Overview
In 148 BC, someone laid a road of oak planks across a bog outside Keenagh. It ran for over two kilometres, and within a few years the weight of the timber pushed it under the peat, where the airless bog kept it almost intact for two thousand years. That road, the Corlea Trackway, is the reason people drive to this corner of County Longford, and it’s the main thing to see.
Keenagh itself (Irish: Caonach, meaning ‘moss place’) sits just south of Longford town on the R397, beside the Royal Canal. It’s a working village with two churches, pubs, shops and active GAA and soccer clubs, and a population of 581 at the 2016 census. Longer roots show in its links to the King-Harman family and the old Mosstown Estate.
Is the Corlea Trackway open?
Not at the moment. The visitor centre’s published 2026 season ended on 4 November, so it is closed until the next season begins. Admission is free and the preserved trackway is seen on a guided tour. Check Heritage Ireland for the next opening dates and tour arrangements before you travel.
The Corlea Trackway
The trackway, known locally as the Danes’ Road, is a togher, an Iron Age road built from split oak planks laid across parallel runners. At over two kilometres it is one of the great prehistoric bog roads of Europe. Historians read it as part of a routeway of real importance, possibly a ceremonial road linking the Hill of Uisneach, the ritual centre of Ireland, with the royal site of Rathcroghan.
It was also, in engineering terms, a near-instant failure. The oak was too heavy for the soft peat and the road sank within years of being finished, unusable almost as soon as it was built. That failure is why it survived: sealed in anaerobic bog, the timber was preserved until Bord na Móna peat workers hit it in 1984. The excavation that followed, led by Professor Barry Raftery in 1991, recovered the corduroy road along with wooden tubs and pottery.
The visitor centre and bog walk
When it is open, Heritage Ireland’s centre keeps an 18-metre length of the original oak indoors, with the recovered artefacts and displays on bog ecology alongside. The preserved timber is the reason to come, and access to it is by guided tour, so check in at reception when you arrive.
Outside, a loop through restored raised bog is laid out with model planks marking the line of the original road. Look for bog cotton, sphagnum, sundew and bog rosemary, with dragonflies in summer and the odd curlew or hen harrier overhead. Accessibility differs between the venue and the trail, so check with the centre if you need step-free access.
Walk beside the Royal Canal
For a walk at any time of year, use a signed entry point on the Royal Canal Greenway. Waterways Ireland lists the sections from Keenagh to Cloondara and Ballymahon as open. For a shorter walk, turn back when you have gone far enough. The towpath is shared with cyclists, and dogs must stay on a lead. The restored 40th and 41st Locks, at Mullawornia and Coolnahinch Bridge, lie along the canal near the village.
Around the village
The two parishes and the pubs are the village’s fixed points, with a community centre that keeps the place ticking year-round. Keenagh also has a rare single-storey thatched building on the street, the last survivor of a former terrace.
Practical information
- Address: Corlea Trackway Centre, Kenagh, Co. Longford, N39 XT18
- Season: The 2026 season ended on 4 November. Check Heritage Ireland for the next dates; the centre is closed outside the season.
- Admission: Free
- Guided access: The preserved trackway is seen on a guided tour; check in at reception.
- Getting there: The centre is outside Keenagh village on the R397, south of Longford town. Check current bus timetables between Keenagh and Longford town, or take a taxi from Longford town.
Nearby
Keenagh works as a base for the wider county:
- Abbeylara – Ruins of a medieval Cistercian abbey among walking routes.
- Aughnacliffe – A well-preserved dolmen and lakeside trails, to the north.
- Ballinalee – A historic village with heritage sites and nature walks.
- Clonbroney – Early monastic remains in a quiet rural setting.
- Lanesborough – A Shannon-side town for boating and dining.
Allow about 90 minutes for the centre and the bog loop once the season reopens.