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Boora Bog ( Irish ''Portach na Buaraí'') is a cutaway peat bog situated in
Boora Bog ( Irish ''Portach na Buaraí'') is a cutaway peat bog situated in County Offaly
County Offaly (; ga, Contae Uíbh Fhailí) is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe. It was formerly known as King's County, in hono ...
, Ireland.
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
Bord na Móna (; English: "The Peat Board"), 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 c ...
, 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.
Archaeology
In 1977, a prehistoric site was discovered at Lough Boora. Excavations revealed a temporary settlement dated to theMesolithic era
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
. No structures were discovered, but stone axe heads, arrow heads, and blades were discovered, surrounding a series of fire sites. The finds were dated
Date or dates may refer to:
*Date (fruit), the fruit of the date palm (''Phoenix dactylifera'')
Social activity
*Dating, a form of courtship involving social activity, with the aim of assessing a potential partner
**Group dating
*Play date, an ...
to approximately between 6800 BCE and 6000 BCE.
Sculpture Park
Sculpture in the Parklands is a 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.Wildlife
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. Other species seen regularly include hen harrier,common buzzard
The common buzzard (''Buteo buteo'') is a medium-to-large bird of prey which has a large range. A member of the genus ''Buteo'', it is a member of the family Accipitridae. The species lives in most of Europe and extends its breeding range across ...
, cuckoo, merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and le ...
, 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.
References