PRESS RELEASE
You are invited to Féile an Dúlra 2023
5th May 2023
The Irish Peatland Conservation Council has launched its annual Féile an Dúlra for 2023, which runs from February to September. The festival kicked off on World Wetlands Day, February 2nd, with the launch of the National ‘Hop to It’ Frog Survey, for which members of the public are encouraged to submit any sightings of frogs, frog spawn, or tadpoles through the IPCC’s website, www.ipcc.ie.
The Féile continued with World Curlew Day on April 21st, during which members of the public visited IPCC’s nature reserve, Lodge Bog to learn about the iconic bird and the threats Ireland’s breeding curlew face. The visitors were even treated to the sight of one of Lodge Bog’s resident curlew flying past.
The next events in Féile an Dúlra are set to mark Biodiversity Week, which is running from May 19th to 28th. On Saturday May 20th, the IPCC will be holding two events at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre: from 10am to 12pm, the event Bogland Birds of Lodge Bog will be held, during which there will be a walk to Lodge Bog to discuss the diversity of birds that use this raised bog for nesting or feeding. From 11am to 1pm at the Bog of Allen Nature Centre there will be an event titled ‘Amphibians, Mini-beasts and Insect-Eating Plants of Bogs’ for the young peatland explorer who can expect a fun-filled morning of pond-dipping, learning about insect-eating plants, searching for amphibians and enjoying crafts.
On Thursday, May 23rd, the IPCC is hosting ‘Butterflies of Lullymore West Bog’, which will involve a guided walk to Lullymore West nature reserve from 11am. Lullymore West is known nationally as a butterfly haven, as 26 of Ireland’s 35 butterfly species have been recorded on the site, including the threatened Marsh Fritillary butterfly.
On 1st June, the IPCC invite you to learn a new peatland management skill, assessing the habitat condition of Lodge Bog for the raised bog specialist, the Large Heath butterfly. Those who cannot attend are invited to contact the IPCC, as we will be hosting further monitoring days throughout June (which are weather dependent).
Sunday, July 23rd, marks International Bog Day, and the IPCC are hosting a fun-filled day celebrating boglands. From 1pm, IPCC will provide free access to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre, and will be offering guided tours at 1.30pm and 2.30pm. Throughout the day, young people can pond dip searching for the diversity of mini-beasts that live there.
The wildlife gardens will also be open for the public to discover the insect-eating plants of Ireland and around the world. The IPCC’s special guests on the day will be Newgrange Falconry, who will share with you their display of birds of prey and offer an informative talk on these magical birds. The day will be completed with a walk and talk to Lodge Bog, which will be departing the centre at 3.30pm.
The IPCC will also be hosting events to mark National Heritage Week and Culture Night with details to be announced shortly. You can learn more about the IPCC’s Féile an Dúlra events by visiting http://www.ipcc.ie/events/. The IPCC encourage you to save the dates in your diary and make sure to prepare for the outdoors when attending IPCC events such as bringing wellies. If you cannot attend one of these events the Bog of Allen Nature Centre is also open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm.
Editors notes:
The IPCC acknowledge funding support for these events from Kildare County Council Festival Grant Scheme 2023, Irish Environmental Network and the Heritage Council through the Heritage Capacity Fund 2023:
