Only One Ireland: July 2007

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Blanket Bog Restoration Project

The Blanket Bog Restoration Project project aims to restore some of active blanket bog in Ireland - including bogs at:

the MacGillycuddys' Reeks, Co. Kerry
Slieve Aughty, Co. Clare
Nephin Beg, Crossmolina, Glenamoy and Bangor-Erris in Co. Mayo
Barnesmore Gap and Lough Golagh in Co. Donegal
the Ox Mountains in Co. Sligo, and
the Slieve Blooms in Co. Laois.

The website provides information about the project, its bogs, and restoration techniques. Clickable maps of Ireland enable you to locate and find out more about the 20 project sites. The bog restoration project is managed by Coillte, and funded under the under the EU LIFE- Nature Programme.

The island of ireland

Once upon a time, and for 15000 years, ice a mile high blanketed Ireland. When the lingering Ice Age finally released and the Irish ice departed it left a landscape scoured. Across land bridges linking Ireland, Britain and mainland Europe plants and animals arrived to colonise the new lowlands, mountains and valleys. The world’s ice continued to melt, the sea levels to rise, and some 8000 years ago Ireland became the island we now know, accounting for just 0.01% of the world's total land area and the most westerly point of Europe.

Though at Alaskan latitudes, the country's climate is tempered, due partly to the neighbouring waters of the Gulf Stream and partly the prevailing southwesterlies that veering and backing make landfall on our sodden coast. These offerings from the Atlantic mean it is never too hot, never too cold. But without doubt it is wet. Rain lingers year round, never far away, though is most frequent in winter, the western counties and, inevitably, on the day of your parade.