raised bog
Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation (ombro ...
north-west of
Daingean
Daingean (; or ), formerly Philipstown, named after King Philip II of Spain (then King of Ireland by ), is a small town in east County Offaly, Ireland. It is situated midway between the towns of Tullamore and Edenderry on the R402 regiona ...
,
County Offaly
County Offaly (; ) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster. It is named after the Ancient Ireland, ancient Kingdom of Uí ...
, in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
. Since the 1980s the greater part of the bog has been maintained as a 162 hectare Nature Reserve, which is currently managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A
Special Area of Conservation
A special area of conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
covers 182 ha, including some land in private ownership.
History
Since the last Ice Age, Raheenmore Bog has developed in a small basin in the catchment of two major river systems, the
Brosna and the Boyne. With a depth of 15 meters it forms the deepest raised bog known in Ireland.
The bog was purchased in 1970 by
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna (; English: "The Peat Board") is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company began developing the peatlands of Ireland with the aim to provide economic benefit for Irish Midland co ...
to mark European Conservation Year. It was later donated to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.
It was designated a
Ramsar Site
A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O)
*** Permanent 8 ha (P)
*** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts)
**
Clara Bog
Clara Bog is one of the largest relatively intact raised bogs remaining in Ireland. It lies southeast of the R436 regional road between the village of Ballycumber and the town of Clara, in County Offaly.
Much of the bog is state-owned and m ...
, another raised bog in County Offaly, Raheenmore bog has been twinned with Bargerveen, a Dutch Ramsar Site which required restoration after peat digging was stopped in the 1990s. Active management has been undertaken at Raheenmore because hydrological investigation showed that the bog was drying out. Peat dams were built to stop water loss. The progress of this is being monitored for the possibility of using it on other conservation projects.
After Ireland adopted the
Habitats Directive
The Habitats Directive (more formally known as Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) is a directive adopted by the European Community in 1992 as a response to the Berne Convention. The ...
in 1997 Raheenmore was designated a Special Area of Conservation.
Access
Like some other Irish nature reserves (for example
Mongan Bog
Mongan Bog is a peat bog in County Offaly, Ireland. The bog is located east of Clonmacnoise, a monastic site on the river Shannon. A nature reserve covering about 120 ha protects part of the bog.
Protection designations
As a raised bog of eco ...
), Raheenmore Bog is not open to the public. However, visitors are welcome at
Clara Bog
Clara Bog is one of the largest relatively intact raised bogs remaining in Ireland. It lies southeast of the R436 regional road between the village of Ballycumber and the town of Clara, in County Offaly.
Much of the bog is state-owned and m ...
, also in County Offaly, which has a visitors' centre.Taoiseach's speech: 7 March 2011 www.taoiseach.gov.ie
See also
*
Geography of Ireland
Ireland is an island in Northern Europe, in the north Atlantic Ocean. The island measures about north-south, and east-west, with a total area of . It lies about , near the western edge of the European continental shelf, part of the Euras ...