It was a beautiful, muted sort of November morning. I love Ireland’s winter light, and the rich colours of bog and fields seemed to highlight it even more.
The plan for the day was to have lunch and a long overdue catch up with friends, so we decided to do our November family walk close to their home in County Kildare. After a bit of research, I thought the Bog of Allen looked good, with Lodge Bog and Lullymore West Bog within a short walk either side of the nature centre which is run by the Irish Peatland Conservation Council.
However, in true ‘us’ style, the walk was not quite as imagined, partly, I will admit, because I read white lines on the map as walking trails, rather than boundaries. We headed first to Lodge Bog, along one of those country roads that would be quiet except for cars whizzing past.
Here is this section of the walk, with a spot of interest: the original village pump.
We did arrive safely at the stile into Lodge Bog, with a pause to take in the texture, the golds, greens and coppers. The hummocks and hollows of this raised bog are a rich ground for heather and lichen; raised bog habitats are one of the EU’s conservational priorities. However, the boardwalk that protects the fragile landscape which is undergoing restoration was mostly taken up for repairs, so the wander through the bog was disappointingly short.
Nonetheless, it was beautiful.
Thankfully, the route from the centre to Lullymore West Bog was on a quieter road.
And we were rewarded with unfiltered views.
There was a lovely winter silence surrounding this nature reserve, and we all managed to shush long enough to drink it in.
Lullymore West Bog, a cutaway bog formerly owned by Bord na Mona who commercially extracted peat from it, has over 150 varieties of moths and 21 of the 31 species of Irish butterflies, including the rare Marsh Fritillary. In fact, this small area has over 300 species of animal, bird, insect, and plant though we visited in one of the quietest months.
Despite not getting to walk the paths I’d imagined, we still traipsed more than 6 kilometres, had the craic, and followed it all up with some good chats, lovely food, and plenty of coffee in front of a fire.
Thanks to Caoimhe Nolan for sharing her photos and her idea for the title.
kennedy street 
2 thoughts on “Kennedy Street Bog”