Ireland, 2010 - The Bog

On our fourth day in Ireland we went to one of the local bogs to help our hosts load up some dried turf. Turf in Ireland is kind of like firewood is here in New England, although turf is probably not a renewable resource. Practically speaking, firewood is barely renewable in most of New England. Anyway, it's basically dead plant material that when extracted from the ground dries out nicely and burns much like charcoal briquettes.

Here's a view of the bog with the peat turf hilled up:
Freshly extruded peat:

Stacked for drying:



After initial extruding, the peat breaks up into nice stove-sized chunks:



Part of the bog where the peat is being cut. It can go down six feet or more. After the peat has been removed from a bog, the land will eventually be converted to pasture, although some local farmers told us it's still too soggy for cows:



If I have any facts wrong, I would appreciate thoughtful comments/corrections. The bog is an interesting place.