Stéphane Bruchet
Cultural Landscape
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‣ About the project
- The Boggeragh Uplands
- The visual archive
‣ Sample galleries
- Scenery
- Stones
- Roads
- Signs
- Services
- Leftovers
- Afforestation
- Gates
- Trees
- Bog
- Heroes
- Wind farms
A sense of place
at the crossroads of geography, history and culture.
Natural characteristics set the foundations of the landscape. Human activities modify it. Political concerns produce mental landscapes and digital innovation introduces virtual ones.
The Eastern edge of the Munster Mountain Ridge is not as spectacular as its coastal Western side, but the Boggeragh uplands offer a succession of hills and valleys more accommodating to human habitat than the western peaks.
From Musheramore (Alt 643m), the elevation drops sharply westwards towards Millstreet (Alt 134m) and on the Southern slope towards Macroom (Alt 118m). It is more gentle on the northern side, with a long plateau dropping towards Mallow (Alt: 74m) and a gradual descent towards Blarney (Alt: 55m) on the eastern side.
Above 300m, monoculture forestry and wind farms compete with the rich blanket bog.
Between 300m and 150m, the land, naturally marginal, has been reclaimed for agriculture.
362 hectares of the uplands are designated Natural Heritage Area and The Boggeragh Mountains were surveyed in 2023 for inclusion in the Geological Heritage of Cork.
Human occupation in the uplands spans over 4000 years. Today, 6 hubs remain over 150m. They provide a fundamental community link through public services, convenience shops or recreational amenities. Small residential estates in the heart of the villages are replacing isolated dwellings once scattered across the uplands. Traditional farming and trades have shaped the land and are remembered in stories. Heroes are commemorated on plaques. Newcomers bring external influence and adapt to the vernacular.
An intricate network of trails have connected the uplands for millenia. Most have been upgraded as part of the modern road network. Modern forestry and wind farms roads double up as recreational walkways.
Altitude is not a key marker of administrative geography, but it is etched in names and memories. The townlands, established in the 12th century, were mostly delimited by natural boundaries, an heritage reflected in their names.
Donoughmore is a split parish between ‘upper’ and ‘lower’, the latter refers mostly to the Shournaugh valley. Children who used to attend secondary school in Blarney were called ‘Apaches’ well into the 80s.
Parts of the Country are seen as distinct regional entities, where natural and cultural geographies transcends administrative boundaries.
The Burren and Connemara regions are rich with megalithic artefacts and strongly associated with traditional culture and identities. The Golden Vale is recognised for its fertile plains and dairy production. Closer to home, the Gearagh, with its unique ecosystem and culture, only remains in memory.
Those regional entities, varying in size, are all defined by homogenous physical characteristics (geology, climate, soils,…) where humans adapted by developing a specific vernacular (language, building, land use,…). They span several civil parishes or break county lines.
In the same way, the Boggeragh Uplands constitute a homogenous area over 200 square kilometres. Human activity can be seen through what is left behind, from Megaliths to communication dishes. Settlements and Farming techniques have shaped the natural environment. Routes and pathways, often following physical features of the lands, have played a vital role in linking upland communities while the challenging topography made it difficult to connect with the valleys below.
Technological progress and political resolve can flatten mountains and reduce distances. From the 18th century, improved roads, such as the Butter Road and the R579, facilitated trade or the movement of troops. Other infrastructures projects, such as the Famine Roads, were launched to provide meagre employment in times of hardship.
Similarly, electrification and the advent of the car have opened and connected the uplands. Electric poles first appeared along the roads or across fields, then petrol pumps in villages or between them. Transmitter masts were erected on most hilltops and summits of the Boggeragh, initially for radio and TV broadcasts. Today, They host a wide array of antennas, drums, cell towers to cater for the demands of always on connections.
Driving those roads at speed today doesn’t mean much, yet many signs remain of their significant impact on upland life. Travelling across the uplands is not about going from one place to the next. It is often just a journey about the place.