Cortial Lake and Bog - Introduction.
Cortial Lake and Bog are situated in the townland of Kilkerley (often shown as Kilcurly on maps and road-signs), approximately 5 miles west of Dundalk, County Louth. The area is part of a proposed Natural Heritage Area (pNHA) named Drumcah, Toprass and Cortial Lough. It cannot be designated as a NHA until amendment of the 1976 Wildlife Act has taken place. It is hoped that this bill will be published later in 1998. In 1972, An Foras Forbartha (The National Institute for Physical Planning and Construction Research) listed the site as an Area of Scientific Interest. The scientific interests were designated as Ecological, Botanical, Zoological, and Ornithological.
Cortial Lake has an area of 6 acres (2.5 hectares), while the surrounding Bog covers approximately 166 acres (67 hectares). Although the area around the lake is referred to as Cortial Bog, it is actually marshland/reedbed and not a peat bog as is the norm when referring to Bogs generally in Ireland.
The area surrounding the lake is drumlin country. The hills enclose basins that in three places form shallow lakes - Cortial and its sister lakes Toprass and Drumcah. The site is not managed in any way and therefore enjoys the advantages associated with little disturbance from visitors. The disadvantages include the hazards from hunting on the site and an element of illegal dumping.
Reedswamps are a transitional habitat, spanning the divide between water and dry land, and are probably Irelands most under-rated habitat, yet they are full of indigenous species of plants, animals, birds, and insects.