Further information about the Irish UNESCO Global Geoparks Forum 2025 in Doolin:
Programme for Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th November
Irish Geoparks Forum accommodation at Hotel Doolin – click here.
List of other accommodation providers in Doolin – click here.
You are cordially invited to attend the Irish UNESCO Global Geoparks Annual Public Forum 2025
on
Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th of November
at Hotel Doolin, Doolin, Co. Clare
hosted by
Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark
The theme this year is
NATURAL CAPITAL UNPACKAGED – HOW UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARKS CAN PLAY A ROLE
PROGRAMME
Wednesday 26th November
10.00 Opening addresses
Cllr. Paul Murphy, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council
Agathe Hutchinson, Attaché for UNESCO at the Permanent Representation of Ireland in Paris
Dr. Koen Verbruggen, Director of Geological Survey Ireland
Dr. Marie Cowan, Director Geological Survey Northern Ireland
10.30 Irish Geoparks Updates
We will welcome the latest addition to the Irish Geoparks Family; Joyce Country & Western Lakes UNESCO Global Geopark and each of the UNESCO Global Geoparks on the Island of Ireland and the Geological Surveys will present short updates on their plans and projects.
- Geological Survey Ireland
- Geological Survey Northern Ireland
- Burren & Cliffs of Moher UGGp
- Copper Coast UGGp
- Cuilcagh Lakelands UGGp
- Mourne Gullion Strangford UGGp
- Joyce County & Western Lakes UGGp
12.30 to 14.00 Lunch and Visit Geopark displays
14.00 Keynote speaker
Natural Capital approaches – an introduction by Dr. Catherine Farrell, CIEEM, Assistant Professor at Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin.
Prior to her appointment in March 2025, Catherine worked as a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Natural Sciences. A pioneer of nature restoration and research in Ireland and internationally, Catherine worked to pilot the UN SEEA Ecosystem Accounting framework at catchment scale in Ireland through the EPA funded INCASE project, 2019-2023. A founding member of Natural Capital Ireland, Catherine has a strong commitment to community and business engagement and innovation through nature conservation and works to bridge and build connections from local / SME (bottom up) to national / corporate scales, while recognising the integral need for strong and functional governance systems (top down). Catherine is presently Business Programme Lead for the Business for Biodiversity Ireland Platform, providing support for a number of ENGOs and community nature projects in Ireland.
14.45 Marine natural capital accounting: An Irish perspective by Professor Stephen Hynes, Professor of Economics, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, University of Galway.
Aside from his role as Professor of Economics, Stephen is also the director of the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit (SEMRU). Stephen’s main research interest is in microeconomic behaviour analysis, related to natural resource/environmental and rural development policy and his work has been published by several of the top ranked journals in the fields of marine, agriculture, environmental and natural resource economics. In recent years, Stephen has led and been partner on a number of large multi-disciplinary European Union funded projects focused on blue growth and the economics of marine ecosystem conservation and restoration. These projects include MOSES, REDRESS, WIN-BIG and MPA Ireland LIFE.
15.15 Natural Capital as an environmental policy tool and can Geoparks contribute? By Matthew Hornsby, Department of Climate, Energy & the Environment. Matthew is Assistant Principal officer in the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment with responsibility for agricultural emissions, carbon removals and soils policy. He acts as Irish national point of contact on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. He holds an MSc in environmental policy from UCD and has experience working in several government departments and agencies in Ireland and the UK.
15.45 Panel discussion with speakers and Q&A led by Kirstin Lemon GSI NI and Clare Glanville GSI
16.30 Wrap up and outline of Field Trip by Dr. Eamon Doyle
19.30 Geoparks Dinner
Join us for a dinner at Hotel Doolin, featuring the ‘30 Mile Menu’ of local food, including ‘GEOfood’ produced within and around the UNESCO Global Geopark.
FIELD EXCURSION PROGRAMME
Thursday 27th November
Field excursion by coach to key Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark Sites and businesses with a focus on sustainable development, geoheritage and natural capital.
ITINERARY
09.30: Leave Hotel Doolin
09.35: Doolin Pier – Ferry Hub for access to Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher. The seasonal nature of tourism. Visitor management. Geoheritage -coastal erosion and recent high profile fossil discoveries.
10.20: Ballyrean – Coastal limestone stop for bus tours. ‘Commonage’ land ownership challenges. Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Limestone Pavement and Graffiti! Visitor management. Geoheritage – Fossils, terraces, collapsed caves and coastal erosion.
11.00: Fanore Beach – Sensitive public amenity site. Special Area of Conservation (SAC). Successful Dune restoration and ongoing biodiversity restoration work. Visitor management. Beach ambassadors. Fanore National School. Ecological studies and the problem with rabbits! Geoheritage – Biokarst and coastal erosion.
12.15: Lisdoonvarna. Meet with Social Enterprise group (Lisdoonvarna Fáilte) for discussion about village renewal and collaboration on walking trails, GSI funded geoheritage project (GeoStack) and the history of the Victorian Spa Wells. River and rainfall monitoring citizen science project. Lisdoonvarna secondary School Young Scientist competition. Geoheritage – the Clare Shale Formation and radioactive phosphate!
13.15: Lunch in Lisdoonvarna
14.30: Kilfenora Burren Centre. Social community project. Geopark support for visitor exhibition. Managing a small tourism enterprise off the main tourism trail. Local heritage trail. Kilfenora Cathedral and 12th Century High Crosses. Traditional Irish music. Developing a merchandising model for the Geopark.
16.00: Arrive back to Hotel Doolin
We hope you will enjoy the forum!
Please note that booking is essential for all events
Call Hotel Doolin at 065 7074111 or email reservations@hoteldoolin.ie to book your attendance at the conference, accommodation, dinner and your place on the Geopark Field Excursion.
For any other queries contact info@burrengeopark.ie