Tollymore Celebrates 50 Years of Public Access

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To commemorate the 50th anniversary of public access to Tollymore Forest Park, the Forest Service has opened a special exhibition.

Nestled in the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, Tollymore Forest Park has long been one of Northern Ireland’s leading attractions.

Chief Executive of the Forest Service, Malcolm Beatty said: “Tollymore was the first forest park in Northern Ireland and since its opening the park has attracted over six million visitors. We expect an additional 160,000 visitors this year.”

Malcolm continued: “The exhibition features a short video on the history and development of Tollymore Forest Park and has a range of information panels with photographs charting recreational, educational and environmental features over the last 50 years. There is also a demonstration of new mapping technology which is modernising the way that Forest Service records and reports on the forest estate.”

Invited guests, representing many of those who looked after the park in the last 50 years, people who have been visiting since it first opened and representatives from youth, education and caravanning organisations attended the opening of the exhibition.

The exhibit can be found in the forest’s café building, and is open on Saturdays and Sundays from this Saturday, 4 June, until the 28 August, from noon until 5.00pm, and at other times by arrangement.

The Service also plans to provide guided tours of the forest on each of the last weekends of June, July and August. Themes will include the history of the park, becoming a wildlife detective and forest art. The weekends are 25 and 26 June, 30 and 31 July and 27 and 28 August 2005, each beginning at noon until 5.00pm.

For further information telephone 028 4377 8664 or visit the Forest Service website: www.forestserviceni.gov.uk

1. The Forest Service is an Executive Agency of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2. The forest is over 500 hectares, is situated in a very picturesque river valley and contains 47km of trails along the Shimna River through mature trees. There are wild deer and squirrels and facilities for walking, camping and caravanning.

3. As the first Forest Park to be opened in Northern Ireland it was a very innovative concept at the time. Within five years of opening visitor numbers rose from 33,600 to over 100,000. Today approximately 160,000 visits are made to Tollymore annually.

4. The success of Tollymore for public access led directly to many other forests being made accessible. Recreational visits to all state managed forests now exceed two million annually.

5. Tollymore Forest Park was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 British picnic sites for 2000.

6. All media Enquiries to DARD press office, Tel: 028 9052 4619.