i897-] PRAHGER. — Bog~bursts — Recent Disaster, Co. Kerry. 157 



A.D. 1890, January 27. — Bog at Loughatorick North, Co. Galway. — The 

 bog is situated in the townland of Loughatorick North, on the Slieve 

 Aughty Mountains, nearly on the watershed, and 300 feet above Ballin- 

 lough Lake, which lies N.E-, and into which the bog drains by a small 

 river. The bog consists of two portions, separated by a narrow neck, 

 where exposed rock was seen after the outburst. The upper and larger 

 part is 70 acres in extent, the lower only 15 acres. The latter began to 

 move 3 days before the upper portion ; in its centre was a small lake to 

 which an underground stream could be traced ; after the outburst, this 

 lake became dry. After a fall of snow, a sudden thaw set in on the 24th 

 January ; three days later a movement of the bog commenced, and con- 

 tinued till 1st February. Great masses of peat were carried away by the 

 black flood into Ballinlough Lake, which was nearly filled with peat 

 and the outwashed trunks of trees. The lowlands were covered with 

 peat over an area of 100 acres, and for a depth of 12 inches. Traces of 

 the flood were visible to a height of 6 or 7 feet on the trunks of trees 

 which stood in its course. The upper part of the bog subsided from 10 

 to 15 feet ; its margins were much rent with fissures, i 



A.D. I895y August 9. — Bog near Dungiven, Co. Derry. — The site was in 

 the townland of Briskey, at the east slope of Benbradagh ; an extensive 

 mountain bog 10 to 30 feet in depth, sloping at a gradient of about i in 12. 

 Where the burst occurred a small stream runs underground for about a 

 quarter mile, the ground above it being firm, so that cattle grazed on it. 

 On the evening of August 9th there was a thunderstorm, but not 

 accompanied by any excessive rainfall. The weather during the summer 

 had been normal. In the night, probably before midnight, between 2 

 and 3 acres of bog gave way. For some 40 yards length at its lower end, 

 the bog burst out entirely. Over the rest a tapering area 300 feet wide 

 by 600 long, the ground subsided about 10 feet, leaving great blocks of 

 the solid crust, broken up in a fantastic way. A very considerable flood 

 of water and peat poured down the stream, which eventually joins the 

 River Roe. No damage was done, as the gradients are steep, and the 

 land not under cultivation, but a cottage situated beside the stream 

 I mile below the scene of the outburst narrowly escaped being washed 

 away. A deposit of peat was left on the banks of the stream for a con- 

 siderable distance. There is evidence of several similar slides having 

 taken place in the district." 



Outside Ireland the bursting of bogs appears to be a pheno- 

 menon of great rarity. Klinge, in a valuable Paper on bog 

 eruptions, states that, after a diligent search through European 

 literature, he has been able to discover only two examples that 



1 Report to the Board of Public Works, by Mr. A. T. Pentland, 24th 

 November, 1890. 

 ■ Information supplied by Mr. H. C. Moore, C.E., Dungiven. 



