Trazee In-Depth: Bog Life in Ireland

Sometime after the Ice Age, around 4000 B.C., Ireland’s forestation grew far and wide, covering most of the country. This widespread vegetation, combined with heavy rainfall, preserved the wet fertile soil of Ireland for centuries, contributing to the growth of Ireland’s famous and vital bog life.

Bogs are essentially the result of exposed soil, an accumulation of moisture and un-decomposed plant life. There are two types of bogs popular to Ireland — raised and blanket bogs. In the United States, they would be most comparable to our southern ecosystem of marshes and wetlands.

Mostly found in the West, blanket bogs typically develop on higher ground. When the drainage of this plant life is blocked, the poorly decomposed peat, also known as turf, builds up and creates the bog. This natural phenomenon continued building upon itself for hundreds of years until 17^th-century farmers began cutting the peat to use for fuel.

Ireland has one of the highest bog populations in the world and each patch can stretch for miles. From far away, these bogs look like soft blankets covering the Earth, which is how they got the name. They’ve proven vital for the Irish ecosystem.

Raised bogs have a similar use as blanket bogs, but are much less common. The natural development of peat bogs began some time around 7000–1500 B.C., where peat began to build up and grow around and within smaller lakes with little air circulation and filtration. The peat builds up, eventually taking over smaller lakes where ancient farmers would fish, creating the raised bog life of Ireland.

In dry seasons, trees can grow on top of the bog, adding to the un-decomposed plant life when they die. The peat chokes the lake and the raised bog becomes engulfed in plant life. Almost exclusively found in central Ireland, this will too be cut and used for fuel.

The Peatland Conservation Council of Ireland maintains the efforts to preserve the bogs. The upkeep mostly consists of tree removal from the perimeter of the bog, preventing the roots from supplying filtration and disassembling the turf build up.

In addition to the practical use, especially for the blanket variety, bogs in Ireland have become synonymous with mystery and intrigue. Around 100 human bodies have been found there, dating back centuries. Thanks to the moist, thick plant life, consisting mostly of water and vegetation, bodies found in the bogs are incredibly well preserved.

One of the most famous human remains found in an Irish bog is known as the Cashel Man, discovered in 2011. The Cashel Man is believed to be more than 4,000 years old and currently in the National Museum of Ireland in Dublin.

Another famous ancient figure is known as the Old Croghan Man, the oldest and possibly the only bog body found with its skin still intact., allowing experts to hypothesize the deceased’s year of death, height, approximate diet and probable cause of death.

Many experts and archeologists believe some of the bodies were the result of human sacrifice, while others may have been more dubious. Many of the bodies show signs of torture and possibly murder.

Bodies found in County Ofally, Meath and Galway are estimated to have died somewhere between 362–175 B.C. and still show signs of afflictions. The deep wounds and marks on the bodies lead experts to believe it could have been foul play, while others say they were sustained in battle and the bog was a worthy resting place.

Though we will never really know how and why so many bodies were discarded in the bogs, popular belief remains that the bog bodies were most likely the result of an honorable death. Sacrifice for tribal causes were common during the Iron Age, as well as death by combat. In the Viking tradition, men who perished in battle would have been buried in the bog with their weapons and other worldly possessions. The “Kingship and Sacrifice” exhibit in the National Museum provides a general overview of the Iron Age bog bodies and allows visitors to actually come “face to face” with the ancient remains.

Between the long and elusive history of the bogs and their practical use today, these vital ecosystems have proven to be an invaluable part of Ireland’s folklore and culture.