Croagh Bog ASSI

Croagh Bog is a special place for its extent of intact blanket bog and the important plant and invertebrate communities that it supports.

Most of the blanket bog vegetation is characterised by Heather and Cross-leaved Heath, with frequent Bog Asphodel, Hare’s-tail Cottongrass and Northern Deergrass. The bog surface also supports a high cover of Bog-mosses Sphagnum species, the main building blocks of the bog leading to the development of peat over a long period of time.

The central portion of the bog contains a domed area of deeper peat which supports a well-developed hummock and pool system. The notable Rusty Bog-moss forms low hummocks, with the aquatic Feathery Bog-moss occurring in pools and wetter areas. The insectivorous Round-leaved Sundew is also present.

Gently flushed slopes on the bog surface are dominated by Purple Moor-grass and Bog-myrtle, typical of western blanket bogs. These areas support one of the largest known populations of the rare Argent and Sable moth, a UK Priority Species currently known from only a few sites in Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh. In Northern Ireland, the larvae are known to spin their webs on the leaves of the Bog-myrtle.