What physical features make up Ireland’s central plain?

Ireland’s central plain is a broad, undulating lowland underlain by limestone that generally sits between 200 and 400 feet (60 and 120 metres) above sea level.1

The physical features that characterize this landscape include:

• Topography: The plain’s flatness is relieved by low hills ranging from 600 to 1,000 feet (180 to 300 metres) in elevation. In some areas, the terrain is dominated by drumlins, which are hills formed by glacial drift.12
• Water Features: The region contains numerous lakes and is drained primarily by the River Shannon, which widens into lakes and is surrounded by extensive marshes and water meadows along much of its course.12
• Bogs: Large areas of peat bog are a notable and widespread feature of the central lowland, often found in the hollows between hills.13

This central lowland is almost entirely encircled by a ring of coastal highlands, which vary in geologic structure and composition.1