History of Gortin Glen Forest Park
Until the end of the sixteenth century Gortin Glen was covered by a native forest of oak, birch, hazel and rowan. Remnants of this ancient forest can be seen in Boorin Wood outside Gortin village. During the seventeenth century, like many parts of Ireland, the forest was cleared to create agricultural land.
In the seventeenth century Gortin Glens was part of the land owned by the Cole-Hamilton family however little is known about it until it was owned by the Black family. Originally from Dublin they built Lislap house in the 1800s which was later used as a youth hostel. They also extensively landscaped the area and planted a number of tree species, although a severe gale in 1927 destroyed many of these.
The estate was then managed by another Dublin family called Falls. They carried out extensive landscaping in the area of Lislap house in 1911 and also erected the 'Rest and be Thankful' stone on the Omagh Gortin road (B48). However in 1922 a fire damaged large areas of Lislap house.
John Collins, from Scotland, bought the estate in 1928 and sold it to the Ministry of Agriculture in 1937. Most of the area was devoid of trees so a major replanting programme was started. Sitka spruce was the most common species planted but there was also European larch, Norway spruce, contorta pine and broad-leaved species of beech and sycamore. A large fire in 1946 destroyed 200 acres of forest but it was quickly replanted.
The Forest Park was created in the 1960s by two foresters, Bill Dallas and Jack Devenney. It was the first coniferous Forest Park in the country and was officially opened by the Prime Minister, Captain Terence O'Neil in July 1967. Facilities included a café, toilets, classroom, wildfowl enclosure, nature trails and scenic drive. It was awarded the Best Tourist Attraction in Northern Ireland Award in 1967.
Visitor numbers far exceeded expectations. On the Sunday after it opened 400 people walked the nature trail and 12000 cars visited it in its first year. This led to the development of a further two car parks. Other developments included the creation of a deer enclosure after an orphan sika deer calve attracted enormous attention when it was in the wildfowl enclosure. Red squirrels were also introduced from nearby Baronscourt (six red squirrels were released in the main car park on 5
th March 1966).
Gortin Glen Forest Park is still a popular forest, especially with school groups although the high visitor numbers of the Sixties have not been sustained. Never-the-less history has enhanced a naturally beautiful area that still attracts many visitors.
