I know bogs are scarce in Portugal, but bogs in Ireland were formed over 10,000 years ago, when much of central Ireland was covered by shallow lakes formed from ice melt from the Ice Age. With a sixth of Ireland made up of bog, Ireland has more than any other country in Europe, with the exception of Finland. Poor drainage and layers of dead vegetation created peat, and it was found that when cut and dried, peat (now called turf) burned well, and anyone with a plot of land started digging their own turf for fuel with a device called a sleán. Even now in rural Ireland, you can see stacks of peat drying before they are used.

Restrictions now in place mean you can only cut turf on your own property for yourself, and even the commercial digging company, Bord na Móna, discontinued its digging operation in 2021 due to this new legislation.

The Corlea Trackway

This is an ancient Iron Age bog road (or togher), dating back over 2,000 years. It is literally in the middle of nowhere just outside Keenagh, in County Longford, and was accidentally discovered by Bord na Móna in 1985 when digging was still permitted.

Bog roads were simple constructions and quite common, made from tree trunks laid end to end on top of the bog. These would have been sufficient for individual needs, but others like the Corlea Trackway, were much more elaborate. While its exact purpose isn’t known, experts believe the road at Corlea was of great importance, and was built to allow for the passage of wheeled vehicles, maybe providing necessary links between farming communities. Thanks to the oxygen-free environment of the bog there, the bacteria that would cause wood to decay was absent, which meant a large stretch of the road has remained largely intact. Wood samples analysed by radiocarbon dating indicated a felling date of 148 BC. Incredibly, the wood is so well preserved that marks from stone and metal axes can be clearly seen.

Credits: PA; Author: PA;

While bog roads of similar age have been found in the Netherlands and northern Germany, the Corlea Trackway is bigger and heavier than any of those prehistoric roads, and is one of the largest found in Europe. The road’s surface was constructed from oak planks measuring up to 4 metres in length, and were laid side by side on parallel runners, with wooden pegs then hammered through the planks to keep them in position. Hundreds of mature oaks would have been felled to complete the road, and each had to be trimmed and cut to the required length by hand before then being split into planks, achieved by hammering wooden wedges of varying size into the trunks, a painstaking but effective process.

The entire road was built using only the primitive tools available at the time, and would have been a massive undertaking. Unfortunately, within 10 years or less, it had sunk into the bog, and remained hidden there until its re-discovery in 1985.

The road was partially excavated under the leadership of Professor Barry Raftery of University College Dublin. To conserve the timber, the planks were transported to Portsmouth in England for freeze-drying, and the entire process of conservation took 2½ years to complete.

Credits: PA; Author: PA;

Now an 18m section of the excavated trackway remains on permanent display inside a huge specially designed, temperature-controlled hall to ensure the preservation of this ancient wooden structure, with access by guided tour only. Inside, various dioramas are on display, explaining the construction of the walkways, together with exhibits of various artefacts that were unearthed during excavation. In addition, and an audio-visual presentation gives more detail about the whole project, including its conservation. Outside the building is a trail over the still buried part of the trackway, estimated at 80 metres, which leads to an area of bog currently being managed to return it to a natural, semi-wild condition, and will provide a protective habitat for plants, birds and wild animals.

If you are ever visiting the area, don’t miss this amazing remnant of Ireland’s ancient past.

Author

Marilyn writes regularly for The Portugal News, and has lived in the Algarve for some years. A dog-lover, she has lived in Ireland, UK, Bermuda and the Isle of Man. 

Marilyn Sheridan