Rathlin Island Peat places Tievebulliagh Carrick-a-rede The Glens of Antrim contain Garron Plateau many places where peat can The Garron Plateau is the biggest area of This upland area contains shallow peat. be found. The map highlights Knocklayde Ballintoy intact blanket bog on the east coast of Ireland. A rare rock known as porcellanite was peat places to explore. The site is rich with varieties of plants and wildlife. harvested here during the stone age and exported throughout Europe. Garron Plateau has undergone an extensive restoration project. Ballycastle Fairhead Special peat places Access from Cargan village, 10 miles north of Moyle Way Areas of Outstanding Ballymena on the Glenravel Road (A43) and eight Natural Beauty (AONB) miles south of Cushendall. Car parking is available at Dungonnell Dam, near Cargan village. Tow River Carey River Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) Glentasie Ballycastle Ramsar Wetland Sites of international importance Forest Special Protection Areas (SPA) Glenmakeeran River Glenshesk River Glenshesk Slieveanorra & Croaghan Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) Ballypatrick Moyle Way Forest National Nature Reserves (NNR) View from Glenaan Slieveanorra and Croaghan is an important Glenshesk Cregagh area of largely intact blanket bog. Slieveanorra Peat Areas Mountain shows the different stages in the Wood View from Tievebulliagh Armoy Non Peat Areas formation, erosion and regeneration of peat. Breen Cushendun Garron Plateau Ronan's Way AONB boundary line A variety of plants and upland birds can be Wood spotted, as can the common lizard. Main Roads Croaghan Breen Mountain Slieveanorra was the site of the Battle Glendun Forest Walk Glencorp Walking Routes Through Peatland of Orra in 1583. Eight US airmen lost their lives on Glendun River the mountain when their bomber crashed in 1942. The Milibern Long Walking Routes Through Peatland Access via the Milibern and Breen Forest self River Bush Altarichard Rd Glenaan guided walks. Parking is available at Altarichard Cushendall Site of World War Two Bomber Crash car park, Altarichard Road, accessed via the Orra Scenic route. There is also limited parking on the Slieveanorra & Croaghan Site of 16th Century Battle of Orra road at the entrance to Slieveanorra summit. Slieveanorra Tievebulliagh Ballygally/Shutterstock.com Forest Glenaan River Moyle Way Trostan Ballyeamon River 550m Glenarriff River Moyle Way Threats to blanket bogs A US B17 Flying Fortress aircraft crashed Glenari Forest Park, on Slieveanorra October 1942. Scenic Trail in the Glens of Antrim and beyond William Fuller / Shutterstock.com The Drum Peat today Glenariff Over recent years, the Blanket bogs are found Drainage to aid extraction Development such Forest Park critical situation of our across the uplands. affects vegetation and as urban expansion, peat habitats has been They often contain water logging which are communication masts Dungonnell Way Modern methods of Afforestation has led recognised. Steps have archaeological material crucial for the formation and renewable energy peat extraction use to bog drainage and been taken to preserve as they have been of peat. production can encroach Carnlough machinery over large ploughing to support and restore peat but inhabited for thousands on peat lands. areas causing significant conifer trees. our bog lands are still of years. Today, the Phytophthora species is Garron Plateau Glenarm a fungus-like pathogen Burning can cause the damage. seriously threatened. uplands are primarily Rhododendron that damages and kills loss of key plant species, used for low intensity Agricultural reclamation encroach on peat lands Peat lands take trees and plants. breakdown of peat agriculture, especially involves drainage, removal which changes species Cleggan thousands of years grazing sheep. They are structure, or increase Antrim Overgrazing leads to of peat and fertilisation. composition, habitat Glencloy River to form and are very also used for recreational erosion. Forest erosion. This is one of the structure, and hydrology. Hills Way sensitive to human activities like walking and activities. They are biggest challenges facing Recreation such as Quolie Water mountain biking. a crucial part of our our blanket bog. walking routes can result in habitat loss through Lukassek/Shutterstock.com ecosystem and are Peter Turner Photography / Shutterstock.com affected by their trampling and erosion. surrounding habitat. Climate Change could Glenarm River A42 Linford Water lower the water table, dry peat, and cause the Braid River Ballygally loss of peat forming plant Lough Rd species. Lisle Hills Rd Owencloghy Water M2 A42 Antrim Hills Way Antrim Conservation priorities Viviparous lizard is the Marsh saxifrage Ballymena Hills Way Snipe breed on the only native species of hirculus is found Curlew conceal their nests in Golden plover breed in Red grouse breed in the uplands and on the reptile to Ireland. Peat only on the Capanagh long grass. They have declined small numbers on a few upland heather moorland. lowland wetlands. land is a favoured habitat. Garron Plateau. as a breeding species. upland moorland sites. Their population is Their population is Wood dangerously low. in decline. All images Shutterstock.com Glenwhirry River A36 A36 Larne Hen harrier are found on the upland areas. Ballyboley Forest BELOW L-R 2. For cooking a griddle, pot 3. The peat fire would have 5. A woman transporting The following images are or kettle hung above or was been kept alight all year round peat with the help of a courtesy of Coleraine Museum placed within the fire. Meat for heat, light and cooking. donkey and wooden panniers. Bog mosses, known and fish were preserved by as Sphagnum, can 1. A ‘turf slide car’ for 4. A boy with cut peat on 6. Piles of peat stacked up hold between 16 and transporting peat at Glenaan. smoking with peat. a barrow. outside the cottage. Early 26 times their dry From wood fuel matter weight in water. Mateusz Sciborski / people Shutterstock.com to peat fuel and Early People Why and how did peat form? Throughout history, Irish trees have been felled Under English rule, Ireland 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. The earliest known Most of Ireland was Tree removal changed The high water content for many uses. Ancient woodlands were exploited settlement in Ireland is at covered in native trees the soil structure. This slowed down the decay deforestation in the peat Mountsandel in Coleraine. such as scots pine, coupled with climatic of vegetable matter, as a source of timber. uplands coupled with Peat, also Elizabeth I ordered the It dates to around 10,000 oak, ash, hazel, birch, cooling and increased leading to the formation the local climate created What was peat used for? destruction of all woods Extracting peat years ago. At this time, rowan and willow. During rainfall led to water of peat. Although some perfect conditions for known as turf, is in Ireland. This deprived Mesolithic people hunted the Neolithic period logging and leaching. blanket bogs began to peat formation. and gathered wild food. (4000-2500BC) the first These conditions form 10,000 years ago, Irish forces and rebels With the rapid devastation of the great forests of Ulster, deep-rooted in In the Glens of Antrim, They tended not to stay farmers planted crops encouraged the growth most range from Gaelic Ireland had an of shelter and provided a major sustainable heat resource was lost. Irish people peat was traditionally our culture. Let in permanent settlements and kept animals. To of bog mosses, known as 5,000 - 6,000 years. advanced legal system England with timber came to depend on peat as their source of fuel for ‘Oisín’s Grave’ cut using peat spades as they relied on seasonal create farmland, Neolithic sphagnum, which holds known as Brehon law resources. cooking, heat and light. Turbary, the right to dig fuel was (Cushendall) is a us take you for a (sleaghán). The top few vitally important to poverty stricken tenant farmers. Neolithic court tomb. food. They used wood as people began clearing a great deal of water. (An Féineachas). In Ulster, the destruction inches of vegetation were Courtesy Hearthside stroll through the fuel and to make tools, the wooded landscape. One aspect of this Heritage Resources of forests quickly removed. Then, sods Peat has also been popular in horticulture due to its weapons and shelters. The easiest areas were law protected trees story of peat... accelerated after the were extracted from nutrient provision and soil water management properties. cleared first, which was and shrubs against Peat bogs defeat of the Gaelic the darker layers below. often in the uplands. over-exploitation. leadership and the 16th The peat was then left At that time Ireland’s Lowland raised bogs develop in lowland areas such & 17th century plantation to dry over the next few temperature was warmer as valleys. They are raised in the middle like a dome, BELOW period that followed. weeks. Once dried, it This image is reproduced courtesy TOP RIGHT than today so crops and which gets bigger as the bog grows. of the National Library of Ireland Tievebulliagh (Cushendall) was transported using [L_CAB_05181] livestock could be raised ABOVE TOP TO BOTTOM and Rathlin were the centre Blanket bogs are areas of wet peat land, where peat animals, sledges, carts or at higher altitudes. This image is reproduced courtesy of Neolithic porcellanite depth is greater than 50cm. They tend to occur in baskets. Peat was ideally of the National Library of Ireland axe production in Ireland. [L_CAB_05183] The axe heads were exported higher altitudes and in cool, wet climates. The name stored in a sheltered spot to Britain and Europe. This image is reproduced courtesy ‘blanket bogs’ refers to how they blanket or cloak to reduce water logging. of the National Library of Ireland Courtesy of Ballymoney Museum entire landscapes. They are one of the most [L_CAB_05184] Tools of the trade extensive semi-natural habitats in Northern Ireland.