Mary White (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the witnesses from both sides of the Border. I was born in Dundalk and had to leave it when I was about seven or eight. I never recovered from leaving it. I attended the conference on geotourism in Carlingford two weeks ago. It was fascinating.

There was a gentleman at the conference who had set up a housing village on the northern side and he was looking forward to getting the big cruisers that go into Belfast to come down to Warrenpoint and bring the tourists down into the Mourne-Cooley-Slieve Gullion area. I would like to hear more about the geotourism. It is not dissimilar to the point I made to Deputy Lawlor. The young people have an interest in the geology and archeology of the area. When we moved from Dundalk to Newbridge, County Kildare, there was very little known about why the Curragh had short grass or why they do not make more of the fen, which is unique.

I ask Mr. Malone to tell us more about the potential for tourism. To me the potential of tourism is related to the geology. When I was young, my grandmother used to bring me to visit people in the county home on a Saturday and to do voluntary work. Ms Carroll, who was in the Legion of Mary with my granny, used to bring us for a drive to the Long Woman's Grave and to the Cooley Mountains. I will never forget it. As a child, I found it very exciting. I felt a terrible loss when we moved to Newbridge, County Kildare.

Will Mr. Malone and Mr. Brady talk about geotourism, that is, the geoloogy and archaeology of a region? How do they propose to attract tourists to Warrenpoint?

I am totally supportive of the initiative because there is no place as beautiful as it. Every time I face north I am in good humour.