Ballynahone Bog

Ballynahone Bog is situated in Londonderry in the centre of Northern Ireland. It is one of the largest lowland raised bogs in Northern Ireland, formed in the valley of the Moyola River which flows into Lough Neagh. The raised bog that covers most of the site exhibits the full range of characteristic vegetation and structural features associated with this type of habitat and is surrounded by cut-over bog with poor fen and birch woodland. The area of the proposed Ramsar site is 243.24 ha.

The classic domed profile of the deep peat exhibits a wide range of characteristic vegetation and structural features, with pool, hummock and lawn complexes. The bog vegetation is characterised by a high percentage cover of Sphagnum mosses, ericoid dwarf-shrubs and other associated species.

On the greater part of the bog plain the prominent species include:

• Heather
• Cross-leaved Heath
• Hare’s-tail Cottongrass
• Common Cottongrass
• Deergrass

Additional species that are also well represented within the turf include Bog Asphodel and White Beak-sedge, with occasional patches of Bog-myrtle. Sphagnum mosses generally form scattered.