Ireland's peatlands are at a crossroads
IRELAND'S bogs may be ancient but new science is reshaping how we see them, and who controls them.
Peatlands cover over a million and a half hectares, the equivalent of 1/5 of the island's total land mass.
These peatlands are being mapped more extensively than ever before, in a valiant effort to help curb the effects of climate change.
But while scientists race to uncover the environmental value of bogs, cultural tensions around turf-cutting still smoulder in rural villages and towns.
Researchers at the University of Galway, using a new gamma radiation technique from the state-funded Tellus geophysical survey, have developed high-resolution maps distinguishing peat from mineral soils.
This includes identifying previously hidden "transition zones" under forests and grasslands.
The project, led by geophysicists Dave O'Leary and Eve Daly, has revealed that peat soils cover more of Ireland than previously understood—at least 22% of the land.
'Peatland soils contain comparable amounts of carbon to rainforests,' Daly told AFP. 'Improved mapping can support better land management decisions and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.'
Peatlands, formed over thousands of years from decaying plants in waterlogged areas, have historically been used as a cheap fuel source in Ireland.
In regions like the midlands, generations have harvested 'turf' for heating their homes.
But this tradition is increasingly at odds with Ireland's climate goals.
Drained or cultivated peatlands emit large amounts of carbon: over 20 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, nearly matching emissions from the island's entire transport sector.
Ireland has pledged to cut emissions by over 50% by 2030 under pressure from the EU, which has threatened billions of euros in fines.
The European Commission has also taken Ireland to court for failing to protect and restore bogs designated as Special Areas of Conservation.
Despite a 2022 ban on the commercial sale of peat for burning, turf-cutting continues under 'turbary rights' for personal use.
Weak enforcement has allowed illegal commercial harvesting to continue.
In 2023 alone, 350,000 metric tonnes of peat was exported, mainly for horticulture.
The cultural divide is palpable. Turf-cutter John Smyth, who's harvested peat for over 50 years, sees the policies as attacks on rural life. 'They don't know what it's like to live in rural Ireland.'
State policy has decidedly turned toward restoration. Bord na Móna, once Ireland's semi-state peat harvesting company, has ceased extraction and begun restoring bogs.
So far, a quarter of a targeted 80,000 hectares have successfully been rewet to turn degraded land back into carbon sinks.
Wind farms and solar panels now dot former peat harvest sites.
Still, restoration is a slow process. 'It's going to take a long time,' said Mark McCorry, ecology manager at Bord na Móna, on their website.
Agroecology expert Triven Koganti supports global peatland restoration efforts. 'Cultivated peatlands are responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions,' he noted.
Ireland faces a stark choice: to preserve a way of life rooted in turf or prioritise bogs as vital tools for curbing climate change.
A big steaming pile of... Peat (Ireland Tourism Board/Photo by Keith Geoghegan)
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Irish Post
2 days ago
- Irish Post
Ireland's peatlands are at a crossroads
IRELAND'S bogs may be ancient but new science is reshaping how we see them, and who controls them. Peatlands cover over a million and a half hectares, the equivalent of 1/5 of the island's total land mass. These peatlands are being mapped more extensively than ever before, in a valiant effort to help curb the effects of climate change. But while scientists race to uncover the environmental value of bogs, cultural tensions around turf-cutting still smoulder in rural villages and towns. Researchers at the University of Galway, using a new gamma radiation technique from the state-funded Tellus geophysical survey, have developed high-resolution maps distinguishing peat from mineral soils. This includes identifying previously hidden "transition zones" under forests and grasslands. The project, led by geophysicists Dave O'Leary and Eve Daly, has revealed that peat soils cover more of Ireland than previously understood—at least 22% of the land. 'Peatland soils contain comparable amounts of carbon to rainforests,' Daly told AFP. 'Improved mapping can support better land management decisions and help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.' Peatlands, formed over thousands of years from decaying plants in waterlogged areas, have historically been used as a cheap fuel source in Ireland. In regions like the midlands, generations have harvested 'turf' for heating their homes. But this tradition is increasingly at odds with Ireland's climate goals. Drained or cultivated peatlands emit large amounts of carbon: over 20 million metric tonnes of CO₂ equivalent annually, nearly matching emissions from the island's entire transport sector. Ireland has pledged to cut emissions by over 50% by 2030 under pressure from the EU, which has threatened billions of euros in fines. The European Commission has also taken Ireland to court for failing to protect and restore bogs designated as Special Areas of Conservation. Despite a 2022 ban on the commercial sale of peat for burning, turf-cutting continues under 'turbary rights' for personal use. Weak enforcement has allowed illegal commercial harvesting to continue. In 2023 alone, 350,000 metric tonnes of peat was exported, mainly for horticulture. The cultural divide is palpable. Turf-cutter John Smyth, who's harvested peat for over 50 years, sees the policies as attacks on rural life. 'They don't know what it's like to live in rural Ireland.' State policy has decidedly turned toward restoration. Bord na Móna, once Ireland's semi-state peat harvesting company, has ceased extraction and begun restoring bogs. So far, a quarter of a targeted 80,000 hectares have successfully been rewet to turn degraded land back into carbon sinks. Wind farms and solar panels now dot former peat harvest sites. Still, restoration is a slow process. 'It's going to take a long time,' said Mark McCorry, ecology manager at Bord na Móna, on their website. Agroecology expert Triven Koganti supports global peatland restoration efforts. 'Cultivated peatlands are responsible for 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions,' he noted. Ireland faces a stark choice: to preserve a way of life rooted in turf or prioritise bogs as vital tools for curbing climate change. A big steaming pile of... Peat (Ireland Tourism Board/Photo by Keith Geoghegan)
RTÉ News
11-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Strawberry moon set to be visible across Irish skies
The strawberry moon will be visible across Irish skies this evening. The appearance of the strawberry moon is a rare one, as it occurs once every 18 years. The moon gets its name from native American tribes, who used it to mark the start of the strawberry-picking season. Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Assistant Professor Ray Butler, of the School of Natural Sciences at the University of Galway, said that he expects the moon to be salmon-pink in colour. He added that smoke from wildfires in the US will also impact what the moon will look like this evening. "Smoke from the wildfires crossed over and light passing through the smoke is reddened ... especially at low altitude in the sky. This particular June full moon is very low above the sun horizon, about eight degrees up," he said. "The combination of a low altitude which always makes things a little yellower, warmer in colour, and now this extra smoke will make it kind of particularly pronounced. "I would expect salmony-pink, because of these two effects," he added. Mr Butler said that while the strawberry moon will appear to be bigger in size, it will actually remain the same size as normal. "It'll be a normal size. There is an interesting psychological thing when the moon is close to the horizon, we think it's bigger than when it's higher in the sky. Of course it isn't actually. "If you look at something on a distant horizon ... they look really small. Therefore the moon, in contrast, looks big relative to them," he said. Mr Butler added that the strawberry moon will be visible throughout the night tonight, and will be clearest in the south east this evening, the south in the middle of the night and south west towards dawn.
RTÉ News
11-06-2025
- RTÉ News
Mapping Ireland's peatlands to help cut carbon emissions
Mapping more accurately than ever Ireland's peatlands, which are vital as carbon sinks but whose boundaries can be hard to determine, could help fight global warming, researchers say. Ireland is pockmarked with patches of dark brown peat soil that make up at least 20% of the land cover, according to Dr Eve Daly, a geophysicist at the University of Galway, who co-led a groundbreaking project on finding peat. "Peatland soils contain comparable amounts of carbon to the likes of rainforests so a more accurate map can lead to better land management decisions and mitigate against greenhouse gas emissions," she said. Her research team developed a new mapping approach using gamma radiation measurements to identify for the first time "transition zones" - typically hidden under forests and grasslands - where the soil changes from being peat to mineral-based. Dr Daly says the area of soil in Ireland considered "peaty" has increased thanks to a new colour-coded "peat/non-peat" map produced by the researchers. "Improved mapping at higher resolution and locating where hidden organic peat soils are and their extent are key inputs into working out carbon emission factors," she said. Her project co-leader Dave O'Leary said about 80% of Ireland had now been mapped out in patches of "peat" brown or "non-peat" green. "Few countries have invested in such an incredible data set, which puts Ireland at the forefront of peatland mapping research," he said. 'New lens' Land use, including farming and peatland draining, is a major source of Ireland's carbon emissions which could see the country failing to meet an EU-agreed climate target to cut emissions by over 50% by 2030. A recent report said Ireland risks an EU fine of almost €30 billion if it fails to reach the target and recommended the restoring - and rewetting - of thousands of hectares of peatlands to help deliver "massive" cuts in emissions. "We need to use more modern technologies or use old technologies with new lenses to try and find these hidden peat soils," Dr Daly said. Triven Koganti, an agroecology expert at Denmark's Aarhus University, said that 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions came from cultivated peatlands. "Historical agricultural draining of peatlands... or to use them as a fuel source has led to significant greenhouse gas emissions," he said. So "an accurate accounting" of peatland boundaries is needed to achieve "current global initiatives to restore peatlands", he said, adding the Irish research "plays an important role in establishing this". 'Bird's eye' technique The mapping technique - described as "bird's eye" by Dr Daly - is based on gamma-ray data measured by a sensor on board a plane that has been flown low over Ireland for a decade in a state-funded geophysical survey. "All rocks and different amounts of soils give off a certain amount of natural radiation but peat doesn't as it's full of organic material," she said. Soils are usually a mixture of broken bits of rock, water and air, but peat soils are distinct from mineral soils as they are formed from decaying plant material, water and air, and contain a very high amount of carbon. When waterlogged, this carbon is stored in the soil but when water is removed, for example via drainage, peat soils then emit carbon dioxide as the decay process restarts, Dr Daly said. The State-funded "Tellus" survey began in 2011 and is expected to be completed later this year.
