Nature-lovers urged to visit their local bog this bank holiday weekend!
Ireland is becoming 'more accessible' and opening bogs up to the public - plus, you don't need your wellies anymore!
Ever find yourself at a loss of where to visit or what to do on a Sunday drive?
Often referred to as Ireland’s answer to rainforests, a nearby bog could be the answer to your next weekend expedition this long weekend.
Hosting a range of wildlife and plant species, these peat-filled landscapes hold more treasures than one might expect.
If you’re looking for a free nature experience, most bogs have boardwalks and paths which allow walkers and visitors to ponder.
“Bogs are becoming more accessible and it is one of the things changing in Ireland,” said Nuala Madigan, CEO at the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council.
“You don’t need your wellies anymore, they have got boardwalks on most of them and when you go to a bog, it’s not about just darting around - take your time, stop, listen and watch.”
We have two types of bogs in Ireland - a blanket bog and a raised bog. Raised bogs date back 10,000 years ago to the end of the last ice age.
Describing the bogs as our “living history books”, the bogs conditions change with the seasons and treasures from the past may be hidden too deep to find.
“When you go to a bog this time of year, it’s not a woodland - you’re not going to be met with beautiful suedes of lovely flowers, you have to look small and look out for the different colours,” said Éanna Ní Lamhna, wildlife expert and author of Wonders of the Wild.
“It’s a slow and careful experience, it’s not for ‘Mr Rushy’ galloping around the boardwalk to be in and out in five minutes - take your hour, watch and listen, and there will be loads of things you will see that you won’t get anywhere else, only the bog.”
A popular one with tourists is the Abbeyleix bog, located in Co Laois. A successful community project saw locals restore the bog area and build a boardwalk for visitors to be able to walk out into the middle of the swamped peatland and enjoy the natural beauty.
Another is that of Fenor Bog, located in the small village of Fenor, Co Waterford. The bog lies in a depression overlooked by Ballyscanlon Hill, which rises to 148m.
Griston bog, lying just outside of Ballylanders in Co Limerick, is another family-friendly bog to visit as it plays host to a multitude of fauna and flora as well as bees and other insects.
In the west, there is a bog in Mountbellew, Co Galway named Carrownagappul - known as ‘the living bog’. It is one of the largest examples of remaining, restorable active raised bogs in Ireland.