Friends of Ardee Bog are lucky to be overseeing the conservation of a former turf-cutting plot on Corstown Bog.
Corstown Bog is one of six raised bog domes and a large area of fen that formerly made up the Great Bog of Ardee in Counties Meath and Louth. Corstown Bog is a cutover bog. Turf has been cut and harvested from Corstown for centuries, with evidence of turf-cutting happening in area in the early Christian era (which was unusual at the time).
In 2022 Friends of Ardee Bog received a Peatland Community Engagement Scheme grant to carry out an Ecological Survey in a section of Ardee Bog. We are grateful to the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage for their support.
In June and July 2022 ecologist Catherine O’Connell visited Corstown carried out an ecological survey in Corstown Bog. In her report Catherine identified;
“6 habitats were identified on Corstown Bog and classified according to Fossitt (2000). These included: bare peat (PB4), heather heath (PB4), scrub (WS1)/Flush (PF2), Sphagnum moss bog (PB4), wet grassland (GS4) and bog cotton field (PB4). These habitats and a map of their locations on the site are described in detail in Section 3.3 of this report. The Sphagnum moss bog habitat may be loosely equatable to the Sub-Marginal Bog Ecotope Habitat used to classify intact raised bog domes. Across the six habitats 46 plants and 25 animals and birds were recorded on a field survey undertaken on the 13th July 22.”
Catherine made a series of recommendations and actions to Friends of Ardee Bog. These included the suggestion water level monitoring through the use of piezometers across the site and management works to include removal of rubbish (old plastic bags that once held turf, bits of glass, clay pigeon bits and shot gun cartridges). In addition removal of birch and willow seedlings and young trees from the Sphagnum bog habitat was also recommended, as trees block rainfall and cast shade which are vital elements needed for Sphagnum mosses to growth healthily.
We followed up Catherine’s initial visit to us with a further visit from Nuala Madigan from the Irish Peatlands Conservation Council around the proper usage of piezometers and correct methods for water monitoring on the site.