As part of the upcoming Creative Drummin Bog programme this weekend, we are delighted that Dr Fiona MacGowan will be leading a walk on Drummin bog on Sat 16 Oct at 3pm (see the event schedule below)

Fiona conducted the first 2020 ecological botanical survey of Drummin bog, the report you can read and download here.

We are excited to share the beauty and wonders of Drummin bog, through the Creative Ireland Carlow Drummin bog ecosocial community art programme. Here are some observations from Fiona about Drummin Bog:

‘Drummin Bog is in many ways a miraculous raised bog remnant in this part of Ireland. There are historical records of several raised bogs in the south-east but now they are only ghosts in the landscape present only in townland names such as Redbog.

Even when they were intact, the raised bogs of Ireland’s south-east would never have been large (<100ha). This would have been a simple reflection of the less suitable climate conditions of the south-east (drier) and the less-suitable landscape. So these smaller bogs would have been relatively quickly cutaway for fuel and/or drained to make them suitable for agricultural use.

So the fact that Drummin Bog has survived is unusual and highly fortuitous. It has, however, clearly decreased substantially from its original size through a mix of cutting and drainage over the last couple of centuries – this is visible from studying the Ordnance Survey Ireland historical maps available to view at http://www.osi.ie. This drainage, together with its small size does mean that Drummin bog would be classed as a relatively dry bog compared to other Irish examples…’

Habitat and Ecotope Survey and report of Drummin Bog, April 2021 by Dr Fiona MacGowan

Fiona’s scientific survey was commissioned by the Drummin Bog committee and the committee wishes to acknowledge significant LEADER funding for Fiona’s study, Creative Ireland Carlow and the Carlow Arts Office