County Longford is part of the midlands region of Ireland and sits in the basin of the River Shannon and the upper catchment of the River Erne. The northwest of the county, around Drumlish, is characterised by hills and is part of the northwest drumlin belt. This area is associated with wet soils, especially surface-water gleys, which are typically found on the slopes of drumlins.

Essentially, these are poorly draining soils that occur due to a slowly permeable subsurface layer that slows movement of water through the soil profile. Basin peat is commonly found in the depressions between drumlins.

Outside of the northwest, the county is mostly low-lying areas that are made up of limestone glacial till. Luvisols (downward clay movement) are commonly found, along with water-affected soils and basin peat. In general, peat is a common feature across the county and in the areas to the west of Longford town stretching southwards to Ballymahon, lowland raised bogs are common, some of which are used for industrial peat.

Peat landscapes are widespread across the county, but outside of these, surface-water gleys are the most commonly found soil types.

The northern drumlin area is dominated with these soils, along with some areas around Edgeworthstown. The majority of these are the ‘Kilrush’ series (found in association 0700h led by subgroup 0700) and have a fine loamy texture over sandstone and shale-derived glacial drift.

The slower permeability of these soils, coupled with their higher clay content, means that these are heavy soils from a farming perspective and have limited use-range.

Typically, grass production is the optimum agricultural use for these soils. For grazing, good management is essential to reduce the risk of poaching.

Stagnic luvisols are also commonly found in the county, especially to the east of Longford town. The most commonly found is the ‘Crosstown’ series (found in association 1030a led by subgroup 1030). These tend to be found mid-slope and have a fine loamy texture.

These soils are an intergrade between typical luvisols and surface-water gleys. Management of these soils tends to be slightly easier than for surface-water gleys. As a result, they have a wider use-range and can be suitable for a number of tillage crops and for pasture, responding well to management.

Towards the south of the county, typical luvisols can be widely found. The movement of clay from the topsoil into the subsoil means that these are very good agricultural soils due to their higher clay content as they retain nutrients well.

However, the increased clay in the subsoil can slow down the movement of water through the profile, meaning that these soils can be moderately to imperfectly draining, depending on the soil texture.