Visit Westmeath wetlands on Bog Day 2025

Sunday may be the day for the All Ireland football final, but it is also International Bog Day.

This Sunday, July 27, is about the conservation and also a moment to celebrate the character, culture and quiet beauty of Ireland’s wetlands. Wetlands are one of Ireland’s most distinctive habitats, supporting thousands of rare species and vital to the country’s wildlife.

Scragh Bog Nature Reserve, Westmeath is among the places across the island that the day hopes to encourage visitors to call to.

Scragh Bog is the best example in Ireland of the transition from alkaline fen to acidic raised bog and one of the few remaining in Europe. It contains a large number of uncommon plants and insects that are rare in Europe. It also has a nice looped walk and a boardwalk that brings you through some fen habitat.

Based in Moate, George Smith is a consultant ecologist at Blackthorn Ecology. He has a particular interest in bogs and the bog habitat.

“It's a fantastic place,” he says of Scragh Bog, “it's a great natural asset and great that it still survived, when so many other wetlands have been lost to us through drainage and reclamation and all that sort of thing.”

Research shows Irish people value restored wetlands for their nature, environmental and community benefits.

Research commissioned by the Tóchar Midlands Wetlands Restoration Project found that over half of people agree that restoration delivers ecological, economic and social benefits. Almost half of people believe the environmental benefits outweigh the economic ones.

This Bog Day, the Tóchar Project is encouraging people to celebrate not just wetlands, but fens, an often lesser known yet equally important wetland type. While bogs are rain-fed, fens are wetland areas fed by groundwater or springs.

“There has been a shift in public opinion,” George told the Examiner, “It has changed from the opinion that bogs are good for nothing except turf cutting, to being celebrated ecosystems and important parts of our natural heritage. It's good to see.”

Westmeath is renowned for its diverse wetland areas, places of great beauty and wildness. There is an abundance of the resource across the county: “There are many wetlands that can be visited this weekend, whether that be a bog or a fen, but some are not on the agenda.

“Garriskill Bog is, to my mind, one of the best bogs in the country. It is located to the east of Mullingar. It's an absolutely fabulous bog, but unfortunately it's not accessible at all to the public. It's a beautiful place, very intact, very wet, with lots of biodiversity.”

Getting people out into the bogs and fens is the aim of International Bog Day. Fens are also home to rare and remarkable species, including the beautifully scented Butterfly Orchids. Ireland is home to two types: the Greater Butterfly Orchid, which prefers the lime-rich fens, and the Lesser Butterfly Orchid, more common in bogs.

These creamy-white flowers emit a sweet clove or vanilla scent in the evenings to attract long-tongued moths for pollination. One of nature’s most delicate collaborations, the nectar lies deep in a 26mm floral tube, accessible only to moths like the Gold Spangle and Beautiful Golden Y, both recorded in Ireland since the late 19th century.

Restoration plans are being developed for 36 fen sites, with the first phase beginning in the autumn. Initial sites include Scragh Bog and Fin Lough (Offaly), with additional sites in Roscommon and Longford to begin restoration in 2026.

George says Scragh Bog is a good spot to visit this International Bog Day: “There's a great boardwalk that leads to a viewing platform where you can get there and look out over Scragh. The boardwalks are really good, because it allows people public access to bogs, and still preserves the integrity of the bog itself.

It runs through the woods at the edge of the wetland, at the edge of the transition mire, and then leads you to the viewing platform where you look out over the transition mire. It avoids damaging the mire at all.”

Commenting on the importance of our wetlands, Minister of State for Nature, Heritage and Biodiversity, Christopher O’Sullivan, TD, said: “Fens and bogs are some of Ireland’s most iconic landscapes, but they’re also vital infrastructure. They manage floods, store carbon and support local well-being. Through the Tóchar project, we’re restoring them in a way that’s informed by science and led by the people who know these places best.

Most of Ireland’s fens are in unfavourable condition, with drainage and scrub encroachment a major threat. The Tóchar Project managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union through the EU Just Transition fund is working to improve this and restore over 1,470 hectares of fen landscapes.

Tóchar project manager, Shirley Clerkin, said: “Our research shows that the public are not just supportive of restoration, but they understand its importance. Whether it's reducing flood risk, protecting rare habitats or improving local access to nature, people recognise these are living landscapes that serve a real purpose.

“Fens are an important and unique wetland type and are considered rare. Restoring fens is complex, but it’s vital and we’re doing it with communities at the centre. Our goal is to create a sustainable future where conservation and rural livelihoods thrive side by side, adopting a deep connection between people and their natural heritage.”

To learn more about the Tóchar Project, share your views, or participate in upcoming initiatives, visit tocharwetlands.ie or follow us on Instagram or Facebook.