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The Magic of Lullymore Island in the
Bog of Allen

For release 13th May 2005

An exciting survey of Lullymore gets underway this summer. The project -
Lullymore Island - will be undertaken by two Dutch landscape architects,
Ineke Roell and Marleen Jansen from Larenstein University in the east of
Holland. The project will run until July 2005.

Lullymore is a unique mineral island within the Bog of Allen. It is steeped
in history. An old graveyard on the island marks the remains of a 5th
century monastery. The monks settled on Lullymore Island because it was a
peaceful and remote place, surrounded by the wilderness of the Bog of Allen.

Today Lullymore Island is a patchwork of fields, woodlands and hedges and
covers an area of 220 hectares. Surrounding the island, on the eastern side
are two raised bogs which are connected to each other by a strip of
woodland. These raised bogs are of great value for wild flowers, birds and
other animals. On the western side of this island is an area of cutover bog
which has become re-vegetated with a rich diversity of plants. Most of the
remaining bogland surrounding the island is in active peat production.

The project is being promoted by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council
(IPCC) who run the Bog of Allen Nature Centre. The flora and fauna,
hedgerows, landuse and the tourist facilities will be examined. During the
survey it is also planned to make an oral history of the island drawing on
the background and experience of some of the 50 householders on the island.
This information will be used to propose a model for the development of a
Heritage Zone, called Lullymore Island, and an education programme for
visitors and the community living there.

If you want to know more about the survey, please contact or visit the IPCC:
Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan, County Kildare. On
Saturday 28th of May join us at Lullymore for a walk over the Bog of Allen.

Irish Peatland Conservation Council
Bog of Allen Nature Centre, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare, Ireland
Tel 045-860133 Fax: 045-860481
www.ipcc.ie
bogs@ipcc.ie

Ineke Roell and Marleen Jansen are available for interview at the above
address/telephone.

ENDS