Tullamore Lions Club spearheads major bog conservation project
Climate Ambassadors visit Clonbeale More bog near Rath in south Offaly
THE An Taisce Climate Ambassador Programme supports and provides training for people taking action on climate change in their local communities.
Tullamore Lions Club member Michael Carroll is participating in the 2025 programme. Michael is spearheading the Clonbeale More Peatland Conservation Project on behalf of the club.
On Saturday, July 19, he hosted a visit to Clonbeale More for fellow Climate Ambassadors and friends of the Tullamore Lions Club. Participants travelled to the event from Dublin, Galway, and Clare. Members of Tullamore and Birr Lions Clubs were also present.
The event began with a presentation by Michael about the Clonbeale More Project, including how the Tullamore Lions Club became involved in 2022, the feasibility study conducted in 2023, and how the proposed conservation measures were implemented in 2024.
With the first phase of the project now completed, the once dry surface of Clonbeale More has rewetted, carbon emissions have significantly reduced, and species and habitats that were in decline have begun to recover.
The visitors were presented with copies of The Lions, the Bees and the Bogs as a memento of their visit.
This beautifully written and illustrated Children's storybook was published by Tullamore Lions Club in 2024 to spread the message of peatland conservation in storybook format. It is a delightful publication, superbly written and illustrated by Dolores Keaveney. It captures the essence of what Tullamore Lions Club is attempting to convey to future generations.
After a Q&A session and some lunch, the group toured the Clonbeale More site in the capable hands of Brian Gorman.
Brian’s company (Gorman Earthworks) expertly implemented the conservation plan for the site in late 2024, and Brian provided a detailed explanation of the measures implemented. These included the installation of peat and plastic dams, weirs, peat bunds, and the removal of invasive rhododendron.