Press Release
Join the IPCC in Celebrating International Bog Day on July 23rd, 2023
Sunday July 23rd is International Bog Day, and to celebrate all things about Ireland’s bogs the Irish Peatland Conservation Council will be holding a special event at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre in Lullymore.
International Bog Day is held on the fourth Sunday of July each year, and aims to raise awareness of peatlands, including the benefits they provide, the threats they face, and how we can help protect them.
From 12pm to 4pm on the day, the IPCC will be opening the Bog of Allen Nature Centre to the public free of charge. Visitors will be able to view the wildlife gardens, museum, and traditional kitchen. The wildlife gardens showcase best practice in gardening as they are peat-free and chemical-free. All compost used in the gardens is created at the centre from waste organic material, and all watering is performed using harvested rainwater. Use of chemicals is avoided to encourage species such as frogs into the garden. The gardens also feature a greenhouse of insect-eating plants, where native carnivorous plants such as sundew and butterwort, are on view, as well as some exotic species such as venus flytraps and pitcher plants. In the peatland museum, visitors can view a range of artefacts, from bog butter to an ancient dugout canoe, that have been recovered from the Bog of Allen, while in the traditional kitchen they will see the utensils and instruments used by many Irish households in the past. A guided tour of the centre, including the museum, gardens, and insect-eating plants, will be held at 1pm, during which IPCC staff will provide information and education on the history of Ireland’s peatlands and of the Bog of Allen in particular.
The IPCC’s special guests for the day will be Newgrange Falconry, who will be providing a display of their birds of prey and giving an informative talk on the birds. Their event will run from 12:30 to 2:30 at the centre.
Additionally, throughout the day children will be able to pond-dip in the courtyard pond to discover and learn about the wide range of freshwater invertebrates that live in bogland ponds.
Finally, IPCC staff will lead a walk and talk to Lodge Bog, which will depart the centre at 2:30pm.
IPCC Féile an Dúlra is supported by Kildare County Council through their Festival Grant Scheme 2023.