ANNUAL IAH (IRISH GROUP) FIELD TRIP 2025
  1. Annual IAH (Irish Group) Field Trip – Preliminary Details 18 & 19 October 2025

This year the Annual IAH (Irish Group) Field Trip will focus primarily on two separate (but connected!) projects: The Lough Carra LIFE Project and the Joyce Country & Western Lakes Geopark Project. To whet the appetite, please see some preliminary details below.

Saturday 18 August

On the Saturday, we will travel to Co. Mayo where we will be hosted for the day by the Lough Carra LIFE project team.

Over the course of the day, we will be introduced to the Lough Carra LIFE project, and the aims, goals and objectives set out to mitigate against deteriorating water quality in the lake. Throughout the day, we will see some excellent examples of karst limestone while we explore the groundwater investigation work which has been ongoing in the catchment and touch on a broad suite of topics including nutrient loading and mitigation; dye tracing; hydrochemistry; and integrated source protection plans.

For further info re. Lough Carra, please see some great free resources below:

We will continue on to seek rest and relaxation in Castlebar where we will be basing ourselves in The Ellison Hotel. Further details below.

Sunday 19 August

On Sunday morning, we will journey further into the heart of the Joyce Country, an aspiring UNESCO Global Geopark. Here, the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark Project will introduce us to the project and bring us to a number of choice sites. This builds nicely upon the Lough Carra focussed day, which forms part of the Western Lakes complex.

For further info., resources, interactive maps and lots more, please feel free to visit the Joyce Country & Western Lakes Geopark Project website.

The finalised itinerary and logistics will be circulated in the coming weeks.

Accommodation & Meal

The Ellison Hotel has offered IAH fieldtrip rates as per below:

Dinner + B&B:

Single room B&B plus a 2-course dinner €180
Double/Twin B&B plus a 2-course dinner €110pps (Total €220)

Single room B&B plus a 3-course dinner €199
Double/Twin B&B plus a 3-course dinner €125pps (Total €250)

Dinner only:

2-course dinner €35pp
3-course dinner €40pp

Please contact the front desk at The Ellison Hotel to reserve rooms. Please quote “#164660” in your booking to avail of the tour discount.

  1. Phone: (094) 928 6200
  2. Email: info@theellisonhotel.ie

**Please note you are responsible for booking of your own accommodation. Book early to avoid disappointment.  The hotel is holding a number of rooms for us.**

Other accommodation (including B&Bs and hostels) is available nearby.

Attendance

The estimated charge to attendees will be confirmed shortly. We will strive for this to be in line with previous years.

If you are considering attending this year’s fieldtrip, please notify the fieldtrip secretary (Joe Greene, fieldtrip@iah-ireland.org) as soon as possible, indicating if you:

  1. Are attending? (one or both days)
  2. Wish to travel on bus from Dublin or will be joining us in Co. Mayo? Logistics to be confirmed shortly but, as always, we encourage Fieldtrippers to avail of the bus for the duration of the fieldtrip if at all possible.
  3. Wish to stay in the group hotel?
  4. Wish to attend the group evening meal?

Fieldtrip guides from previous years are available here: