Overview
Lough Boora Discovery Park covers 2,000 hectares of reclaimed landscape in the heart of County Offaly. What was once a bustling Bord na Móna peat extraction site has been carefully re-wilded into a patchwork of shallow lakes, reed beds, mixed woodlands and open grassland. Open 365 days a year with free entry, the park offers a rare combination of environmental art, ancient archaeology and accessible outdoor recreation. It’s a straightforward, rewarding day trip for families, cyclists, birdwatchers and anyone looking to step away from the road.
From Peatworks to Paradise
Between the 1940s and the early 1970s, this bog supplied over a million tonnes of peat annually. When the machinery stopped, the cut-away pits gradually filled with rainwater, forming the distinctive lakes that now define the area. A decades-long restoration programme has reintroduced native flora and pasture, creating a thriving habitat. Today, you can spot bog cotton blanketing the wetlands in late summer, or look out for the rare Bee Orchid in the grasslands during late May. The landscape also supports deer, wild goats, hares and more than 130 recorded bird species.
Ancient Footprints: The Mesolithic Route
While the modern lakes are a product of 20th-century industry, the area’s human history stretches back millennia. In 1977, a Bord na Móna worker found stone tools on the lakeshore, leading to the excavation of one of Ireland’s most important Mesolithic sites. Dating to roughly 8,000 BC, the hunter-gatherer camp yielded axeheads, scrapers, burnt bone, fish remains and a large cache of hazelnuts – and pushed the accepted date for people living in the Irish midlands back by more than 3,000 years. Visitors can walk the Mesolithic Route, which uses clear signage and information panels to interpret the ancient campsite and its surroundings.
The Sculpture Trail & Fairy Loop
The Sculpture in the Parklands programme launched in 2002, commissioning large-scale works that interact directly with the bog environment. The 2.8 km Sculpture Loop features 24 permanent installations built from weather-resistant materials like oak, rusted steel and reclaimed railway parts. Nature is designed to be part of the artwork, with pieces gradually patinaing and blending into the landscape. Standouts include:
- Sky Train by Michael Bulfin – a rusted train carriage lifted into a sweeping, rainbow-coloured arch.
- Earth and Sky by Alfio Bonanno – a 7-metre tall wooden form that frames the horizon.
- Boora Pyramid – a sharp steel pyramid reflecting the surrounding wetlands.
- System No 30 by Julian Wild – an 18-metre serpentine of reclaimed metal skimming a canal edge.
- Rhythms of Time by Marian O’Donnell – intersecting circles of old railway track that cast shifting shadows throughout the day.
- 60 Degrees by Kevin O’Dwyer – an angular metalwork piece and one of the park’s best-known commissions.
For younger visitors, the Fairy Trail is a 1.5 km woodland loop starting behind the visitor centre, with 14 fairy doors tucked along the way to keep small walkers moving.
Wildlife, Angling & Cycling
The park’s flat, wide gravel paths make it exceptionally easy to navigate on foot, by bike or in a wheelchair. There are five waymarked walking routes and three designated cycle routes threading past lakes, reed beds and newly planted trees. Four lakes are open for angling, including Loch an Dochas, and the fishing suits all abilities. Birdwatchers should bring binoculars: more than 130 species have been recorded, with skylarks over the grassland, hares and foxes on the ground, and whooper swans arriving to winter on the wetlands.
Bike hire is available on-site, and the fleet includes electric bikes and child trailers, which makes the longer countryside loops manageable for all ages. Dogs are welcome on all paths provided they are kept on a leash.
Visitor Centre & Café
The award-winning visitor centre is the hub for information and refreshments. The Organic Kitchen serves Fairtrade coffee and a menu built around locally sourced produce from regional farms. There’s seating on a deck overlooking the lakes, perfect for a picnic or a hot drink.
The park also hosts a steady calendar of community events. The annual Bog Run is a muddy 5 km charity race, and the year runs from Darkness into Light in May through a family scavenger hunt in August to Spooky Avenue at Halloween. Seasonal wildlife walks led by ecologists and artist-led workshops fill out the calendar, and a pedal-powered Velo Rail tour along the old bog railway is among the newer additions. Check the park website for dates before you travel.
Getting There & Practical Tips
- Location: Lough Boora Discovery Park, Boora, Leabeg, County Offaly.
- Directions: From Tullamore, take the R421 south to the roundabout and bear right onto the N52 towards Birr/Nenagh. Exit right onto the R357 and continue for 8 km; the park entrance is on the left. Public transport options are limited, so driving is recommended.
- Opening & Access: Open daily from dawn to dusk, year-round. Entry is free. The car park is staffed from 08:00 to 18:00.
- Accessibility: Main paths are flat and wide, suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs. The visitor centre and café are fully accessible, and the sensory garden, An Portach Ciúin (the Quiet Bog), gives a calm space away from the busier trails.
- Bike Hire: Book bikes on 085 1735204; the fleet includes electric bikes and children’s trailers.
- What to bring: Sturdy footwear for longer walks, binoculars for the wetlands, and a picnic for the lakeside deck. Check the park’s website before visiting for seasonal guided walk schedules and event registrations.
Just a short drive from the town, the park’s flat terrain and clear signage mean you can easily spend a full afternoon tracing the sculpture loop, spotting winter migrants or following the ancient Mesolithic footprints without needing a detailed map.