The drive to create a national wetlands wilderness park based on the north-midlands peatland network has received a major boost with the endorsement of the proposal by University College Dublin's Department of Environmental Resource Management.
A new book by UCD's Dr John Feehan has outlined the framework for the development, which should rival international tourism attractions such as East Anglia and Dartmoor in England, which have wilderness status.
The plan is to have the Irish national wetlands wilderness park based on the network of bogs in a rectangle measuring some 26 miles on both sides of the Shannon in Cos Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath.
Now Dr Feehan has published A Long-Lived Wilderness, a book which aims to heighten awareness of the unique opportunity which exists for the development of such a plan.
Speaking at the launch of the book, Dr Feehan said the bogs in the area contained a "wonderland of interesting creatures". With some help, he said, the disappearing bogs could retain a high level of biodiversity.
As most of the cutaway bogs in the area were owned by Bord na Móna, he said it was up to the public to indicate what they wanted done with the bogs from which turf had been extracted.
He pledged that the involvement of the UCD department, which is part of the faculty of agri-food and the environment, would not end with production of the book.
He announced that funding had been secured from the Environmental Protection Agency to allow full-time efforts to be concentrated on making the wilderness park a reality which could be achieved if the community as a whole got behind the proposal.
The towns involved, according to Mr John Fallon, secretary of the National Wetlands Wilderness Park Committee, are Roscommon, Athlone, Strokestown, Roosky, Tarmonbarry, Lanesboro and Ballyleague.
Mr Fallon explained that the core of the wilderness would be the Mount Dillon group of bogs in Longford and Roscommon, which cover an area of approximately 18,000 acres on both sides of the Shannon. He stressed that it was vital that all Bord na Móna bogs remained in State ownership to avoid legal problems that might occur.
Mr Fallon explained the idea for a wilderness park was spearheaded by a group based in Strokestown, Co Roscommon, which had been seeking a project which would have enthusiastic support from the public.
"We envisage the park evolving over the years into something akin to the combination seen in East Anglia, Dartmoor and the New Forest in England," he said.
"The Irish park would be combined with Lough Ree, which has its own distinctive native flora and fauna.
"It would be a huge attraction for walkers and ramblers, both native and foreign," he said.
Mr Fallon said it would also be a haven for bird-watchers and for students and teachers of botany, biology and the natural sciences, who would see the area as a goldmine of knowledge.
It was envisaged, he said, that the project could be a flagship for other parts of the country, and its potential for the betterment of the area - socially, economically, educationally and environmentally - was limitless.
Dr Feehan's book is being circulated to all schools in Co Roscommon.