HOW DOES
Our Geopark is guided by governance principles set out by key stakeholders and partners and described in detail in our Management Master Plan. It sets out an effective way of addressing various social and economic needs of the Geopark’s local communities, helping preserve and enhance their cultural identity and protecting the landscape they live in.
Our mission
Through achievement of UNESCO Global Geopark status for the Joyce Country and Western Lakes region, the communities, businesses and education providers in the area will be empowered to better inform about its attractions, promote the use of the Irish language and draw more visitors to experience in a sustainable way its rich geological, historical, cultural and environmental features, resulting in more confident and resilient local communities, enterprise and jobs.
Our objective
Achieve and retain UNESCO Global Geopark status for the Joyce Country and Western Lakes region, thereby helping the communities, businesses, education and other service providers of the area to build confidence about enhancing and sustaining their livelihoods in the medium- to long-term.
Our priority development themes
Governance and Management
- Maintain the JCWL Geopark governance and management structure and resources, and manage and co-ordinate activities
- Be a voice for geosites and other themes and/or sites with links to the geological heritage (archaeological, ecological, historical and cultural) to be priorities within the development plans of state bodies and interest groups for sustainable development
- Work within the European Geoparks Network and the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network to further the networks’ advance and cohesion in partnership with other European and global geoparks. Also liaise with other UGG-designated territories on the island of Ireland.
Site conservation and sustainable environment
- Facilitate the protection and enhancement of geosites, biodiversity and the natural environment for improving and sustaining quality of life
- Empower host, business and visitor responsibility around the use of resources, behaviour in the landscape and engagement with the community
- Encourage research into methods for the sustainable management of JCWL geosites and share best practice with other sites in Ireland and abroad
Geoeducation and geotourism
- Work with the tourism sector to actively promote economic development through the enhancement of tourism activities linked to the geological heritage
- Create tools and resources that empower businesses and communities to use access to Gaeilge (the Irish language), Gaeltacht and Geology as key selling points
- Encourage and enable access to geosites where this can be achieved sustainably for the benefit of individuals and the wider community
- Support and develop wide-reaching community-based educational and interpretation programmes concerning geosites and the geological heritage
Find out more on our actions
Our organisation
Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoighach (CDS) is a cooperative set-up in the 1970s in the Joyce Country Gaeltacht and is located beside the village of Corr na Móna. It is the host organisation of the geopark and the employer of all geopark staff.
Core funding for the employment of staff, office management and basic operational costs is provided by the four Funding Partners (Údarás na Gaeltachta, Geological Survey Ireland, Mayo County Council and Galway County Council). This funding is agreed in principle but is subject to annual approval by Funding Partners, and for annual in-kind support. Additional funds from Funding Partners and other national and European Union support schemes are also sought to either supplement the core budget or for specific projects. Additional funds have also been supplied by the cross-community voluntary group JCWL GeoEnterprise thanks to their philanthropic partnerships.
The Funding Partners Committee meets up to 4 times per year to agree funding and procurement procedures and approve overall budget and annual work plans. Core annual funding for the Geopark has risen from €150,000 in 2022 to within a range of €160,000 to €175,000 by 2025. The budget is spent in average as follows; 75% on staff salaries, 5% on other office overheads, 15% on networking, tourism & marketing and travel and another 5% on miscellaneous.
Members of the Funding Partners Committee:
- Geological Survey Ireland Director
- Geological Survey Ireland Senior Geologist in charge of GeoHeritage
- Údarás na Gaeltachta Stiúrthóir (Director, Regional Development & Language)
- Údarás na Gaeltachta Tourism Development Manager
- Galway County Council Director of Services
- Galway County Council Heritage Officer
- Mayo County Council Director of Services
- Mayo County Council Heritage Officer
The Coiste Treorach (steering committee) is the advisory group where the Funding Partners, associate partners and local communities are represented. The associate partners are Fáilte Ireland (Ireland’s tourism agency), National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland’s statutory body for the designation and protection of natural areas), Coillte (Ireland’s forestry agency and a major landowner in the Geopark region) and Inland Fisheries Ireland (the environmental agency responsible for protecting, managing and conserving Ireland’s inland fisheries and sea angling resources). The group meets four times per year to hear reports from the Geopark staff, approve draft/interim work plans and provide direction and advice.
Members of the Coiste Treorach
- Comharchumann Dhúiche Sheoigheach Teo Bainisteoir
- Údarás na Gaeltachta Tourism Development Manager
- Údarás na Gaeltachta Head of Regional Development (West)
- Geological Survey Ireland Senior Geologist in charge of GeoHeritage
- Galway County Council Heritage Officer
- Mayo County Council Heritage Officer
- Fáilte Ireland Wild Atlantic Way Officer for Connemara and the Islands
- National Parks and Wildlife Services Regional Manager for Co. Mayo and west Co. Galway
- Coillte Estates Manager for Co. Mayo
- JCWL GeoEnterprise chair – Trish Walsh
- Coiste Foirbeatha Thuar Mhic Éadaigh Bainisteoir – Nora McHugh King
- Bríd Burke – business representative
- Tom Halloran – farmer representative
- Marianne Shine – community representative
- Joe Greaney – community representative
More details on our Management Master Plan with annexes downloadable here
Our Child Safeguarding Statement
Our Team
Michael Hegarty – Geopark manager
Michael has been the manager of the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark since 2020 and lives and works in Tourmakeady, County Mayo. He is a member of the cross-community group JCWL GeoEnterprise and was lead proposal writer for the successful award of geopark funding from the Rural Regeneration and Development Fund (RRDF), a project also supported by Geological Survey Ireland, Galway and Mayo Country Councils, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Coillte and Fáilte Ireland. The RRDF project (2020-2021) prepared the way for the application for UNESCO Global Geopark status in November 2022. Michael is deeply involved in voluntary community development in Tourmakeady, in particular the Sustainable Energy Community and the coiste pobail. He has an MSc Rural Development (UCD) and 20+ years’ experience of planning and implementing rural development programmes across the EU and in emerging economies. He is also a previous General Manager of the Irish Bioenergy Association focused on low carbon energy.
Email: [email protected]
Dr Benjamin Thébaudeau – Geopark geologist
Benjamin has been the geopark geologist since 2018. He has a background in Physics, a MSc in Geophysics and completed a PhD in 2013 at the department of Geology of Trinity College Dublin. He has worked as a geophysicist in archaeology for 2 years, a consultant geologist and postdoctoral fellow in the Geological Survey Ireland (GSI) for 2.5 years, then as Senior Technical Officer in the University of Galway for 1.5 years. He recently completed a Diploma sa Ghaeilge in the Tuar Mhic Éadaigh Gaeltacht. His current post in the project has to do with the telling of the geological story as well as linking it to the wider heritage of the region. Beside the production of outreach and education resources both printed and digital, he is also visiting schools, partnering with universities and delivering presentations to local interest groups in the wider area. Part of the current education offering from the JCWL geopark is a Geopark Ambassador course, consisting of 2 lectures and 1 fieldtrip that Benjamin delivers.
Email: [email protected]
Dominic Ó Mórán – Geopark tourism officer
Dominic is the Tourism Development Officer with Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark since 2020. Dominic’s role includes organising training for both community and business networks in the Geopark region and support tourism initiatives that complement the Geopark. Dominic has a Higher Diploma in Hospitality Management (GMIT now ATU) and many years of experience in the tourism sector. He has been General Manager of Lough Inagh Lodge Hotel (Recess, Co Galway) since 2001. He is Chair of the Great Fishing Houses of Ireland – a collective marketing group for 10 country house hotels with fly fishing facilities on site. This group has worked closely with Tourism Ireland and overseas tourism groups to promote fly fishing in Ireland. Dominic is an integral part of another innovative tourism team working with Failté Ireland for development of the Connemara Coast and Aran Islands ‘Visitor Experience Development Plan (VEDP)’. He is co-chair of the Connemara and Aran Islands Tourism network that is tasked with the implementation of the VEDP. Dominic is an advocate for and participant in sustainable community-led tourism initiatives in the West of Ireland.
Email: [email protected]
The following are not members of the Geopark staff but are strongly involved in the operation through the Operation Management Group (OMG).
Meadbh Seoighe – Údarás na Gaeltachta Tourism Development Officer
Meadbh has a …
Email: [email protected]
Trish Walsh – JCWL GeoEnterprise Chairperson
Trish has been the Director of Petersburg Outdoor Education and Training Centre which operates under Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board until her retirement in late 2024. She has been a strong advocate for a Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark since 2009. She is Chairperson of JCWL GeoEnterprise which was formed to represent the community interests in the geopark region. She believes that UNESCO Global Geoparks are a great model for rural development, using geology and heritage to promote sustainable enterprises, developing strong vibrant communities and helping build resilience in people. Trish has skills and qualifications in adventure sports and 35+ years’ experience in outdoor education. Her widespread interests in landscape history and development include geology, geography, botany, soils, ecology, archaeology, heritage and social history. She has a Masters in landscape history and her multi-disciplinary approach makes for very interesting lectures and field trips. Her well-regarded ‘History of Ireland’, is a whistle stop tour of Ireland from its geological heritage, arrival of people on the landscape, prehistory and history that enables students to grasp the uniqueness, complexity and fascinating story of Ireland today. She is also a member of the Comhailre na Tuaithe, a body set up by the Department of Rural and Community development in 2004 to advise the government on the sustainable development of the outdoor recreation sector in Ireland.
Email: [email protected]
