Bogs and the Heritage That Still Remains in Them, Corlea Trackway

What to Expect

Guide Mary F takes a group out onto the bog at Corlea for an hour on the closing Sunday of National Heritage Week to talk about what peat preserves and why it matters. Irish bogs are anaerobic and acidic, which means organic material that would rot anywhere else survives in them: timber, leather, textiles, butter, bodies. Corlea itself exists because of that, and the walk covers the finds made in this bog and elsewhere, and the case for conserving what has not yet been cut away.

This is an outdoor walk rather than a lecture, so it goes at walking pace across ground that can be soft. Boots or sturdy shoes are sensible and a rain jacket is worth having whatever the forecast says.

It is one of four events at Corlea that afternoon and part of the Heritage at Risk programme, which runs from 15 to 23 August and covers bog ecology, Irish language, traditional music, children’s art and a photography exhibition.

Good to Know

• Sunday 23 August 2026, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
• Meeting point Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre, Keenagh, Co. Longford, N39 XT18.
• Booking is required. Email corlea@opw.ie or phone 043 332 2386, daily 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
• Admission was listed as to be confirmed. General entry to Corlea Trackway is free in 2026.
• Led by guide Mary F.
• Outdoor walk on bog ground. Wear boots or sturdy footwear and bring a rain jacket.
• Same day at Corlea: a talk on the uilleann pipes and the harp at 2:00 PM, an Irish Sign Language tour at 3:00 PM and the Fuaim na Saoirse harp and pipes recital at 4:00 PM.
• The Bogland photography exhibition and the Colouring the Past children’s competition both close that day at 5:00 PM.

Getting There

Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre lies about 15 kilometres south of Longford town, out on the bog road west of Keenagh village. From Longford, take the R397 or R392 towards Keenagh and follow the brown heritage signs. From Ballymahon it is roughly ten minutes north on the R392, and from Athlone take the N55 north and turn off at Ballymahon.

Parking is free with plenty of space. There is no scheduled bus service to the trackway, so drive or book Local Link ahead. Allow around 20 minutes from Longford town, 15 from Ballymahon and about 35 from Athlone or Roscommon town. The centre has accessible toilets and picnic areas, though the walk itself crosses uneven bog ground.