New chapter of rehabilitation works on saved Laois gem

Another chapter has opened on the rehabilitation of a raised bog in Laois which was saved from Bord na Móna machinery over 20 years ago.

More than two decades after local people who were well ahead of their time intervened, Abbeyleix Bog has become the prototype project for successful community centred conservation.

Not resting on their laurels, or rather their sphagnum moss in this case, the Abbeyleix Bog Project continues to grow not just in terms of public awareness and popularity, but in terms of restoring some of what was previously damaged through being cutaway.

Instead of peat harvesting machines, a workers moved onto the bog in recent weeks with a digger to help the voluntary committee carry out work to rehabilitate more of the popular amenity.

The bog, which is popular sanctuary too for walkers and nature lovers, will remain open to visitors during these latest phases of works, involving the building of ridges or berms, peat-dam features to assist the rewetting of the cutaway bogland on the periphery of the main raised bog.

Pictured: Project volunteers at work carrying out maintenance and upgrade of the amenity infrastructure over the last two years.

The Committee says this intervention on the cutaway section and supportive hydrology will help support the core bog’s restoration and protect the habitat and its sustainability overall.

This latest phase of works is being funded by a €75,000 Peatland Community Engagement Scheme grant which to some extent is acknowledgement of the substantial progress and benefits demonstrated on the peatland site, over the past decade in particular. 

The works, expected to take about one month to complete, are being carried out by G Russell Plant Hire from Clonaslee, under civil engineering supervision by RPS Ireland. MORE BELOW PICTURE.

PICTURED: Researchers from University College Dublin CD and Technical University of the South East (TUSE) discussing a suitable midge and mosquito trapping site on the Abbeyleix Bog site with volunteers earlier this year. From left to right: Elsie Isiye (TUSE), Dr Denise O’Meara (TUSE), Angela Valcercel Olmeda (UCD) Prof Theo de Waal (UCD), Richard Duff, Des Finnamore and Hugh Shepherd.

The work is part of the ongoing effort to see the bog landscape restored, the habitat recovered and replenished. The nature reserve gas become a habitat for countless species and a recreational reserve for walkers and nature lovers of all ages.

This latest round of funding represents confirmation and acknowledgement of the prestige and importance of Abbeyleix Bog, not just at national level but within the wider EU conservation and carbon emissions context.

So much so that Abbeyleix Bog has been selected as a ‘knowledge site’, a prototype for best practice in community collaborative projects within the EU Horizon 2020 WaterLANDS Projects.

Pictured: A Beautiful Demoiselle damselfly (Calopterix virgo) frequenting the small streams around the Abbeyleix Bog site

Garry Luttrell, Director is the Acting Chair of the Abbeyleix Bog Project.

"It's a really significant milestone for the bog and those of us connected with the project. The works bring renewed enthusiasm and drive to further rehabilitate our peat habitats which is massively positive in respect to climate action, for biodiversity and the community alike,” he said.

Pictured: The Marsh Fritillary butterfly (Euphydryas aurinia), the only protected insect in Ireland, is now breeding on the site as a result of ongoing conservation work at Abbeyleix Bog

Chris Uys is the Technical Advisory Group to the Abbeyleix Bog Prjoect.

"This wouldn't have been possible without the help, input, support and collaboration from all our stakeholders, volunteers and the local community. We hope that this will only be the start of a new era in which community-led projects will benefit from monetary support and stakeholder expertise to improve our natural environment,” he said.

Pictured: A Seven-spot Ladybird (Coccinella 7-punctata) snuggled into the uncurled leave of a Bracken plant

Announcing the €75,000 funding in August, under the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage’s Peatlands Community Engagement Scheme, the Minister for State for Heritage, Mr Malcolm Noonan stated that he was delighted to support active and determined community and volunteer groups like Abbeyleix Bog Project in their efforts to embrace and bolster nature and biodiversity.