Easkey Bog facts for kids

Easkey Bog is a special natural area in County Sligo, Ireland. It's a type of wetland called a blanket bog, which is like a huge, spongy carpet of peat. This important place is also a national nature reserve and a Ramsar site. It covers about 1,500 acres (6.1 km²), which is a really big space!

Why Easkey Bog is Special

Easkey Bog was made a national nature reserve by the Irish government in 1990. This means it's legally protected so its unique plants and animals can thrive. In the same year, it also became a Ramsar site. A Ramsar site is a wetland that is important around the world, especially for birds. Easkey Bog is Ramsar site number 471. Scientists from all over the world are interested in this bog because of its special features.

What You'll Find at Easkey Bog

Easkey Bog is home to the start of the Cowagh River. It has a large, flat area of high-up blanket bog. You'll also see wet heath and mountain blanket bog on the steep sides of the Ox Mountains. This area has many different types of natural spaces. These include soft, "quaking" areas, small streams, pools, and even lakes formed by rocks and peat.

Different Types of Bogs

What makes Easkey Bog really special is that it has three different kinds of blanket bogs very close together. This is quite rare! It includes bogs found in lower areas and those found higher up in the mountains. This mix of habitats helps many different plants and animals live here.

Animals of the Bog

Easkey Bog is a great place for wildlife. You might spot red grouse and curlews living here. In the winter, golden plovers come to the bog to escape colder places. The Irish hare, a type of rabbit-like animal, also calls this bog home. A small group of Greenland white-fronted geese fly all the way here for the winter months.