Bog of Allen Nature Centre Museum and Exhibitions Guide

On behalf of the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, we look forward to welcoming you to the Bog of Allen Nature Centre. There are 11 themes to the exhibitions currently on display at the centre including turf, wildlife, archaeology, conservation, industrial uses of bogs, Pollardstown Fen, wildlife gardening, DIY composting, frogs, carnivrous plants and local history.

Ground Floor Displays

1. Traditional Irish Cottage

The turf fire was the main source of heating and cooking in 19th century Ireland. The burning of turf has a very characteristic smell. The furnishings in the traditional cottage were utilitarian and included a dresser, settle bed, washstand, table and chairs.

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre have created a much needed database of items in our exhibition collection. Each item in the database has been photographed, coded and described. If you have an item that may be of interest to the collection and would like to donate it to the centre, please contact 045-860133 or alternatively e-mail bogs@ipcc.ie

2. Local History

Lullymore is an island of mineral soil surrounded by bogland. The foundations of a monastic settlement are still discernible in the burial grounds of an old church on the Island. A number of inscribed gravestones from the monastery can be seen incorporated in the wall outside the centre. The farm field gate across the road opposite the wall leads to the graveyard and the remains of the monastic settlement (10 minute walk).

The buildings you are standing in were once the 19th century farm buildings of Lullymore Lodge which was owned by the Murphy Family.

3. What's In the Bog

A day on the bog as a child, spent cutting turf, is often the first experience of bogs for many Irish people. And it forms an important part of our cultural identity. The traditional turf cutting tool was the sleán. The youngest turf cut from the top of the bog was white, in the middle of the bog it was brown and the oldest and blackest turf was found at the bottom of the bog. Turf cutting competitions were a feature in the Bog of Allen in the 20th Century.

The Bog of Allen took 12,000 years to form. It began as a lake which became choked up with plants to form a fen, which gradually grew into a bog some 12m deep. Today people visit the bog to enjoy its flora of mosses, sedges, lichens, heathers and carnivorous plants and to hear the cry of the curlew, one of the commonest birds on the bog.

Preserved in the deep wet peat of the bog, is a vast array of treasures including objects made from wood such as boats, stone axe-heads and bog butter. Bog wood of pine, oak and yew are also preserved and have been an important source of inspiration to sculptors. The lack of oxygen in the waterlogged peat prevents decay.

A range of food and drink products derived from the bog or flavoured by turf smoke are on display as well as a selection of gifts.

The Ground floor of the exhibition centre explores themes such as the formation , the traditional handcutting , the archaeological importance, conservation, commercial development and the future options for Irish peatlands.

4. Bog Conservation Dutch Irish Exhibition

The first field survey of the bogs of Ireland was undertaken in the nineteenth century. Since then there have been many surveys to measure the extent of the bogs. We know that 1.2 million hectares of bogland occurs in Ireland. As much as 80% of this has no conservation value and has been altered, destroyed and lost in the last 400 years. The main losses are to drainage, turf cutting, mechanical peat extraction, forestry, overgrazing, fire, trampling, dumping and reclamation. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council was founded in 1982 to ensure the conservation of a representative sample of Irish bogs. Our work includes purchasing sites, campaigning, education and because we a private charity - fundraising. We have been successful in conserving 250,000ha of peatlands as Special Areas of Conservation. The Irish Government is committed to protecting these areas under the European Union Habitats Directive. The campaign to conserve Irish bogs has been supported by many countries throughout the world, in particular, the Netherlands. The Dutch and Irish Bog Story Exhibition traces the many ways the Dutch people have helped to save Irish peatlands. Professor Matthijs Schouten is fondly regarded as 'The Father of Irish Peatland Conservation'. He set up the Dutch Foundation for the Conservation of Irish Bogs and rasied enough funds to purcahse three peatlands in Ireland. These reserves have been donated to the Irish people as a gift. If you would like to find out more about the Dutch involvement in Irish bogs follow this link: Dutch Irish Bog Conservation Story 25 years

5. Commercial Uses of the Bogs

Although today the name Bord na Móna (meaning Irish Turf Board) is synonymous with industrial peat harvesting and processing in Ireland, the peat industry has a history dating to the early 19th century. Bord na Móna owns 88,000ha of bogland in the midlands of Ireland and they produce a variety of commercial peat products. Milled peat is transported by narrow-gauge railway from the bog either to a peat-fired electricity generating station, or to a factory where it is made into briquettes which are burned. Turf sods are also cut mechanically from the bog and sold as a solid fuel. In addition, Bord na Móna harvest, dry and bag the spongy Sphagnum moss peat from the top of the bog for use in gardening and horticulture. The industrial extraction of peat creates an open cast mine and causes serious environmental problems. When the economic reserve of peat has been removed from a bog, the land remaining can be used to create grassland, commercial forests or amenity wetlands depending on a range of site and local climatic conditions. In this exhibition you can find out how you can help to save the bogs and support the work of the IPCC.

First Floor Displays

6. For Peat's Sake

This exhibition points out ways to harmonise conservation and gardening. The destruction of native wetland wildlife is too high a price to pay for a beautiful garden. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council encourages people to stop using moss peat which comes from bogs in their garden. Our campaign urges people to choose a peat-free gardening product when purchasing growing media or container plants and to recycle all of the organic waste produced in the home and garden into compost. The advantages of adopting a peat free and composting approach are that the bogs are not being destroyed, a waste product is being recycled and is not going to landfill and it saves the gardener money. Organic material can be composted in three ways: leaves can be made into leaf mould, kitchen organic waste can be composted in a worm bin and garden organic waste can be composted in a heap or bin. Please have a look at our outdoor composting displays in the front square before you leave.

7. Wildlife Gardening

Create a nature sanctuary on your doorstep. Inspiring ideas and DIY tips on how to attract birds, insects and wildlife to your garden. Please examine the pond created in the front square in March 2004 before you leave and see for yourself the wonderful wildlife sanctuary it has become.

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre promotes composting and gardening for wildlife. While visiting the centre we recommend you spend some time in the centres wildlife gardens and see simple ways you can help conserve peatlands and encourage wildlife into your garden.

8. Pollardstown Fen

The flora and wildlife of Pollardstown Fen. Ireland's largest fen nature reserve, located north of Newbridge in Co. Kildare is open to visitors. A local tradition originating in Co. Kildare, had been the making of crosses out of rushes and reeds on St. Bridgets Day, the 2nd of February each year.

9. Frogs

The frog is the most common and best loved animal found on bogs. Discover how to create a frog-friendly pond in your garden and how to take part in the Hop to It Frog Survey conducted by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council.

Each year the Irish Peatland Conservation Council records frog sightings in Ireland. We have records dating back to 1997 and to carry on recording frog distribution in Ireland we need your help. If you have spotted a frog while out for a walk or even in your garden we want to know. Visit Hop to it Frog Survey Card and return your sighting today.

10: Habitats and Heritage of the Bog of Allen

Discover the ancient secrets and traditions of the Bog of Allen, the largest raised bogland in Ireland, and find out about the wildlife it supports today. Find out where you can go to see frogs, butterflies, castles or carnivorous plants and explore Lullymore Island, one of many fascinating 'islands' in the Bog of Allen. If you would like to see part of the Bog of Allen why not visit Lodge Bog. The site is just 10 minutes walk from the Centre and has a boardwalk on its surface should you wish to visit it. A visitor guide and map to the Bog of Allen is available by following this link: Visiting the Bog of Allen

11: Carnivorous Plants Flytraps Exhibition

Carnivorous plants (i.e. plants that eat animals) are a wonder of the natural world. They grow in peatlands all around the world and they have developed specialised modifications of their leaves to help them trap insects. Some actively trap insects which means they can move in response to the presence of an insect. Examples are sundews (Drosera species), Venus Flytrap (Donacia species), Butterworts (Pinguicula species) and Bladderworts (Utricularia species). Others are passive trappers. They use colour, smell and other devises to trap insects. Examples are the pitcher plants which grow in temperate and tropical climates. Once you have learned about fly catching plants please visit our living garden of the these plants in the greenhouse located in the grounds of the centre.

For more detailed information about the Flytraps Garden use this link: Flytraps - garden of insect eating plants

Project Sponsors

IPCC Friends of the Bog, Kildare County Council, Dutch Foundation for the Conservation of Irish Bogs, Flo Gas and HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust.
IPCC acknowledges the support of KELT and the LEADER Plus programme which is funded by the Irish Government and part-financed by the European Union under the National Development Plan, 2000-2006.

Museum Opening Times

The Bog of Allen Nature Centre Exhibition is open Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm. (Last admission 4pm). Special openings on the last Sunday in May, July and November each year from 10am to 4pm. Guided Tours available by appointment. Admission Euro 5.

Bog of Allen Nature Centre
Irish Peatland Conservation Council,
Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare
Tel 045-860133 Fax 045-860148
e-mail: bogs@ipcc.ie
web-site: www.ipcc.ie

Irish Peatland Conservation Council Registered Charity Number CHY6829