By Lisa Ramsden
“THE place has so much potential, but I just feel it has been forgotten about.” These are the views of local resident and Ulster Unionist spokesman, Lloyd Douglas, on Tollymore Forest Park. He has called on Andrew Muir, the Minister for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, to “bring forward a clear strategic plan” for the popular local park.
Mr Douglas asked UUP MLA, and now party leader, Jon Burrows, to raise questions about the park on his behalf in the Assembly. Amongst the issues raised by these questions is Mr Douglas’s concern that, despite a £640,000 refurbishment in 2015, the park’s Clanbrassil Barn and tea house are rarely used. The questions also sought an update on repairs to the iconic stepping stones which cross a section of the Shimna River as it flows through the park. Given the park’s appeal to visitors and its value as a heritage site, the questions sought clarity on current and planned maintenance and enhancement of Tollymore Forest Park.
The questions posed to Minister Muir, and responses given, were published in full on the Northern Ireland Assembly website. Within his responses, Minister Muir stated that renovation and refurbishment works were completed in both the Tea House and Clanbrassil Barn in 2015, under the NI Executive’s Economy and Jobs Funding Initiative. He explained that “significant works” were carried out at the Tea House whilst “extensive renovations” of the barn took place.
“The overall costs for these projects in Tollymore Forest Park was £640,000. Following the works the Clanbrassil Barn continued to be used primarily as a customer service facility, with one area used as a base for staff involved in the service provision. The Tea House building ground floor is used as a storage area for the operational needs of the Forest Park and the first floor is used occasionally to accommodate events organised internally and externally,” he added.
Revealing that “local people and out of state tourists make approximately 200,000 visits to Tollymore Forest Park annually,” the Minister added that the missing stepping stone will be reinstated. He added that the park’s staff operate “an intensive maintenance programme for the upkeep and enhancement” of the forest park and its facilities. “In particular, the primary facilities and key attractions to visitors is the comprehensive path network incorporating the iconic Shimma River corridor and the touring caravan park provision as gateway to the Mourne Mountains.”
Speaking with his local newspaper, Mr Douglas described Tollymore as “one of Northern Ireland’s best known forest parks and a great asset within the Mournes.” He added that the park has “enormous untapped potential.”
Mr Douglas continued: “It is a major benefit to tourism and wellbeing, encouraging people to enjoy the great outdoors. From the history of the Roden family and the Americans stationed there during the Second World War, to its international profile as a filming location for the film and television industry, most notably as a key location in Game of Thrones, Tollymore’s story and value go far beyond what many people realise.
“Alongside this cultural significance, the park plays an important role as a wildlife and environmental haven for birds and animals. The local staff on the ground work hard to keep the park open, safe and welcoming, often with limited resources, and that effort is widely appreciated.”
