History & Heritage

Bord na Móna has been part of Irish history for more than 75 years. Of course, the bogs have been part of Ireland for thousands of years, and have their own secrets to share too.

<strong>Please Can I Have Some More</strong><br/>
The Turf Development Board employed 28 cooks and 12 senior kitchen hands, during the harvest period the staff produced three meals daily for 4,000 workers

<strong>Turf Development Board Exhibition</strong><br/>
The Turf Development Board exhibited its products and fuel appliances at the National Planning Exhibition in 1943

Heartland

The Heartland project was begun as an exhibition, displaying samples from our vast archives. In Summer 2010, this exhibition made a tour of the heartland counties of Ireland, to great success. In April 2011, we also launched a new version of the Heartland website to provide a permanent online home for our heritage. The Heartland site is also a place where you, the public, can share your memories and experiences of Bord na Móna over the years and bring a greater depth and meaning to the historical experience. Eamon DeValera visits in 1944 On the site you’ll find articles about such important topics as how the workers spent Christmas Day in 1944 as well as Bord na Móna’s role in building many homes in villages and towns for its workers. There are also factsheets for schools and even lists of many of our workers, past and present. If you know someone who worked for Bord na Móna in the past, you can look them up , and maybe even give us more information about them! Footers Making Tea

Archaeology

Bord na Móna is pleased to be associated with a new Code of Practice on peatland archaeology, which outlines the principles to be applied for the protection of Ireland’s peatland archaeological heritage. Peatlands are a very important source of archaeological information in Ireland, as objects are preserved in peatlands because of the acidity of peat and the anaerobic environment which exists within peatland deposits. The new Code of Practice, developed in cooperation with the National Monuments Service and the National Museum of Ireland, enables us to proceed with our programme of peat harvesting in a manner that ensures the safeguarding of the State’s archaeological heritage. Tombeagh Bog Body

Excavations in 2011

Clonshannagh Bog, Mountdillon - excavations on a trackway, hurdle panel, platform and archaeological wood Killeens, Longfordpass and Inchirourke bogs in Littleton - excavations on toghers, trackways and a possible animal trap. All excavations were undertaken by Archaeological Development Services under licence from the Department of the Environment. You can learn more about other bog excavations on our Heartland website Corlea Trackway Excavation