The bog has played a significant role in Irish history - it has provided heat for an energy-poor country for centuries. We have seen the turf piled up on hillsides, drying in preparation for winter storage, smelled the sweet smoky smell in towns as we wander the streets and heard stories about collecting peat as a child. The bogs are complex eco-systems though and there is also concern about their loss. Windmills dot the countryside and experiments in tidal energy are taking place. All other forms of energy have to be imported and the cost prohibitive.
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| Spade on left is for cutting bog in narrow brick-shaped pieces. |
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| Baskets used to be slung over donkeys to carry the peat from the fields |
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| Turf dried and ready for the fire. Each piece is surprisingly light when dried. The B&B owner in Clifen told us about being responsible for the turf when she was about five - bringing it in and keeping the fires going. She remembers the special baking oven - a small metal box that was heated below and above with the red-hot 'coals' of peat. |
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