Hit a Trail near you - National Trails Day 2009 - Sunday 4 October

Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development, Michelle Gildernew MP, MLA has launched this year’s National Trails Day, which will be held on Sunday 4 October.

National Trails Day is a celebration of the wonderful variety of trails in Ireland, north and south, and provides an opportunity for everyone to enjoy some of our most beautiful countryside, forests, mountains and lakes.

Speaking after launching National Trails Day, jointly with her southern counterpart Eamonn O Cuiv in Dublin, the Minister said she was particularly pleased that the North’s Forest Service was taking part in the all-Ireland event.

The Minister added: “I welcome the National Trails Day being celebrated across the whole of Ireland and I hope that many families and groups will avail of the forests and trails that the North has to offer. We have many beautiful forests and scenic nature trails and I want to encourage as many people as possible to come out on 4 October and enjoy some of the best countryside in Europe.”

Forests in the North attract over two million visits annually and offer a wide variety of leisure activities. This year’s National Trails Day will include a range of events, from a Geopark nature walk in Lough Navar Forest in Co. Fermanagh, in partnership with Fermanagh District Council, to a Lakeside and Woodland Trail walk in Hillsborough Forest, hosted jointly with the RSPB. Other events will include family cycling and a guided red squirrel walk in Tollymore Forest Park. A full listing of events is on www.nationaltrailsday.ie and www.nationaltrailsday.co.uk.

With events right across the country, there is something for everyone, so lace up your boots and join us for a fun filled day on a trail near you!

Notes to Editors:

1. This year, National Trails Day will be an all-Ireland event. The North’s Forest Service will be participating, along with the South’s Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Coillte, National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and Failte Ireland.

2. All media enquiries should be directed to the DARD Press Office on 028 9052 4619. Out of office hours please contact the duty press officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.