These areas were cut-over by hand for domestic fuel under turbary arrangements, as was common throughout Ireland during the last few hundred years (Van Eck, 1984). They are now little used and have been allowed to revert to a semi-natural vegetation cover. Vegetation regeneration of this type has been documented in Ireland by White (1930) among others and it is currently being researched at the University of Ulster at Coleraine.

In recent years some areas have been re-worked by extrusion 'sausage' machines. These areas are small relative to the area of the whole site and overall disturbance by extrusion machine cutting can be said to be minimal. A range of different vegetation types in various stages of development were found. Most notable were the mature cuttings which had developed vegetation communities closely resembling those which are found on intact raised bogs.

All the species which were found on the cupola were also found in the cuttings. An additional 21 raised bog species were found in the cut-away areas. Most notable amongst these was Vaccinium oxycoccus which is normally only found growing across Sphagnum hummocks in the pool systems of intact raised bogs. It was found on only 22 sites in Northern Ireland by Leach and Corbett (1987).

n this case it was found in cuttings which had developed a high cover of Sphagnum magellanicum and other hummock building Sphagnum species. Cuttings were also found with assemblages of species normally found in the wetter parts of the pool areas of intact raised bogs.

These included Sphagnum recurvum and cuspidatum and Narthecium ossifragum. These cuttings are acting as refuge for the flora and fauna formerly found on the bog surface. They are a rich and diverse source of species which would be available for the regeneration of the damaged bog surface.

The northern edge of the bog has had little peat cutting compared to the southern edge. The margin vegetation in the south is of ombnrotrophic peat cutting communities. In the north however, adjacent to the Glenullin Water it is very different, with a community of fen species existing along much of the margin.

This community closely resembles the lagg fen communities formerly found on the margins of intact raised bogs but now very rare in Ireland. Only 12 bogs in Northern Ireland were recorded as having any lagg fen remaining by Leach and Corbett 1987). Forty one species typically found in transitional bog/fen areas were recorded along the northern edge of Glenullin Bog.