International Bog Day was marked yesterday in Co Kildare with a trip to a peatland reserve that highlighted the importance of conserving Irish bogs amidst their widespread eradication.
A group of about 100 people went on a trip to the Lodge Bog, a remnant of the Bog of Allen, and heard about the vital role bogs play in conserving Irish wildlife and plants specific to bogs.
Organised by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC), Caroline Hurley said work was under way to help preserve the Lodge Bog, which is suffering from a lack of water due to the existence of 4,000m of drains surrounding the bog. Ms Hurley said that in the coming weeks, a campaign would be under way to stem the flow of water from the drains.
The IPCC Peatlands Under Threat campaign aims to review the status of every protected peatland in the State and to use this information to build and publish an action plan to help protect Irish peatlands in the years ahead.
"It is so important that we have up-to-date, accurate information on all the conservation-worthy peatlands in Ireland. Otherwise we cannot campaign effectively for their protection. It will allow us to respond quickly to illegal damage and to monitor planning applications concerning these sites. Many of the protected bogs we have left in Ireland are the finest examples of their type in Europe."
Just 10 per cent of the Bog of Allen remains today due to peat mining, according to Ms Hurley.
She said the loss of almost all the bogs in the Netherlands was a disaster and highlighted the importance of the peatland environment.
The All-Ireland bog snorkelling championship took place in Dugannon, Co Tyrone, yesterday to mark International Bog Day.