patterson, said the work in the Mournes was a true example of “joined-up government,” bringing together funding from the relevant agencies under the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Landscape Partnership umbrella.

He said the work in the Mournes helped protect the environment and enhance the visitor experience, thanking landowners, Northern Ireland Water, the National Trust and farmers for their co-operation.

South Down MP, Margaret Ritchie, emphasised the need to capitalise on the expertise and partnerships built up during the project and commended the Mourne Heritage Trust for its “ground-breaking initiative.”

The MP added: “It’s important to the environment, the economy and people of South Down that we continue to guard against erosion and improve the user experience in Northern Ireland’s foremost area for upland recreation.

“I thank the funders and both public and private landowners for their co-operation and input to date and look forward to these relationships continuing to prosper for the good of all.”

Other speakers at the event included the Mourne Heritage Trust’s Countryside Services Manager, Matthew Bushby, and Nick Harkness, Sport Northern Ireland’s Director of Participation.