Ambling over Cloncrow Bog with Tyrrellspass community advocate Eugene Dunbar - Day 6
The Irish Stew podcasters venture across Westmeath one last time, to the county’s eastern reaches to explore the picturesque village of Tyrrellspass, where they once again find a story of community commitment…and a bog.
The community leader giving cohosts John Lee and Martin Nutty the grand tour of his charming town is Eugene Dunbar, a retired teacher who never retired from educating anyone who’d listen about the treasures unique to Tyrrellspass.
After meeting Eugene at the town’s centerpiece castle tower, the trio followed the signs to the Cloncrow Bog & Village Trail.
The way to the Cloncrow Bog boardwalk
“I came here in 1972 as a geography teacher, and I was absolutely intrigued with the whole system of the bogs and having one so close to us here in Tyrrellspass,” he says. “It’s what they term an intact raised bog, with the same vegetation that would have been on it 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,000 years ago. So, you're looking at a unique landscape that hasn't changed in millennia.”
Eugene tells of how people moved from viewing bogs purely as fuel sources to recognizing them as vital carbon sinks and ecological wonders, driven locally by the volunteer effort known as ETHOS--Everything Tyrrellspass Has On Show. Refusing to be bogged down by bureaucratic challenges, Dunbar and the other ETHOS volunteers created the interpretive raised boardwalk through the local raised bog, which morphs into a trail through the highlights the village itself, culminating in its picture-perfect town green with its evocative 1970 Imogen Stuart sculpture of three school children representing the future of the new Ireland.
After a restorative pint (or maybe it was two) in the snug, welcoming Willie’s Bar, Eugene took the podcasters back to his inviting home, decorated with the paintings of his wife Josephine who served the trio tea and scones while the podcast recording began in earnest.
A friendly welcome at Willie's Bar in Tyrellspass
Add signature Irish hospitality to Everything Tyrrellspass Has On Show!
It’s off to Longford next week when Irish Stew adds a mysterious Iron Age road to its Off the Beaten Track Road Trip itinerary as they explore the Corlea Trackway, discovered in 1984 by workers digging peat in the local bog--yes, again with the bog!
Links
Irish Stew Links
- Website
- Media Partner: IrishCentral
Episode Details: Season 8, Episode 1; Total Episode Count: 143
00:00 - Introduction
02:35 - Eugene Dunbar from Limerick to Tyrellspass
03:28 - Looking for the pass
04:20 - Everything Esker
08:03 - Connecting bog to town
10:19 - Types of bog
14:13 - Miraculous sphagnum moss
15:39 - Building the Cloncrow Bog and Village Trail
20:49 - The trail experience
24:42 - Sharing the trail experience
28:33 - ETHOS
29:44 - Built Heritage
34:23 - The visitor experience
37:21 - Seamus Plug: An Gaeilge
43:04 - John & Martin Recap
47:51 - Credits
Community Leader
Retired geography teacher Eugene Dunbar is a much-loved community leader from Tyrrellspass, Co. Westmeath, renowned for his dedication to local heritage, nature, and education. A driving force behind ETHOS (Everything Tyrrellspass Has On Show) and the Cloncrow Bog & Village Trail, Eugene has helped display the rich biodiversity, history, and landscape on the village’s doorstep, inspiring both residents and visitors to see their place in a new light. Through years of volunteerism, guiding walks, and working with local schools and groups, he has become a key custodian of Tyrrellspass’s story and a champion of community-led environmental stewardship.
