Haughey's Bog

We’ve teamed up with the An Creagán Centre to transform this former commercially harvested bog, outside Omagh, into a thriving demonstration hub for peatland restoration – the first of its kind for Northern Ireland. 

In its current state, Haughey's Bog is dried out, devoid of life, and leaking tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Over the next ten years, we aim to restore 30 hectares of this severely degraded peatland habitat, equivalent to 74 football pitches – to help bring nature back, improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and tackle climate change.

Building on our experience and expertise in peatland restoration, we will rewet and rejuvenate Haughey's Bog which was previously drained and cut for turf, using a variety of best practice techniques such as peat dams and bunds.

These interventions will help trap water on the bog, allowing peat-forming plants to grow again and wildlife to recover, as well as reducing carbon emissions helping to move the site towards carbon storage.

Monitoring the water table, and greenhouse gas emissions, alongside monitoring specialist plants such as sphagnum mosses, and iconic wildlife such as snipe and large heath butterfly, will help assess the effectiveness of restoration.

The aim is to share knowledge and learning with practitioners, farmers, contractors and researchers facing similar challenges across peatland landscapes at home and further afield, with techniques and the latest research showcased.

Events and training days will also be delivered at the nearby An Creagán Centre to engage local landowners and the community in peatland restoration and to share the rich heritage of the area – from the nearby standing stones and twisted remnants of ancient bog pines to the homestead of Peadar Joe Haughey, after whom the bog is named.

Over the next ten years, 30 hectares of severely degraded peatland habitat will be restored, equivalent to 74 football pitches – to help bring nature back, improve water quality, reduce flood risk, and tackle climate change.

With over 80% of Northern Ireland’s peatlands in poor condition, restoring peatlands is one of the most effective nature-based solutions to tackling the nature and climate crises, but it needs to happen on a large scale and at pace. This is where the location of Haughey’s Bog is really important.

Located just 100 m north, hidden out of sight by surrounding conifers, is Black Bog Special Area of Conservation, one of the most intact areas of active raised bog in Northern Ireland. We are working with Forest Service Northern Ireland to explore options for converting the conifer plantation, which surrounds Haughey’s bog, back into its natural bog habitat – which would enable us to join up these two peatland sites.

The resulting bigger, better, and more connected space for nature will allow wildlife to move, adapt, and thrive, creating a wider peatland Nature Recovery Network, over 200 ha in size. This boost will provide an opportunity to showcase a range of restoration techniques all within easy reach of one another. 

Find out more about our peatland restoration work