Category: Press Release

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Colin Glen Records Most Successful Summer Ever

The West Belfast outdoor adventure park has experienced record visitor numbers in July and August, alongside the launch of its new world-class attractions. 

Colin Glen has enjoyed its most successful summer ever this year, with record visitor numbers in July and August, alongside the launch of two world-class attractions at the new Mountain Entrance, including Ireland’s first alpine coaster – the Black Bull Run. 

The West Belfast community trust has seen over 110,000 visitors using Colin Glen’s Forest and Leisure facilities over the summer break, 20% of which came from the Republic of Ireland, with the July heatwave and opening of the Black Bull Run and a new 250m Forest Flyover zipline contributing to an increased footfall across the 200-acre park. 

The world-class attractions were in high demand over the school holidays, seeing almost 45,000 Black Bull Runs and 9,500 ziplines completed at the new Mountain Entrance since opening in early July. 

Colin Glen’s state-of-the-art leisure facilities on Black’s Road also saw more people taking advantage of the outdoor facilities, with almost 800 football games played on the outdoor and 3G pitches in two months and over 390,000 golf balls hit at the TopTracer driving range.  

Colin Glen’s Chief Executive Officer, Colin O’Neill comments: 

It’s fantastic to see Colin Glen Trust thriving. Having welcomed Ireland’s first alpine coaster, the Black Bull Run, and a 250m Forest Flyover zipline earlier this summer as part of our upcoming redevelopment plans, we’ve seen lots of new visitors coming to the forest park to experience a new giant adventure at the heart of the Belfast Hills.

The busy summer period also saw Colin Glen welcome 150 community groups to the park, as part of the Trust’s ongoing community engagement efforts. Colin O’Neill continues,

Colin Glen has proven to be a vital, safe resource for the local community throughout the pandemic, and with increased visitors and bookings for our world-class attractions, we have been able to ensure the conservation of this unique and cherished forest park. We’ve also been able to create 30 new jobs across the park this summer and support our local economy as the whole tourism sector gets back on its feet. 

Following on from the initial success of the Black Bull Run and Forest Flyover, and as part of Colin Glen’s wider redevelopment plans to create a new global tourism hub in Belfast, the park is also preparing for the opening of Ireland’s longest zipline, River Rapid in the coming months, along with the redevelopment of existing leisure facilities. The continued expansion of the park will also bolster new recruitment drives and local employment opportunities for the winter season ahead. 

The new attractions are part of a multi-million-pound investment project, supported by Belfast City Council’s Belfast Investment Fund, DAERA’s Rural Tourism, DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme and the Department for Communities.  

Chief Executive of Visit Belfast, Gerry Lennon commented, 

Belfast’s regeneration and revitalisation in recent years has been attributable to our increasingly innovative and dynamic tourism experiences. 

In developing these world-class and ‘Ireland’s first’ visitor experiences, Colin Glen epitomises the resilience and creativity Belfast’s tourism and hospitality sectors are renowned for and importantly positions Belfast competitively as we work to rebuild tourism to the pre-pandemic levels of success.  

Investment in new attractions, as well as developing exciting new additions to the city’s well established attractions, is a key contributor to tourism recovery – Colin Glen’s vision to become Ireland’s leading Adventure Park will help us reach new visitors and markets and will actively encourage repeat day and overnight visits time and time again.  After such a hard year for the tourism sector, it’s great to see record numbers at Colin Glen taking advantage of the wide range of activities on offer and enjoying a great outdoor city adventure.  This development is an excellent example of where tourism success can contribute not just economically but societally and environmentally – so well done to all the team at Colin Glen. 

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New World Class Attractions Open To The Public At Colin Glen

The Black Bull Run, Ireland’s first alpine coaster and the Forest Flyover, a 250m zipline over the Belfast Hills, officially open to the public on Wednesday 7th July. 

Marking the beginning of the summer holidays, Colin Glen has announced that the Forest Park’s newest, world class attractions are officially open to the public on Wednesday 7th July. 

The two new experiences include the hotly anticipated Black Bull Run, Ireland’s first and only alpine coaster, where thrill-seekers can experience an adrenaline-pumping woodland course, zooming through the Colin Glen Forest at up to 40km per hour and experiencing the outdoors like never before. 

The Forest Flyover also opens, offering an all-new 250m zipline where visitors can experience speeds up to 35mph as they skim the treetops of the Belfast Hills. Later this summer, Colin Glen will also launch Ireland’s longest zipline, River Rapid, featuring a 700m zipline with a 100ft high take-off offering views of Belfast and beyond as you zip across the Colin River. Once launched, the Forest Flyover and River Rapid will offer visitors a thrilling dual zipline experience at the forest park.  

The new attractions are part of a multi-million-pound investment project, supported by Belfast City Council’s Belfast Investment Fund, DAERA’s Rural Tourism, DAERA’s Tackling Rural Poverty and Social Isolation (TRPSI) Programme and the Department for Communities. The investment is part of the organisation’s wider plans to continue developing a world class outdoor adventure park in the heart of Belfast, including the introduction of new a Landy Train for in-park transportation and crowd management, along with plans for an outdoor café, new visitor centre and accommodation facilities.  

Councillor Áine Groogan, Chair of Belfast City Council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, said: 

I’m delighted to see these amazing new visitor attractions at Colin Glen opening to the public. The Council has invested £2.5 million in the facilities through our Belfast Investment Fund, and this was instrumental in getting the project off the ground. This support helped secure over £2.5 million of additional funding from our partners in DAERA and the Department for Communities, allowing the ambitious project to proceed.  

This investment will completely transform the forest park into a thriving, world class visitor attraction which will be a major boost for the surrounding area. It will contribute to many of the objectives outlined in The Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan, in terms of regenerating our neighbourhoods, creating jobs and boosting our tourism offering.

Rural Affairs Minister, Edwin Poots said: 

I recognise the importance of tourism for our rural communities and the economy so I am delighted that we have invested £1m from our Rural Tourism Scheme into both Ireland’s first Alpine Coaster and also the longest zipline. The creation of a visitor experience in the Belfast Hills not only showcases the natural landscape but can offer long term sustainability and growth for rural tourism in Northern Ireland. 

The additional £437,000 from the TRPSI Programme has significantly developed Colin Glen Forest Park into a hub for recreational and social activity. Parks, green spaces, forests and trails do not merely draw visitors to a place; their presence increases the quality of life for residents and in many cases, creates a sense of community and belonging. 

I wish Colin Glen Trust every success going forward and I look forward to visiting the attractions, once the longest zipline has been completed later in the summer.

Communities Minister, Deirdre Hargey said: 

Through working in collaboration with a number of partners Colin Glen Forest Park has developed into a world class innovative attraction in West Belfast for everyone to enjoy.  This new facility will provide opportunities for a wide range of citizens to participate and engage in educational, social and leisure activities, enabling them to live more active and healthy lives.  I’m delighted to see that the investment in this state-of-the art project meets the objectives of our People and Place Strategy – to invest in neighbourhoods, to develop confident communities and to improve quality of life for all. 

Announcing the launch, Colin Glen Chief Executive, Colin O’Neill commented: 

The whole team here at Colin Glen is thrilled to welcome everyone to the Forest Park to experience our new attractions. The Black Bull Run and Forest Flyover mark a very exciting time for Colin Glen as we aim to create a unique giant adventure for all and become the ultimate staycation destination this summer. 

It’s been a very difficult year for the whole tourism sector, and with our new attractions, we’re very pleased to be able to create new jobs and help our local community to flourish, all while protecting the 200-acre Park that remained a vital resource for so many during lockdown.

Book the Black Bull Run
Book the Forest Flyover Zipline
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Colin Glen Forest Park Creating A Further 12 New Jobs

The announcement follows the recruitment of 20 new hires earlier this year in anticipation for the launch of the Forest Park’s new world class attractions 

Ireland’s leading outdoor adventure park, Colin Glen has announced plans to hire a further 10 new Outdoor Activity Instructors, a Landy Train driver and a Customer Liaison Officer as it prepares for a busy summer and the launch of Ireland’s first Alpine coaster, the Black Bull Run, and River Rapid, Ireland’s longest zipline. 

The positions follow an initial local recruitment drive that took place earlier this year, bringing the Park’s total number of new hires this year to 30 staff. All new staff members will undergo training to look after visitors as they explore Colin Glen, in compliance with COVID-19 safety regulations and in keeping with the Forest Park’s “Good to Go” certification. 

Colin Glen Operations Manager, Kieran Kelly comments: 

The Colin Glen team is getting ready for our busiest and best summer yet! With the launch of our brand new world-class attractions and families across the island of Ireland planning their staycation getaways, our increased staff numbers will ensure we are operating efficiently and most importantly, safely, as we welcome all of our visitors back to the Forest Park over the next few months.

Colin Glen has recently undergone a £5 million investment project which includes the construction of Ireland’s first Alpine Coaster and Ireland’s longest Zipline, supported by Belfast City Council’s Belfast Investment Fund, DAERA Rural Tourism, DAERA TRPSI Rural Affairs and the Department for Communities. The world-class attractions are set to open to the public this summer and are part of Colin Glen’s wider redevelopment plans to create a new global tourism hub in Belfast. 

Interested? Colin Glen is still recruiting for a Landy Train Driver and Customer Liaison Officer

Apply now!

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Colin Glen Forest Park To Create 20 New Jobs

The new roles were recently announced ahead of the anticipated re-opening of all outdoor visitor attractions this month 

As restrictions ease across Northern Ireland, Colin Glen Trust has recently announced the creation of 20 new job roles at our Forest Park in West Belfast.  

The jobs, which are part-time Outdoor Activity Instructor positions, will see Colin Glen preparing for a busy summer season as we gear up for outdoor visitor attractions to be reopened later this month. All new staff will be trained to look after visitors as they explore the parks, in compliance with COVID-19 safety regulations. 

Speaking about the new job opportunities, Chief Executive, Colin O’Neill said: 

We’ve always been committed to creating local jobs and training opportunities, and we’re very pleased to be in a position to hire more staff as we look forward to the reopening of our local tourism economy. This summer will see lots of families planning staycation getaways, and with increased staff and great new attractions, we’re very excited to safely welcome everyone back to Colin Glen.

Colin O’Neill

To read more about our recent new hires, check out The Irish News. 

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New Landy Train arrives at Colin Glen Forest Park

Land Train Colin Glen

Ahead of new world class attractions coming to Colin Glen Forest Park summer 2021 (subject to government guidelines), Colin Glen has announced the introduction of a new land train to service journeys through the 200-acre Forest Park.

The land trains, which were previously meant to carry sightseers from the Stonehenge Visitor Centre to the monument itself, have now landed at Colin Glen and will begin to carry passengers this summer.

Each carriage seats 20 people and will be used to transport visitors between multiple attractions and significant sites along the way. Colin Glen will also be installing new signage throughout the 200-acre Forest Park, to include maps and storyboards in order to direct people safely and easily through the Park.

Later this year, Colin Glen also hope to launch new history and heritage tours through the Park and will revolutionise its product offering by providing headsets so that people can learn more about Colin Glen and its surrounding areas, whilst they travel.

Chief Executive, Colin O’Neill commented:

We expect to see thousands of visitors from all across Ireland and beyond, coming to the park over the coming months and years to experience all that we have to offer.

We wanted to offer a comfortable mode of transport and as an environmental organisation, it was also imperative that we sourced transport with low environmental impact.

The new land trains offer the perfect solution and it is also nice to have a link with one of the wonders of the world in Stonehenge, another hugely significant heritage site.

Find out all about the new world class attractions coming to Colin Glen this summer >>>

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Local school children to name Ireland’s first Alpine Coaster

Ireland’s leading outdoor adventure park, Colin Glen, is calling on local schools to name Ireland’s first alpine coaster and longest zipline ahead of launch.

As anticipation builds for the Summer ahead, Ireland’s leading outdoor adventure park, Colin Glen has launched a school’s competition to name its three newest attractions.

Ireland's first alpine coaster

The West Belfast community trust is calling on school children across the North to submit their ideas for naming Ireland’s first alpine coaster and Ireland’s longest zipline ahead of their official opening in May 2021 (subject to government restrictions). The prize? A free day of adventure at Colin Glen for their whole class!

The competition, #ColinAllCreatives, challenges primary school children (P4 to P7) to name the pioneering coaster with secondary school students (Years 8 to 10) set to tackle the park’s two new ziplines.

As Ireland’s first and only alpine coaster, this adrenaline-pumping woodland course will see visitors zooming through the dense woods of Colin Glen forest at 25 miles per hour, twisting and turning through tunnels and trees to experience the outdoors like never before!

The all new 235m and 700m ziplines at Colin Glen will also offer thrill-seekers the unique chance to skim the treetops as they soar above the Belfast skyline at speeds of up to 55mph.

Announcing the competition today, Colin Glen Chief Executive, Colin O’Neill says, 

We offer adventures for all, and we want our world-class attractions to be shared by everyone, right down to their names! That’s where our local schools come in, and we can’t wait to read everyone’s creative entries.

Think you’ve got a winning name for the all new Colin Glen attractions? To be in with a chance to win a day out for you and your classmates, ENTER NOW and follow the instructions to submit your #ColinAllCreatives entry. The competition closes on Tuesday 23rd March, with the winners announced week commencing 29th March on Colin Glen’s digital channels.

The project has been supported by Belfast City Council’s Belfast Investment Fund, DAERA Rural Tourism, DAERA TRPSI Rural Affairs and the Department for Communities. 

Competition Terms & Conditions

The #ColinAllCreatives competition is open to primary school children (P4 to P7) and secondary school children (Years 8 to 10). Entries can be submitted by individuals or by teachers on behalf of a class. Entrants must include the name and contact details of their school in order to verify entry.

The winner will visit Colin Glen with their entire class when attractions open again – Winners can visit Colin Glen as a class late 2021/early 2022, subject to COVID 19 restrictions.

The competition closes on Tuesday 23rd March, with the winners announced week commencing 29th March on Colin Glen’s digital channels.

ENTER COMPETITION NOW!!