A new report on County Longford wetlands surveyed in 2020 has been published

This project involved a field survey of eleven freshwater wetlands in County Longford, located in the southern part of the county, with the aim of identifying the specific wetlands and ecological interest of each site. These sites had previously been identified as being of potential interest during the County Longford & Roscommon Wetland Study 2017 project. The sites were selected for survey due to the potential occurrence of notable wetland habitats. This report presents the results of the 2020 field survey and includes detailed site descriptions and habitat maps for each of the wetlands surveyed.

The survey was commissioned by Longford County Council and undertaken by ecologists with Wetland Surveys Ireland. 

Wetlands are important for biodiversity by supporting a wide range of specialist plant and animal species. In addition, wetlands provide important ecosystem services such as flood prevention, provision of clean water, and carbon storage.

The main findings to emerge from the 2020 wetlands survey is the identification of a number of important wetland sites (ranging from national to high local importance),  including a turlough, a freshwater floodplain marsh, a lake, and a number of remnant raised bog sites.

The results of the 2020 field survey suggests that many important wetland sites may remain un-identified throughout county Longford and further surveys will be required to improve our knowledge of the county's wetland heritage. 

The County Longford Wetlands Field Survey 2020 was made possible through the financial support of Longford County Council and The Heritage Council. 

The County Longford Wetlands Field Survey 2020 is an action of the County Longford Draft Heritage Plan 2015-2020. The report is available from Máiréad Ní Chonghaile, Heritage Officer, Longford County Council.