The Mám Éan Geotrail is a celebration of the amazing opportunity offered to walkers and explorers to the region to walk up the Maumturks and through an ancient path and get close to outcrops of metamorphic rocks over 700 million years old, a close to pristine blanket bog environment and the site of an ancient pilgrimage with many stories. The Geotrail, consisting of 3 panels of information decrypting part of the local heritage, highlights the links of our geology with that of the eastern part of North America, and in particular the Appalachian. Thanks to it, the whole Western Way is now part of the International Appalachian trail (https://iat-sia.org).
The Geotrail was commissioned by Joyce Country and Western Lakes (JCWL) GeoEnterprise, a cross-community organisation, funded by the GeoHeritage grant of Geological Survey Ireland and produced in partnership with JCWL Geopark, Forum Connemara, NPWS and the local communities of Maam and Recess. It will be launched officially at an event on Friday the 19th of January in the Maam community centre (Ionad Pobail an Mháma).
This event will be a guided walk over the whole geotrail from the Maam side. We will be departing by bus from the Maam community centre (H91P29P) at 10am and be picked up on the Inagh side around 1pm with the bus dropping everybody back at the car park.
Everyone is welcome but places on the bus are limited. First come first served.
Please note: there is strictly a No Dogs policy on the Western Way, as the trail crosses active farmland and no dogs will be allowed on the guided walk.
