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Cuilcagh – Cuilcagh Anierin Mountain

The Cuilcagh Mountain and Cuilcagh-Anierin Uplands Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), hereafter referred to as “Cuilcagh”, are part of an extensive cross-border upland area which runs from south-west Fermanagh, through Cavan and down to Slieve Anierin in Leitrim.

The site is a diverse mosaic of habitats, and the blanket bog found here represents one of the most significant expanses of blanket bog on the island of Ireland, much of which is relatively undisturbed. Other key habitats include good representations of wet and dry heath, montane heath, and limestone grasslands, with a number of dystrophic and oligotrophic lakes scattered throughout these habitats. This mosaic of habitats supports a wide range of plant and animal species, including cross-leaved heath, deergrass and hare’s tail cottongrass. Cuilcagh is an important site for breeding birds and waders, such as Golden plover, Merlin and Snipe. Areas of dense Heather provide good habitat for Red grouse. Other typical upland bird species can be found at Cuilcagh, including Peregrine and Ring ouzel.

The area is of significant geological interest with sandstone, limestone, shale and mudstone sequencing, and has a number of designations in addition to its SAC status, emphasizing how important the area is for its natural environment and geological features.