Abbeyleix Bog Project CLG

Abbeyleix Bog Project Company Limited By Guarantee is a community-led conservation initiative that manages around 500 acres of peatland in County Laois, including roughly 100 hectares of restored raised bog. Run entirely by local volunteers, the project safeguards habitats, wildlife and visitor experience, offering an elevated walking trail that follows a former railway line, a boardwalk and a purpose-built bog bridge.

Visitors can explore the site at their own pace or arrange large-group visits, and enhance their walk with a new audio-visual guide accessed via QR codes, featuring drone footage and videos that illustrate the bog's history, biodiversity and ongoing restoration work. The organisation also runs educational events, art programmes such as the OF.HANDS festival and an annual calendar competition, and actively manages invasive species like Rhododendron ponticum.

Through its Conservation Management Plan, Abbeyleix Bog Project has recorded notable wildlife returns-including moths, birds and waterfowl-and continues to serve both local residents and international guests who seek a hands-on experience of Ireland's peatland heritage.