The very popular Copper Coast Geopark Christmas Fair returns with a selection of local Food and Craft stalls offering high quality gifts and home baking.

So join us in Bunmahon for a browse and shop, tea and a home made bun, a chat and a laugh to get Christmas going.

Saturday and Sunday December 7th and 8th, 11am to 4.30pm.

Admission is free!

The Copper Coast Café will be open both days.

Create your very own fun Christmas fashion, up-cycling a pre-loved T-shirt / Sweat-shirt with artist & designer Orlaith Hamersley and Living History & Textile expert Katherine Walsh.
During this workshop you can learn basic embroidery stitches and the use of an embroidery hoop, learn how to make pom-pom & tassels, basic applique, learn how to attach beads and sequins, or how to affectively use fabric glue and iron-on webbing.
We will have plenty of examples and suggestions on the day to give you inspiration!
Date :- November 16th
Time :- 2pm to 4pm
Location :- Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre Bunmahon
Booking :- Contact Orlaith at hamersleyart@gmail.com
Cost :   €10  –  This include the use of basic equipment, embellishments, yarn, fabric and glue.
Please bring :- A pre-loved t-shirt or sweatshirt. (bring some broken beaded jewellery and lace & ribbon scraps if you want)

To comply with child safeguarding children must be accompanied by a responsible adult

The Copper Coast is not just for summer it’s a hive of activity over the winter too, don’t take our word for it come and see for yourself!

Six word story & design a book cover challenge
https://www.facebook.com/events/962987970712960/?ti=cl

Kids Variety Showcase
https://www.facebook.com/events/2286290164994498/?ti=as

Copper Coast Geopark Book Fair
https://www.facebook.com/events/639032179883313/?ti=as

Copper Coast Geopark Christmas Fair
https://www.facebook.com/events/258269445121829/?ti=as

The Visitor Centre will be opening at 9.30 a.m. all Fridays for the rest of September! To encourage local people to pop in after the school run we have some special community cafe prices!

Here are details of upcoming events:-

Saturday Sept. 28th 1 p.m. – Craft like your great-grandparents ….. a near zero waste Craft Workshop at the Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre.
https://www.facebook.com/events/1611974635605788/?ti=as

Sunday Oct 6th 2 p.m. – Victorian Steampunk Tea Party at the Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre.
https://www.facebook.com/events/2007281476243101/?ti=as

Our annual Book Fair will take place on November 3rd and the Christmas Fair on December 7th and 8th. More details will be announced soon.

AUG 21st 11 am – Geopark Visitor Centre Open Day
Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre
https://www.facebook.com/events/2063851410585955/

AUG 21st 7.30 pm – Geological Walk Through Time
Bunmahon Beach, Car Park (West Car Park)
https://www.facebook.com/events/1226135827569360/

AUG 23rd 11.30 am – Kilfarrasy Geology Workshop
Kilfarrasy Beach
https://www.facebook.com/events/376276729697364/

AUG 24th 11 am – How did Viking Age Women spend their time?
Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre
https://www.facebook.com/events/2497740077128585/

SEP 28th 1 pm – Craft like your great-grandparents – near zero waste craft
Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre
https://www.facebook.com/events/1611974635605788/

OCT 6th 2 pm – Victorian Steampunk Tea Party
Copper Coast Geopark Visitor Centre
https://www.facebook.com/events/2007281476243101/

Our annual Book Fair will take place on November 3rd and the Christmas Fair on December 7th and 8th.   More details will be announced soon.

National Heritage Week runs from 17th to 25th August this year.

These are the events happening on the Copper Coast!

As well as taking in the cultural and historic sites of the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark, there is much more to explore. Whether Surfing or Sandart, Seaweed or Cycling, some really interesting activities take place with trained Geopark ambassadors right here within the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark.

Surf the Copper Coast:

With a large variety of beaches and coves the Copper Coast Geopark is an ideal spot for the keen surfer. Bunmahon beach is also a great place to learn to surf, with gently sloping and breaking waves – particularly in summer.

Book lessons and rentals for all levels on Bunmahon Beach with Bunmahon Surf School

Cycle the Copper Coast

With long, quiet and winding roads roads, the Copper Coast Geopark is a great place for cycling. Whether at blazing speeds or slowing meandering, the Geopark has a wealth of information and sites to discover.

Take a cycle tour of the Copper Coast Global Geopark with Tramore Bike Tours.

Or rent bikes and explore Waterford Greenway with The Greenway Man.

Book a Seaweed forage

Seaweed is a fascinating plant and culinary delicacy. The pristine waters and craggy shores of the Copper Coast make a perfect place to learn, and taste, the huge variety of seaweeds that can be found along Irish Shores.

Book a sea weed workshop or forage with Marie Power of the Sea gardener.

Make Sand Art

Sand Art is a cool collaborative way to interact with nature. By making environmental art that disappears with the tide but is remembered forever with a photograph, a sand art workshop can be a really special way to experience the Copper Coast Geopark.

Book a private or group workshop with the Art Hand, to learn how to do this unique and memorable skill.

We are delighted to welcome eight new  Geoparks into the Global Network.

The newly designated sites are:

Kütralkura, Chile  http://geachile.sernageomin.cl/en/geopark-kutralkura/geopark-kutralkura.html

The Kütralkura UNESCO Global Geopark, which in the language of the Mapuche people means stone (kura) and fire (kütral), or firestone, is characterized by some of the world’s most active volcanism. It is situated 700 km south of Santiago and reaches the border of Argentina to the east. It encompasses the municipalities of Curacautín, Vilcún, Lonquimay, and Melipeuco, settled by their indigenous inhabitants two millennia ago. Its iconic peaks are mostly active volcanoes such as Llaima, Lonquimay, Tolhuaca, and Nevados de Sollipulli, as well as an extinct volcano, the Sierra Nevada. The thick ice masses that once partially covered the territory, have been shrinking for the past 20,000 years.

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Jiuhuashan, China  http://english.tzsgy.com/Home.html

The UNESCO Global Geopark of Jiuhuashan, which translates to “Nine Glorious Mountains”, is located in the Qingyang County of China’s Anhui province. Four of them are crowned by sacred Buddhist temples, some dating back to the fifth century CE, on their peaks. Beyond their religious, historical and cultural significance, these mountains also provide a major source of the fresh water that feeds the Yangtze River system. Jiuhuashan’s unique and favourable geological conditions have contributed to the flourishing of the region’s biodiversity and cultural traditions. In 2016, the natural landscape of this area and its religious sites attracted 9.9 million visitors, a major economic contribution to local communities.

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Yimengshan, China   http://www.ymsdzgy.com/en/

The Yimengshan UNESCO Global Geopark is located on the eastern coast of China, near Jinan City, the capital of Shandong Province. The site is home to one of Asia’s largest kimberlite-type diamond mines, the first primary diamonds discovered in China. The landscape is dotted with Daigu, castle-shaped land formations, as well as multiple sites of cultural heritage, including the Zhou dynasty Wanshou Palace, the Xialou Pavillion where Confucius is believed to have once visited, the 1,500 year old Marshal tree, the Menglianggu Battle Monument, and several renowned temples.

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Vis Archipelago, Croatia   https://geopark-vis.com/en/

The Vis Archipelago UNESCO Global Geopark is located off the coast of Croatia, formed by some of the oldest rock in the Adriatic Sea. The northeastern region of the archipelago features large sand deposits formed by fierce winds in the Ice Age, which also created several unique caves and land formations. Before the sudden rise of the sea level around 12,000 years ago, these islands were much larger and extended more than 20 miles. In this extended area, called the Mala Palagruža, archaeologists discovered flint quarries that served for the production of early tools, believed to have been made by the islands’ first inhabitants up to 8,000 years ago. Some of the most famous sites on this Archipelago are the Blue Cave (Modra špilja) and the Monk Seal Cave (Medvidina špilja).

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Imbabura, Ecuador  http://www.vivecuador.com/html2/eng/imbabura_en.htm

The Imbabura UNESCO Global Geopark is located in the northern inter-Andean region, in the Republic of Ecuador. It is known for its great multitude of lakes and magnificent geological formations, such as the Peguche Waterfalls. The highest summit is of this Geopark, the 4,939 metre high Cotacachi Volcano, is located within the Cotacachi Cayapas Ecological Reserve. The provincial capital, Ibarra, also known as the “White City,” encompasses indigenous villages and colonial towns attracting thousands of visitors every year. This area is currently inhabited by different ethnic groups, among them the Caranqui, the Cayambis, the Otavalos, the Zuletas, the Natabuelas, the Montubio, the Afro and the Awa.

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Trollfjell, Norway   http://www.trollfjellgeopark.no/index.php/en/

The Trollfjell UNESCO Global Geopark is an area with unique characteristics shaped by a long history of human habitation. While some of this area’s bedrock is poor in nutrients, resulting in barren stretches, others are fertile supporting lush vegetation and considerable biodiversity. Naturally occurring soapstone has been exploited locally since the Iron Age, to make utensils ranging from pots to fishing weights. Archaeologists have discovered soapstone quarries dating back to Viking period, which in the 12th and 13th supplied stones used to build churches. Passages in Trollfjell’s Solsem Cave feature prehistoric rock engravings of dancing stick figures, dating back thousands of years.

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Colca y Volcanes de Andagua, Peru   http://www.geoparquecolcayvolcanesdeandagua.com/geoparque-colca-y-volcanes-de-andagua/

The Colca y Volcanes de Andagua UNESCO Global Geopark, in the Southern Peruvian Andes, boasts a vast array of volcanic landscapes, lakes, geological faults, pre-Hispanic ruins and colonial churches. Formed 400 million years ago, the landscape features the great Colca Canyon, one of the largest and deepest in the world. The landscape of the Geopark, one of the few areas in the world with a multitude of volcanic cones, has been carved by rivers of lava and melting glaciers. This majestic scenery is known as Valley of Volcanos Andagua, extending between the Colca Canyon-Ayo, Chachas-Andagua and Orcopampa.  Most of the inhabitants of these territories belong to pre-Hispanic cultures, heirs to rich customs, festivals and dances, many of which connect them to their unique, volcanic-tectonic territory with its hot springs and highly arable soils.

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Courel Mountains, Spain

In the northwest region of Spain, the Courel Mountains UNESCO Global Geopark is home to a variety of Galician communities living in what remains of small medieval villages and monasteries. The territory’s deep valleys and canyons have been formed by erosion. The remarkable aspect of its mountains is impacted by mining, reflecting the relationship between humans and the mineral resources of the region’s Paleozoic rocks, which separate the peninsular interior from the Atlantic facade. Between the first and second century CE, the Roman Empire is believed to have operated dozens of gold mines in this region, extracting Paleozoic primary gold associated with the erosion product of gold-bearing quartz dykes and concentration of their deposits. Remnants of pre-historic fauna and flora, as well as Neolithic paintings, can also be found well-preserved within the deep caves of the mountains.

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