Clara Esker

It was deposited by meltwater flowing through or beneath glacial ice near the end of the last Ice Age. Sand and gravel left by the stream remained as a long ridge after the ice disappeared.

Yes, it belongs to the broad east-west system of Irish eskers traditionally called the Eiscir Riada. Sections of this glacial route cross the Midlands through counties including Offaly.

The esker influenced local drainage by obstructing water moving toward the River Brosna catchment. That restricted drainage helped create conditions in which the raised bog at Clara developed.

Their raised, gravelly surfaces offered firmer and drier passage across boggy Midland terrain. Routes associated with the Eiscir Riada consequently became important for travel between eastern and western Ireland.