Bog fire between Spiddal and Moycullen on Sunday evening.
The weather was fine for most of last week. Though there are still many pools of water to be found on all of the bogs in Connemara, the undergrowth has become quite dry. Unfortunately, the dry weather means that the season for bogfires has begun. I can’t see the point really – most bogs are worked with machines now[tractors, diggers, etc], so clearing the heather and grass is a simple task. Instead, certain landowners light fires that almost inevitably burn out of control.
At the very least, fire crews are called out to manage and contain the fires – at worst, machines, woodland, houses and even power supplies are endangered. This fire took place very close to the location, and almost 2 years to the day as this fire, near Moycullen (there is a large expanse of bog and woodland that straddles the hills that separate Moycullen from Spiddal and the sea).
The fireline approaching a planted forest between Moycullen and Spiddal.