‘’Restoring Cavan’s Boglands’ is inviting bog owners to join them for a trip to Girley Bog, a bog restoration site near Kells in County Meath, on Saturday April 13th. A free bus will leave Bawnboy, Ballyconnell, at 10am with pick ups available en-route. Bog expert Dr. Kate Flood will guide participants around Girley Bog on the day focusing on the history of the bog up to the current restoration projects that Coilte, the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council and the NPWS have been engaged in. Kate will also talk about the role the local community have played in the restoration of the bog. Kate Flood is a bog researcher focusing on the cultural and social dimensions of peatland conservation and the role of communities in contributing to the restoration and resilience of peatlands. On the day participants will also be invited to take out their mobile phones and record sounds and images of the bog. This work will form part of the creative element of the project to be presented in September 2024 in west Cavan. The project team held a meeting recently at Templeport Resource Centre where members of West Cavan Bogs Association and composer Ian Wilson gave presentations to members of the community.
This is their second field trip, the first saw them visit the bog restoration project at Killyconny, Bog in Mullagh, Co. Cavan.The “Restoring Cavan's Boglands” project is a Creative Ireland Climate Action fund project that aims to address the important issue of bog health. Historically in Ireland many bogs were drained and so lack the qualities of wet bogland which, as well as sequestering carbon, naturally attracts a great variety of flora and fauna.
To book a free place for the Girley Bog visit call 085 1030569 or email restoringcavansboglands@gmail.com. Booking is essential as spaces are limited.
The Restoring Cavan’s Boglands is a free project open to people from all across County Cavan who are interested in finding out more about bogland.
“Restoring Cavan’s Bogs”is a recipient of the Creative Climate Action project, an initiative from the Creative Ireland Programme. It is funded by the Department ofTourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in collaboration with the Department of
the Environment, Climate and Communications. The fund supports creative, cultural and
artistic projects that build awareness around climate change and empower citizens to make
meaningful behavioural transformations.
Further information on the Climate Action
Fund is available at the following link:
www.creativeireland.gov.ie