‘Turbary Writes’ showcasing Laois Offaly’Heritage at Risk’ for Heritage Week

Artful Parks at Clonaghadoo, Geashill on Laois/Offaly border to host event

Turbary Writes will take place at Artful Parks at Clonaghadoo, Geashill on the Laois/Offaly border as part of Heritage Week 2026. All are welcome to this free event on Saturday, August 22 from 7pm to 9pm.

It is ideally suited to this year’s Heritage Week theme, ‘Heritage at Risk’.

Artful Parks is the brainchild of Brian Gorman, rooted in his inter-generational involvement of the midland bogs, a journey which has evolved from peat harvesting to restoration and conservation.

Conservation not just of the bogland, the landscape, its rich flora and fauna, visual amenity, habitat and biodiversity but also of the heritage, culture and social history of the bogs and those who worked them for decades, such as Brian and his family going back generations.

Turbary Writes is an acknowledgement and celebration of this journey, like Artful Parks itself, a work in progress, which continues to evolve for the benefit of the bog and the landscape and the sanctuary it provides to a vast array of species. It is a journey that embraces transition for the benefit of restoring the bogland and in its regeneration so too is the promise and potential  regeneration and sustainability for bog families; the surrounding villages and towns and their communities.

Turbary Writes will bring together these communities to celebrate the heritage of the bogs in song, story and spoken word staged in the heart of the bog itself at Artful Parks, with the majestic Slieve Bloom Mountains as the ‘screensaver’ in the background.

All are welcome to this free event from 7pm on August 22nd in the great outdoors as Brian Gorman introduces the concept and vision for Artful Parks in an opening 30 minute talk & tour, a taste of the nature and nature trails in this expansive wilderness.

This will be followed by a series of performances of song, stories and spoken word, grounded in a love of the land and the landscape, nature and those who nurture this next chapter of the bogs as they champion a Heritage at Risk for future generations to enjoy, explore and educate themselves of this invaluable ecology and environmental wonderland that are our midlands Bogs.

Artful Parks are grateful for the collaboration and support of Amanda Kelly of Power of Words in the presentation of Turbary Writes. This typifies the collaborative and cooperative philosophy of Artful Parks as it sets about its inspiring regenerative journey with great scope for further such collaborations in relation to arts, heritage, culture, conservation, recreation and education into the future.

Turbary Writes at Artful Parks is being organised as part of the countrywide Heritage Week programme with the support of the Offaly and Laois Heritage offices, and Creative Ireland Offaly which is greatly appreciated.

This is an outdoor event on peatland terrain and those attending are advised to dress appropriately. Artful Parks is located off the N80 between Mountmellick and Tullamore and will be extensively signposted. All are welcome.