Eskeragh is located just south of the main Ballina to Belmullet road,
approximately 10 kilometres west of Crossmolina, Co. Mayo. The site
occurs in two parts one covering an area of 12.3 hectares with the other
covering an area of 28.3 hectares. These forestry-dominated sites lie
within the extensive Bellacorick Bog Complex Special Area of Conservation
which is one of the finest examples of a relatively intact lowland blanket
bog landscape in Ireland. The SAC is notable for the widespread occurrence
of flush and fen vegetation, derived from mineral-rich groundwater seepage
areas, which support a range of rare vascular plant and moss species.
The Owenboy Nature Reserve lies to the south of the larger forestry
sub-site at Eskeragh. The majority of the land within this site is
planted however there are also small areas of open blanket bog within
the larger of the two sub-sites. Throughout most of the afforested areas
the trees have grown poorly and, as a result, the bog vegetation is still
present and many drains have infilled with a luxuriant cover of Sphagnum moss.
The conifers at this site will be felled, left on site and any significant
drains will be blocked.