Thursday 30th July 2009: NATIONAL TRAILS DAY is happening this year on Sunday 4th October. It is a celebration of Ireland’s wonderful variety of trails and a chance for everyone to enjoy some of our most beautiful countryside, forests, mountains and lakes and we are calling on people to get involved and organise an event.

This year we are also delighted to announce that National Trails Day will be an all-island event as we welcome the Northern Ireland Forest Service and Northern Ireland Tourist Board as sponsors, along with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Coillte, the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and Fáilte Ireland.

National Trails Day 2008 was very successful, with about 70 events held across the country. Last year we had "bat walks", mountain bike cycles, family orienteering, "Leave No Trace" hikes, trail conservation work, heritage walks and just plain walking! This year we hope that we can do even more interesting and exciting things on a trail, be it on land or water.

The partners in National Trails Day are putting the call out now for people to organise a trail event. A media campaign will begin in September to promote awareness of all the events and to encourage people to take part.

For more information on how to get involved visit www.nationaltrailsday.ie

ENDS.

For more information

Daithi de Forge,
Project Manager,
National Trails Day
Tel: 086-2058873