A new €12 million wetland restoration initiative, co-funded by the Irish government and the EU through the EU Just Transition Fund Programme, is underway in the midlands.

The Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration Project is a three-year initiative dedicated to wetland restoration, research, and community engagement across Ireland's midlands.

Managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), Tóchar was established as part of Ireland’s just transition journey towards climate neutrality, in a broader movement towards carbon neutrality.

The EU Just Transition area in Ireland defines the counties of Kildare, Galway, Roscommon, Laois, Longford, Offaly, Tipperary, and Westmeath, which were selected as the focus for this project's restoration efforts.

Through the €12 million investment, the project aims to restore degraded wetlands across the midlands and surrounding counties, enhancing biodiversity while supporting local livelihoods in these areas as a result.

Tóchar project manager, Shirley Clerkin, highlighted the importance of the community participation aspect of the initiative: "We hope that communities will get involved in Tóchar.

"We want to hear their stories about the landscape so that we can work together to restore and protect these unique wetlands.

"By restoring degraded wetlands, we can foster sustainable living, community pride, and a renewed relationship with nature, ensuring a climate-conscious legacy of biodiversity and resilience for generations to come."

Initial projects set out under Tóchar include:

Pollardstown Fen, Co. Kildare – a restoration initiative for Ireland's most important calcareous fen;
Slieve Bloom Mountains, Co. Laois and Offaly – a conservation project aimed at protecting breeding Hen Harriers and increasing wetland restoration opportunities;
Clara Bog, Co. Offaly – further restoration works to preserve this internationally significant raised bog habitat.

The project also includes restoration plans for 36 fen sites across the region. Fens are described as peatlands under the influence of groundwater, that are therefore more alkaline than acidic in nature.

An additional 12 community-led wetland projects have received letters of offer for a variety of actions under the Tóchar framework, including drainage and hydrology assessments, vegetation assessments and monitoring.

Minister of State for nature, heritage and biodiversity, Christoper O’Sullivan commented: “The Tóchar project is an exciting and essential initiative in Ireland’s journey toward nature restoration and sustainability.

"This project represents a balanced approach to conservation, ensuring that we protect these precious ecosystems while working closely with local communities to support a fair and just transition.”

The project's name reportedly derives from the Irish word, tóchar or togher, which refers to a path through a bog or wetland.

According to the project organisers, hundreds of these ancient pathways have been discovered deep within the peatlands of Ireland.