Siobhán’s Irish Firewood is this traditionally harvested, rough Irish turf. … The resulting peat brick (or briquette as they are commonly known) is a fuel that is virtually smokeless, slow-burning, and easy to store and transport. Briquettes are widely used to heat homes and business throughout the country.

Do the Irish still burn peat?

Ireland’s peat dependence Even though turf is inefficient and its fuel value is much lower than coal’s, it’s burned in power plants to create electricity. Still, the Irish government is phasing out peat for electricity and in 2020 the last power plant to exclusively use it went offline.

What is Irish turf made of?

Turf, or peat, is still the principle fireplace fuel in Ireland and is made up of the partially decomposed remains of dead plants and trees, accumulated in waterlogged bogs, and compacted for thousands of years. Brownish-black in colour, in its natural state it is composed of around 90% water and 10% plant material.

What is an Irish fire log?

Siobhán’s Irish Fire Logs are 100% organic Irish peat briquettes. Dried and compressed, they burn hotter, longer and cleaner than firewood. Perfect for your fireplace, fire pit, chiminea, barbecue and campfire.

What does burning peat smell like?

For many Scotch whisky fans, Islay single malt lovers in particular, their favorite drink is defined by the distinct aroma of peat smoke, a bewitching, earthy perfume of ancient moss. … Peat is born from decayed vegetation, a dense tangle of mosses, bog myrtle, heather, and grasses, formed in cold, wet environs.

What do the Irish use for heat?

Siobhán’s Irish Firewood is this traditionally harvested, rough Irish turf. … The resulting peat brick (or briquette as they are commonly known) is a fuel that is virtually smokeless, slow-burning, and easy to store and transport. Briquettes are widely used to heat homes and business throughout the country.

Why is peat banned?

Why is peat compost bad for the environment and why is it being banned? For peat to be healthy and function efficiently, it must remain wet. Its extraction for human use dries the peat causing the area to degrade and also increases the risk of wildfires.

Why is there so much peat in Ireland?

Peat is formed by the accumulation of decayed vegetation over thousands of years. In their intact form peat bogs remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and globally they store twice as much carbon as all the forests of the world combined.

Why does Ireland burn peat?

In Ireland, peat has been used for centuries to warm homes and fire whiskey distilleries. For a country with little coal, oil, and gas, peat—deep layers of partially decayed moss and other plant matter—is also a ready fuel for power plants. Peat power peaked in the 1960s, providing 40% of Ireland’s electricity.

How do you burn Irish turf?

Turf burns hotter than the same weight of wood and will also burn longer. To get the most from your turf, burn in an open fireplace. Light the fire using wood or other fuels and when you are ready to settle down beside the fire add in 2 or 3 Irish turf fire logs.

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Is it illegal to cut turf in Ireland?

An EU habitats directive and Republic of Ireland law make it illegal to cut turf – a traditional domestic fuel – on 53 Irish bogs. They are designated as special conservation areas – part of an EU commitment to reverse biodiversity loss by 2020. Peat, cut and dried for fuel, is known as turf in Ireland.

Is turf cutting legal in Ireland?

TURF will no longer be cut on 54 EU designated habitat sites after a last minute deal was struck between turf cutters and the Irish Peatlands Council. … Cutting turf on 31 raised bogs has already been banned by the EU and the ban is due to be extended to 24 more by the end of the year.

Is turf banned in Ireland?

The sale and burning of smoky coal is already banned in many cities and towns. OVER THE COURSE of the next year, smoky coal and other polluting solid fuels will no longer be sold in Ireland. … The rules will impact coal, peat briquettes and wood, but turf won’t be affected.

Can you burn peat in a fireplace?

There won’t be any harm in burning peat, but, unless you have air from below the fire and the fuel on a grate, you won’t have much success burning peat well. In an open fireplace you simply use an elevated grate to get a decent burn; in an insert to get a good burn you would have to have one designed for peat or coal.

What problems can burning peat cause?

Effects of peat loss Yet studies show that burning peat moorlands dries out the soil, degrades the natural conditions and releases harmful carbon emissions. It also leads to more flood waters flowing downstream instead of being retained safely on the peat moors.

Why should peat not be burned?

Peat is the most damaging fuel in terms of global warming; even worse than coal. It has a lower calorific value than coal (generating less energy per tonne when it is burned) and yet it produces higher CO2 emissions per unit, so it is the least climate-efficient way to produce electricity or heat in Ireland bar none.

Why is sphagnum moss bad?

Peat moss is the partially decomposed remains of formerly living sphagnum moss from bogs. … As a soil amendment, which is what the baled product is mostly sold for, peat moss is also a poor choice. It breaks down too fast, compressing and squeezing air out of the soil, creating an unhealthy condition for plant roots.

What is peat substitute?

What are the alternatives to peat moss? There are plenty of peat moss alternatives, including coconut coir, compost, bark or wood fibre, pine needles, leaf mold, and manure. Each has pros and cons, but are ideal alternatives to peat moss in many situations.

Is Coco coir the same as peat moss?

Unlike peat moss, coco coir peat needs less water to achieve the same level of hydration. In addition, coco peat is not spoiled after use – it’s possible to wash and reuse coco peat once a gardening project has come to an end and the soil is no longer needed.

What are bogs in Ireland?

Raised bogs are discreet, raised, dome-shaped masses of peat occupying former lakes or shallow depressions in the landscape. They occur throughout the midlands of Ireland. Their principal supply of water and nutrients is from rainfall and the substrate is acid peat soil, which can be up to 12m deep.

Does Ireland have nuclear power?

Since 2001 in Northern Ireland and 2012 in the Republic, the grid has become increasingly interconnected with the neighbouring electric grid of Britain, and therefore Ireland is now partly powered by overseas nuclear fission stations.

What are Irish bogs?

A bog is a type of wetland that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material like mosses and shrubs. … In Ireland bogs are found along the mountain slopes of the west coast, throughout the midlands, in the Wicklow mountains and in a few small patches around the North.

Why are Irish bogs under threat?

Active raised bogs (peat forming raised bogs) are seriously under threat of extinction in Ireland. … Raised bogs are not being protected, despite their conservation designation as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) and Natural Heritage Areas (NHAs) because turf cutting is being allowed to continue.

Does peat regrow?

Peat is not a renewable source of energy, due to its extraction rate in industrialized countries far exceeding its slow regrowth rate of 1 mm (0.04 in) per year, and as it is also reported that peat regrowth takes place only in 30–40% of peatlands.

How much of Ireland is bog?

Ireland’s Peat Bogs. One of Ireland’s most characteristic features is the bog. Covering 1,200,000 hectares (1/6th) of the island, Ireland contains more bog, relatively speaking, than any country in Europe except Finland.

What are some Irish words?

• Shebeen. From the Irish “síbín”, this is the first of many words in this list related to general divilment and rúla búla. …
• Gubu. …
• Begrudgery. …
• Sap. …
• Craic. …
• Mot or moth. …
• Gob. …
• Hooligan.

Do bogs smell?

Because true bogs are very low in O2 and nutrients they tend to smell little. Sure if you disrupt the system they can smell but my bog has been established since 1998 and it has no odor except a wonderful earthy smell. It also depends on the sort of bog you have in mind.

Is Peat illegal?

Sales of peat compost to gardeners will be banned from 2024, the government has said. … The environment secretary, George Eustice, announced £500m to fund a tripling of tree planting in England to reach 7,000 hectares a year by 2024 and said a new 2030 target for wildlife populations would be set.

Is burning turf bad?

THE Irish public are unaware that the burning of smoky fuels such as coal, turf and wet wood in the home are responsible for the majority of deaths from air pollution here every year, according to a new survey. … Burning smoky fuel at home results in the release of microscopic pollutants known as PM2.

What burns hotter wood or peat?

Peat briquettes can burn much hotter compared to traditional firewood logs and so care must be taken to ensure that temperatures within a stove don’t get too hot. Burning peat briquettes in your stove in smaller quantities can help to regulate temperatures and lead to successful peat fires.

What is a turf fire in Ireland?

Turf is used a fuel and burnt in open fires and stoves. If you’ve ever been to a pub with an open fire in Ireland you’ve probably gotten that lovely smell of a turf fire. Before this turf can be drawn home it needs to be cut and dried out in the bog.