One of Ireland's most characteristic features is the bog. Covering 1,200,000 hectares (1/6th) of the island, Ireland contains more bog, relatively speaking, than any country in Europe except Finland. Across Europe, as well as in Ireland, bogs have been exploited in recent centuries as a source of fuel. With many of the bogs in the rest of Europe already gone, Ireland's now have an increased importance to the scientific community, as well as the tourist industry. Although most bogs appear similar, there are in fact two very distinct types:
Raised bogs as opposed to Blanket bogs, are found almost exclusively in central Ireland, chiefly in the Shannon basin. There are a few examples in Ulster and Munster, but the vast majority are to found in the midlands. Unlike blanket bogs, they were formed naturally. To understand raised bogs, one has to realise that Ireland's vegetation landscape is very young - it began to form only at the end of the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. When the land surface was new, the glacial morraine left behind created a hummocky and chaotic plain which had poor drainage as a consequence. The depressions filled with water, creating thousands of tiny lakes. It was these tiny lakes that, over the 10 intervening millennia, have become the raised bogs.
This little cache is not for the faint hearted. Though not in a remote area, suitable outdoor attire should be worn. The area is not wheelchair friendly. In summer navigation could be confounded somewhat by dense foliage. The earlier sections are micro caches and simply give the co-ordinates and clues for the next. The final cache is a small tab box. The round trip is just less than 2K and should take about an hour.
Parking at N 54o 50.098 W 006o. 19.032 Roadside
The first clue is at N 54o 50.028 W 006o. 19.091 Stopper / lid
Find the stopper on the birch tree, but leave it tight as tight can be ..
Enjoy this little bog. It is packed with wildlife especially in the summer.