‘Seismic’ chain of Laois events that saved Abbeyleix bog recalled

The unique bog restoration in Abbeyleix that has made global headlines features in a new book on the history of Ireland's fabled but not often respected peatlands.

Ten Thousand Years Deep - The Story of Ireland's Peatlands is the name of the bog, which publishers O'Brien Press say celebrates the “magic and mystery of Ireland's peatlands”.

Its written by Carsten Krieger is a photographer, author and environmentalist based on the west of Ireland. He has published numerous books on Ireland’s landscape, nature and heritage, including Ireland’s Coast, The River Shannon and the popular Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way. His book Wild Ireland: A Nature Journey from Shore to Peak was shortlisted for the An Post Irish Book Awards 2023.

His book on the bogs delves into how it came to be that community action and protest in Laois has resulted in what he describes as “the first and most successful” bog restoration projects in Ireland tod date.

He writes about a community that has “very much cared” for their area, particularly the bog.

The author traces the history of the 200-hectare site, which, up to the 1970s, was used for domestic turf cutting and a playground for local children.

He quotes one resident: “We played on it and had no concept that it could be dangerous... we painted our whole bodies black with wet peat then ran onto the road”.

Krieger writes that the Abbeyleix Bog Project began to unfold in 1987 when the owner of the Abbeyleix Estate Tom De Vesci, came under pressure to sell to Bord na Móna for commercial peat extraction. He sold after being told that the State company informed him that they would take ownership by compulsory purchase if he did not agree to sell.

He writes: “For some residents of the town, the harvesting of Abbeyleix Bog was a prospect they could not accept”.

So, while Bord na Móna started preparing the ground for extraction, the Killamuck Residents Association formed to lobby for the bog's preservation. They spent a decade working with various agencies and representatives to devise an alternative future for their beloved landscape.

The author writes of a chain of events of “seismic proportions” when in July 2000 Bord na Móna machinery arrived in the town to begin harvesting. MORE BELOW PHOTO OF BOB BLOCKADE.

He writes of a crane that “unfortunately” broke down during a local bird survey, and the protest staged to block access to the site as well of the stand off that followed, which lasted weeks. A meeting attended by hundreds of residents led to the formation of the Abbeyleix Residents for Environment Action (AREA) to engage with Bord na Móna and form a network that would include other agencies and organisations active on the environment.

The battle on several fronts went on for the next seven years until 2008, when the Minister for the Environment, John Gormley, visited Abbeyleix and met AREA group. This coincided with a change in policy by Bord na Móna to move away from fossil fuels.

The writer says the campaign to save the bog concluded quickly after this, with the company agreeing that the bog was worthy of restoration.

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He writes that the parties reached agrement and in April 2009, work began to block the drains in the bog almost 20 years after they were cut, marking the first step in the bog's handover to the community, which finally took place in 20012.

This was followed by the Abbeyleix Bog Project CLG getting to work on plans for the future. READ MORE BELOW PHOTO OF BROADWALK INSTALLED.

“What followed was a unique success story that made headlines not only in Ireland but also the rest of the world,” writes the author.

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Krieger outlines that a surveyin 2020 showed that due to careful restoration work, the area of the active raised bog had grown from one hectare in 2009 to 13.78 hectares.

He concludes that the bog is a model for community- led conservtion projects and is attracting international and national visitors. The author adds that, “ironically”, it is now used by Bord na Móna for the company's own bog restoration projects.