Ireland’s bogs have always had a sense of otherworldliness about them. They often formed the natural boundaries and borders between ancient kingdoms. Archaeological and accidental discoveries over the years of votive offerings including human remains, have only reinforced the otherworldly aspect in peoples views! However, bogs have also had very practical roles in Irish lives over the centuries. In the past they would have been good hunting grounds for wildfowl, and were an important source of building materials such as reeds for thatch and much more.
Hidden away in the boglands of Longford, not far from Kenagh village, you will find an incredible and inspiring piece of history: a ‘togher’ – an Iron Age fort road, dating back to 148BC.
In the past, the waterlogged ground of the bog areas made it difficult for people to move from place to place. At Corlea, wooden causeways were laid out, helping the people who lived there to move around more easily.
The road found here is the largest road of its kind to have been uncovered in Europe and historians have agreed that it was part of a routeway of great importance, with some believing it may have been a section of a ceremonial highway connecting the Hill of Uisneach, the ritual centre of Ireland, and the royal site of Rathcroghan. Some others believe that these trackways were not designed to cross the bogs, but to get into the bogs.
Whatever its purpose, the roadway was only usable for a few years. Gradually covered by the rising bog and sinking under its own weight, it was covered by bog within a decade, perhaps less, and remained here preserved for two millenia!
The trackway is situated in an area which is the site of industrial-sized mechanised peat harvesting by Bord na Móna, mainly to supply the peat-fired power stations of the ESB – Electricity Supply Board. Today it is a generally float and open landscape, but in the Iron Age it was covered by bog, quicksand and pons, surrounded by dense woodlands of birch, willow, hazel and alder.
Work has been carried out by Bord na Móna and the Heritage Service to ensure the bog remains wet and that the buried road is preserved.
Inside the interpretive centre at the site, there is an impressive 18 metre stretch of the ancient wooden structure on permanent display in a hall specially designed to preserve it. The hall has humidifiers to prevent the ancient wood from cracking in the heat. Murals depicting people from the past decorate the walls of the centre, helping visitors get a true sense for how people lived through displays of tools and objects from the Iron Age.
The centre has access for people with disabilities and guided tours are available. Beside the Visitor Centre is the beautiful Corlea Bog Amenity Walk and the Royal Canal Greenway, both ideal for walking.