Author: florencecourt
NICS 3 Gortalughany
NI Colour Series 3 2023
Venue Gortalughany (what3words location link – factoring.either.revolts)
Date Saturday, 20 May 23
Starts 11:30 to 13:00
Directions:
From Enniskillen follow road signs for SLIGO (A4). After approx. 2 miles take a LEFT turn on to the (A32) towards Florencecourt and SWANLINBAR. Continue on the (A32) – past the turn to Florencecourt – then approx. a further 3 miles. Look for a turn to the RIGHT on to a minor road signposted GORTALUGHANY VIEWPOINT (‘O’ signs also).
This road winds uphill. It has steep zigzag bends towards the end just before reaching the car parking. This will be at the small viewpoint car park and along the roadside beyond it; please park closely and leave room for cars to exit back past you. All terrain adjacent to this road is OUT–OF–BOUNDS.
Entry details
- Online entry at SiEntries.
- Entries close on Sunday 14th May 2023.
- There won’t be a White course.
Entry Fees
- Senior Members (Age class 21 and over) £10 Non-members £12
- Junior / Student Members £5 Non-members £6
- Maximum charge for a family Members £25 Non-members £30
- If you are entering a family and it comes to more than £25 then please contact the organiser after you have paid for the individual Senior, or Junior/Student entries and we will arrange refund of the difference. Parents accompanying children go free.
- SI timing card hire is free but is charged at replacement cost £30 if lost.
Terrain notes:
This is a challenging area.It is open moorland with occasional areas of scrub woodland often where blanket bog meets limestone terrain. There are very few tracks but some fences which may prove helpful. It has good contour detail particularly depression features; some of these are entrances to very deep vertical potholes and cave systems. Very deep or less obvious ones are coloured purple and should be avoided.
Competitors are warned to take care crossing depression areas particularly were thick ground cover vegetation or scrub woodland limits visibility.
Conditions are expected to be generally wet underfoot with some ‘poached’ ground. Vegetation is generally runnable. There are small numbers of cattle and sheep on the terrain.
It should be obvious from the description above that this is not terrain for BEGINNERS! It will however offer a very suitable challenge, both physical and technical, for those who wish to IMPROVE.
Facilities
There are no toilets at Gortalughany.
Course Safety
Whistles will be compulsory; cags will be required in adverse weather; don’t forget to bring these. At this altitude misty conditions are not uncommon.
Registration
Not required if using own SI Card – proceed directly to start. Hire cards can be collected from the Organiser in the carpark.
Start
Start times are in 15min blocks with up to 6 runners on each colour in each start block. There will be no clothing transfer (hopefully the weather will be benign at this time of year!)
Provisional Course Details TBC
Map
1:10,000 with 5m contour intervals for courses Green, Blue and Brown. 1:7500 for Short Green, Light Green, Orange and Yellow. The map was professionally updated in late April 2022. Descriptions will be in text on the map for Yellow.
All loose descriptions will be IOF symbols.
Finish & Download
After finishing proceed to download in the carpark.
Provisional Course Details TBC
Planner: Philip McGoldrick
Controller: Damian Gribbin
Organiser: Raymond Finlay
Covid related guidelines
We will be following British Orienteering’s current Covid Guidelines and trust everyone will be using their common sense to ensure that all competitors are as safe as possible. Please adhere to the British Orienteering Participant Code of Conduct
Emerald Isle Fermanagh Sprint
Emerald Isle Fermanagh Sprint
Venue Florence Court National Trust
what3words location link –knees.manual.handsets
Date Wednesday 3rd May 2023
Starts 12:00 – 14:00
Event Description
Welcome to the National Trust property at Florence Court Co. Fermanagh. This splendid Georgian Mansion is set in extensive parkland surrounded by Florencecourt Forest. The event will take place around the Mansion buildings and its delightful pleasure and walled gardens. This venue was used for the Irish Sprint Championships in 2019.
Facilities
Toilets are in the courtyard, 150m from parking. Signed and taped. No dob spikes or very muddy shoes please!
The property offers House Tours (bookable in advance directly with National Trust). There is a café in the courtyard.
Entry details
- Online entry at SiEntries from Sunday 5th March.
- Entries close Tuesday 18th April at 22:00.
Entry Fees
(These include a Parking charge – NT members are eligible for a refund of this parking charge; see organiser at Assembly)
- Senior Members (Age class 21 and over) £8 Non-members £10
- Junior / Student Members £4 Non-members £5
- Maximum charge for a family Members £20 Non-members £25
- If you are entering a family and it comes to more than the above price then please contact the organiser for a refund of the difference. Parents accompanying children go free.
- SI timing card hire is free but is charged at replacement cost £30 if lost.
Parking
At the entry kiosk inform the NT official that you are attending the orienteering event. Then follow orienteering signs up the main avenue and past the mansion house to parking.
Terrain Notes
This area is crossed by a network of access roads and walking paths; many are wheelchair accessible; a little hilly, the gradients are generally not steep. It is fast running terrain though some route choices through woodland may encounter small areas of windblow, brashings and low bramble.
A number of areas are mapped as olive green. Competitors MUST stay on the paths which pass through them. Access roads in particular are edged by hedges, some only beginning to mature. However, they are mapped with the dark green, ‘Impassable hedge’ symbol. Only mapped gaps or light green sections may be crossed.
Course Safety
Underfoot grass areas and embankments may prove slippery particularly after wet weather; courtyards are cobbled which can also be slippery.
Registration
Not required if using own SI Card – proceed directly to start. Hire cards can be collected from the Organiser in the carpark.
Start
The Start (50m) will be close to the parking area but the Finish will require a walk back of about 450m. This is a low-key event so there are no ‘out-of-bounds’ competition areas – early finishers may want to visit the House or other sights; only fleetingly glimpsed earlier! Competitors can start at 1 minute intervals on each course. Start times will not be allocated in advance.
Map
1:4000 drawn to ISSOM 2007 standards.
Finish
After finishing don’t forget to download.
Course Details
| Course | Length km | Height |
| Long | 2.8 | 45 |
| Medium | 2.24 | 40 |
| Short | 1.42 | 20 |
Planner: Robbie Bryson
Controller: Raymond Finlay
Organiser: Teresa Finlay
Fermanagh Orienteers 