The sun shone on the Tóchar Stories bog talk and walk in Kilteevan, Co Roscommon on August 16th as part of National Heritage Week. Twenty-five people took part in the event organised by Tóchar Stories in partnership with Kilteevan Tidy Towns, Kilteevan Community Development Group, National Parks and Wildlife Service  (NPWS) and with the welcome participation of the local Bord na Móna bog rehabilitation team led by Oliver McGlinchy. 

The theme of the event was sharing the story of bog rehabilitation and restoration. The event highlighted how restoration will work when it begins in the Lough Ree SAC bogs, including Cloonlarge Bog which is just a couple of kilometres outside Kilteevan village. Eileen Fahey, Chair of Kilteevan Tidy Towns, gave an insight into what triggered her own passion for nature and the bog and how the local community has become custodians of Cloonlarge Bog through Tidy Towns. Therese Kelly, District Conservation Officer with NPWS gave a presentation on how bog rehabilitation works and how Bord na Mona will lead the operational work in sites like Cloonlarge Bog, where turf cutting ceased over a decade ago. The indoor session took place in the beautiful Kilteevan Community Centre, with its 1904 hand-painted ceiling, and included a question and answer session where Bord na Mona project manager, Oliver McGlinchy reassured local farmers on how the bog rehabilitation work will not negatively impact nearby land and points to examples in other parts of Midlands where work has happened and is showing good results.

After the indoor session, attendees enjoyed a 2.5km bog walk on the Cloonlarge loop with guiding providing by naturist Katie Smirnova who is supporting Tóchar Stories and Tóchar Midlands Restoration Project in their work.