Blessingbourne Opens £500k Trails Extension

With an investment of over half a million pounds, Blessingbourne Estate in Fivemiletown has launched a further eight kilometres of mountain biking trails as well as a three kilometre walking route which will double the length of this popular trail network and raise the profile of Blessingbourne as one of Northern Ireland’s flagship outdoor recreation venues.

This Phase II development which includes a brand new visitor services building is expected to attract thousands of activity enthusiasts every year and further complement the evolution of purpose-built mountain bike venues across Northern Ireland. 

Speaking at the launch of these new trails, Cllr Sean Clarke, Vice Chairperson of the Local Action Group of South West Action for Rural Development explained, “The mountain biking trails at Blessingbourne Estate have been an unprecedented success since their initial launch in 2011. We are delighted to fund this development with a £392,000 investment from the Rural Development Programme which will increase the capacity of these superb mountain biking facilities as well as also offering purpose-built walking trails through previously undiscovered parts of this unique estate.”

Over the last two years, thousands have already enjoyed the family-friendly mountain bike trails at Blessingbourne Estate. With the Phase II extension offering a range of more technically challenging trails, Aine Kearney, Northern Ireland Tourist Board Director of Product Development believes that Blessingbourne now has something for everyone and is expecting this already popular trail centre to continue to grow from strength to strength.  

Ms Kearney explains, “Blessingbourne Estate was one of the first mountain biking venues to open in Northern Ireland. With new trail centres launched this year in Davagh Forest, Barnett Demesne, Castlewellan and Rostrevor, Northern Ireland is widely regarded as the next must visit mountain biking destination in the UK and Ireland. We are delighted to fund this Phase II development with £118,000 from our Tourism Development Scheme which will allow Blessingbourne Estate to sit proudly on the top tier of mountain biking facilities in Northern Ireland.”

This Phase II trails extension has been led by Outdoor Recreation Northern Ireland in partnership with Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council who will continue to undertake the management and maintenance of the trails.

Mayor of Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council, Cllr Sean McGuigan, explains, “Blessingbourne Estate is a great example of public and private sector partnerships working in harmony. The outcome of this successful partnership is a valuable asset both as a tourism product and as a resource for the local population. With visitor numbers already vastly exceeding expectations, this Phase II development at Blessingbourne is set to raise the bar even further.”

Alongside this extension of walking and mountain biking trails, Blessingbourne Estate has also opened additional luxury on-site accommodation and is welcoming activity enthusiasts with open arms. Estate Owner, Colleen Lowry, comments, “It has been such an exciting year for us which has been topped off with the launch of these new trails.”

Mrs Lowry explained, “Our mountain bike trails and pump track have always been a favourite with visiting families however with these new more demanding routes now on offer as well as a separate walking trail, we are looking forward to welcoming a whole range of new visitors to Blessingbourne Estate.”  

Visit MountainBikeNI.com/Blessingbourne for more information on the new Blessingbourne Mountain Bike Trails.