Bord na Móna To Attempt World Record as Fairies Descend on Lough Boora Discovery Park in July 2017

Fairy Festival, in association with The Irish Fairy Door Company, Returns this July, 2017

Bord na Móna, along with The Irish Fairy Door Company, have announced the return of the spectacular Fairy Festival in Lough Boora Discovery Park, Co. Offaly on Saturday 22nd July 2017. This year’s event promises to be even more exciting with a World Record Attempt for the largest gathering of Fairies in one stunning location.

Fairy Wings and Wands at the ready!

Kicking off from 12.30 – 3.30pm on 22nd July 2017, event-goers of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their best Fairy costumes and play their part in the first Irish World Record Attempt to have the largest group of fairies.

Bord na Móna’s Fairy Festival promises to be a truly magical day out for the entire family with activities to entertain kids of all ages across three stages, not to mention the stunning Lough Boora Fairy Door Trail which is ready to be explored. Stage One will see The Irish Fairy Door Company’s resident fairies entertaining the masses with enchanting fairy tales, parachute games, giant bubbles and magnificent puppet shows with the famous Fairy Clodagh. There will be a magical fairy note workshop where every child can write a special note and hide it inside their own balloon and release it at home.

Stage Two features a stunning arts and crafts area where kids can make everything fairy-related from Fairy Pencil Toppers, Fairy Wands, Fairy Pencil Toppers, Finger Fairies and Stick Fairies – an interactive hub destined to be a success with craft lovers of all ages.

The third stage will feature a kids disco with special dance lessons from our expert fairy dancers.

Dee Ahearn, CEO of Barretstown said: We’re absolutely thrilled to be Bord na Móna’s chosen charity partner again this year. Family events at Lough Boora are always a fantastic family day out with children and adults alike speaking very highly of them. At Barretstown we must raise over €5 million each year to provide our life-changing programmes free of charge to children and families affected by serious illness. Having successful partnerships, like the one we have enjoyed for a number of years with Bord na Móna, means we can continue to provide our programmes to children and families, and for that we are so thankful.

Speaking at the launch, Sara Byrne of Bord na Móna said: ‘We’re always really excited about our events in Lough Boora Discovery with The Irish Fairy Door Company. This year is a little bit different as we’re attempting to set a World Record. We encourage everyone to come dressed in Fairy Wings and a Fairy Wand so we can really smash this World Record attempt. We’re absolutely delighted to be working with Barretstown again for the fifth year – being able to support the amazing work they do is something we’re incredibly proud of’.

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Re-live Last Year’s Fairy Fun!

Rare European Butterfly Discovered in West Offaly Bog

Bord na Móna appeals to the public to help find more examples

One of the rarest butterflies in Europe has returned to the bogs of West Offaly after an absence of over twenty years.

The Marsh Fritillary Butterfly was last seen on Turraun Bog in 1995 but has been recorded back on the bog within the past week. Bord na Móna ecologists confirm the butterfly has returned to the area.

The Head of Bord na Móna’s Energy Department, Joe Lane, said “This is a discovery of big European significance, the Marsh Fritillary Butterfly is a rare and beautiful creature that we thought had disappeared but now we now know to have returned.

We believe it has returned because of the extensive bog rehabilitation work that has taken place in Turraun and at the nearby Lough Boora Discovery Park but we need way more data on this project. That is why we are making a big appeal to people to go out there and find more examples of this and other butterflies. We are asking people to photograph butterflies if they can and send the picture and details regarding the location to us at ecology@bnm.ie. We know they are out there, so we are asking people to take their children, family, friends, grannies, whoever they can get to come to Lough Boora Discovery Park or go out to bogs and wetlands and help us find them. Above all when you do go out looking for the Marsh Fritillary remember to have fun and stay safe.”

The Marsh Fritillary is the only Irish butterfly that is protected at a European level. It is a species that will live in wetlands and bog margins.