State spends over €290,000 on acquisition of land in Westmeath
Newly released figures reveal that the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has invested €291,053 in purchasing 84.26 acres of land across County Westmeath between 2020 and 2025. The acquisitions, consisting entirely of bogland, are part of a strategic effort to safeguard these fragile ecosystems by preventing peat extraction and protecting biodiversity.
The news comes just a week after a critical Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report, which named Westmeath among seven Irish counties where significant areas of natural peatlands have been exploited for export without proper oversight or licensing. The report also censured local authorities for their inadequate response to this environmental challenge.
The largest portion of the land purchased was a total of 41.55 acres of Cloncrow Bog in Tyrrellspass which was acquired in six separate transactions between 2023 and 2025 for a sum of €124,533. Cloncrow Bog is a designated Natural Heritage Area and one of the few remaining intact raised bogs in the Midlands.
The site supports a unique array of highly specialized plants and animals that thrive in this rare habitat. In recent years, a 3.5-kilometre loop walk has been developed on the bog for public recreation.
Additionally, 25.73 acres of Garriskil Bog in Streete were purchased for €115,080. This bogland forms part of the EU-funded LIFE project, which aims to restore and expand over 30 hectares of active raised bog which is a growth of more than 20%.
A further 16.98 acres of Mount Heavey Bog, near Kinnegad, were acquired for €51,440, further contributing to the protection of Westmeath’s peatland habitats.
Nationally, the state agency has invested €30.1 million over the past five years to acquire land for conservation, averaging €4,263 per acre for some of the country’s most ecologically valuable habitats.
These land acquisition figures were disclosed following a parliamentary question submitted by Pearse Doherty (Sinn Féin) to Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage James Browne.