Boora Bog (Irish Portach na Buaraí) is a cutaway peat bog situated in County Offaly, Ireland. [1] Peat was harvested for fuel between the 1950s and 1970s, and the land is now being reclaimed for agricultural and eco-tourism use. There was a lake called Lough Boora (Loch na Buaraí), which was drained by Bord na Móna, but was not used for peat production: this area is now maintained as a nature reserve by the Irish Wildlife Trust. There are two angling lakes. [2]
In 1977, a prehistoric site was discovered at Lough Boora. Excavations revealed a temporary settlement dated to the Mesolithic era. No structures were discovered, but stone axe heads, arrow heads, and blades were discovered, surrounding a series of fire sites. The finds were dated to approximately between 6800 BCE and 6000 BCE. [3]
Sculpture in the Parklands is a 50-acre (200,000 m2) land and environmental sculpture park located in Boora Bog. The first artworks were commissioned in 2002 during a symposium where seven Irish and international artists worked over a three-week residency period. Eight large, site-specific sculptures were created during the symposium, blending into the natural environment and the industrial legacy of the bog lands. The park can be visited all year round. [4]
Boora is the Irish stronghold of the grey partridge. A conservation project funded by the National Parks and Wildlife Service has turned the fortunes of the species around from a critically low 22 to 932 birds. [5] [6] Other species seen regularly include hen harrier, common buzzard, cuckoo, merlin, green sandpiper and ruff. Over 130 species of resident and migrant birds have been recorded in the discovery park, and the mammals present include deer, a herd of wild goats, badgers, hares and bats. [7]
The grey partridge, also known as the English partridge, Hungarian partridge, or hun, is a gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae of the order Galliformes, gallinaceous birds. The scientific name is the Latin for "partridge", and is itself derived from Ancient Greek perdix.
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County. Offaly County Council is the local authority for the county. The county population was 77,961 at the 2016 census.
Bord na Móna, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company began developing the peatlands of Ireland with the aim to provide economic benefit for Irish Midland communities and achieve security of energy supply for the recently formed Irish Republic. The development of peatlands involved the mechanised harvesting of peat, which took place primarily in the Midlands of Ireland.
Tullamore is the county town of County Offaly, in Ireland. Located in the centre of the county, it is the fourth most populous town in the midlands region with a population of 14,607 in the 2016 census.
The Bog of Allen is a large raised bog in the centre of Ireland between the rivers Liffey and Shannon.
Shannonbridge is a village located on the River Shannon, at the junction of the R444 and R357 regional roads in County Offaly, Ireland. It lies within the townland of Raghra, at the borders of counties Offaly, Galway and Roscommon, with the majority of the population living east of the bridge in County Offaly. As of the 2016 census, the village had a population of 175. There are two housing estates within the village. Its location along Ireland's largest river and its proximity to Clonmacnoise have contributed to tourism being a key contributor to the local economy. The village is flanked by a Special Area of Conservation – the Shannon Callows. The physical environment consists of the River Shannon, callows, boglands and the Esker Riada. The village has one of the oldest bridges still in use over the River Shannon, completed in 1757.
Kilcormac is a small town in County Offaly, Ireland, located on the N52 at its junction with the R437 regional road, between the towns of Tullamore and Birr. It is a small town of 935 people, many of whom were previously employed by Bord na Móna to work the local peat bogs. The town is located near the Slieve Bloom Mountains. The Silver River flows through the town. The town was more commonly referred to as Frankford prior to Irish independence.
Ballynahone Bog is a raised bog, situated in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, about 3 km south of Maghera, on low-lying ground immediately north of the Moyola River about 14 km from its mouth at Lough Neagh. It is one of the largest lowland raised bogs in Northern Ireland.
Pollagh, also spelled Pullough, is a village in County Offaly, Ireland, located in the midlands of Ireland. It is a rural village on the Grand Canal and lies between Ferbane and Tullamore. Much of the surrounding area is bogland, and is used to produce fossil fuels such as peat turf. The River Brosna flows close to the village. The Grand Canal was used for transporting peat and bricks produced in the area. Pollagh benefited from the canal in earlier years when it brought investment and employment from Bord na Móna, and it is now a tourist attraction. Pollagh is also known for its church, including its bog oak altar and stained glass windows, designed by the Harry Clarke studios.
Clara Bog is one of the largest relatively intact raised bogs remaining in Ireland. It lies southeast of the R436 regional road between the village of Ballycumber and the town of Clara, in County Offaly. Much of the bog is state-owned and managed as a nature reserve covering some 460 ha. A Special Area of Conservation covers 836 ha.
Sir John Purser Griffith was a Welsh-born Irish civil engineer and politician.
Eileen MacDonagh was born in Geevagh, County Sligo in 1956 and has worked as a sculptor since the 1980s. For her contribution to sculpture and the Arts in Ireland, MacDonagh was elected in 2004 to Aosdána, the Irish organisation that recognises artists that have contributed a unique body of work.
The Sculpture in the Parklands is a 50-acre (200,000 m2) land and environmental sculpture park located in Lough Boora, County Offaly, Ireland. The park is open to the public 365 days of the year and admission is free.
Kevin O' Dwyer is an internationally exhibited artist whose works embrace the fields of design, metalworking and sculpture. He creates primarily in silver.
Raheenmore Bog is a raised bog north-west of Daingean, County Offaly, in Ireland. Since the 1980s the greater part of the bog has been maintained as a 162 hectare Nature Reserve, which is currently managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. A Special Area of Conservation covers 182 ha, including some land in private ownership.
The Offaly Way is a long-distance trail in County Offaly, Ireland. It is 37 kilometres long and begins in Cadamstown and ends at Lemanaghan, on the R436 road between the towns of Clara and Ferbane. It is typically completed in two days. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the National Trails Office of the Irish Sports Council and is managed by Offaly County Council, Bord na Mona and the Offaly Integrated Development Company. The trail provides a link between the Slieve Bloom Way and the Grand Canal Way.
Redwood is a townland in the historical Barony of Ormond Lower, County Tipperary, Ireland. It is also an electoral district in the Dáil constituency of Offaly having previously been part of the Tipperary North Dáil constituency.
Lough O'Flynn is a freshwater lake in the west of Ireland. It is located in west County Roscommon and is the source of the River Suck.
Michael Bulfin is an Irish sculptor and visual artist, based in Dublin. He is the son of Irish republican Éamonn Bulfin. and grandson of William Bulfin of Derrinlough, Birr, County Offaly. He was educated at University College Dublin and Yale University,, Connecticut, USA. He was awarded a German Government Scholarship in 1965 to study at a research laboratory in Hamburg, Germany, German Academic Exchange Service.