Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Mongan bog is a raised bog situated immediately east of the monastic site of Clonmacnoise and 12 km south of Athlone in County Offaly. Lying in a basin, it is surrounded mainly by high ground, including an esker ridge, and comprises a well-developed system of hummocks, pools and
Sphagnum lawns.
This site was formerly important for wintering
Anser albifrons flavirostris, although it is now only occasionally visited by this species. Other breeding species which are listed on Annex I of the EC Birds Directive are
Falco peregrinus,
Falco columbarius and
Circus cyaneus.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
No threats are known. This site is almost entirely privately-owned by An Taisce (it is a private, non-statutory reserve) and has been intensively researched since 1972. The area lies within a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Mongan Bog; area not known).
National High
International High119 ha of IBA covered by Reserve (Mongan Bog, 119 ha). 129 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Mongan Bog, 129 ha). 129 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Mongan Bog, 129 ha). 117 ha of IBA covered by Biogenetic Reserve (Mongan Bog, 117 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mongan bog (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mongan-bog-iba-ireland on 22/11/2024.
