Burning issue: Traditional peat fires and their devastating ecological impact

Ireland banned the commercial cutting of peat last year, but the practice is still common on the Emerald Isle where many households use peat for heating. — Photos: DOMHNALL FAIRLINE/dpa

THE SMELL of coking peat hits you as you drive west out of Dublin, a distinctive, almost magical scent in central and coastal Ireland.

It is earthy, mossy, sweet and heavy like oak. “It feels very homely when there are few turf bricks in the fire,” says Joe Mulligan, whose family has been using peat to heat his home in County Mayo for generations.