History and uses of peat
Peat for fuel
Historically the most common use of peat in Ireland was
as a source of fuel. Its exploitation as a fuel for domestic
use began at least 1300 years ago when peatlands were more
widespread. Peat has been the traditional domestic fuel
in Ireland but it was also used in industry. In the last
150 years the types and methods of obtaining fuel peat has
changed dramatically.
| Postacrd showing
turf cutting scene |
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Domestic use
With the demise of our native woodlands, peat became the
major source of fuel in Ireland during the 17th and 18th
centuries. Rights to cut peat on small plots of land (known
as turbary rights) were allocated to landowners. Traditionally
peat was cut by hand using a special turf-spade known as
a sleán/slane. The production of hand-cut turf in
Ireland reached its peak in 1926 when over six million tonnes
of turf was cut. Over the years the amount of turf cut declined
steadily until World War II. Peat became a vital fuel source
again, as the supplies of coal, from Great Britain, for
domestic use almost ceased. The deep peat in raised bogs
and the extensive areas of blanket bogs resulted in both
types of bog being cut extensively.
After the War the low price of coal and oil resulted in
a continued decline and by the 1970's the annual production
of peat was down to about a million tonnes, most of which
was from the blanket bogs in the west. However during the
1980's there was an increase in the amount of peat cut,
brought about by the introduction of tractor drawn turf-cutting
machines. In the last 30 years mechanised extraction of
peat using tractor-drawn auger machines has become the norm
in Northern Ireland and the tradition of hand-cutting turf
has almost disappeared. Overall the use of peat as a fuel
continues to decline with the increasing use of the more
convenient and cleaner oil fired central heating.
| Peat briquettes |
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Milled
peat can be compressed at high temperatures and made
into peat briquettes, which are then used as a domestic
fuel. In the Republic of Ireland Board na Mona use 1 million
m3 of peat each year to produce peat briquettes.
Briquettes are a compact, user friendly product with predictable
burning qualities. They are popular in households that require
a fast and readily available fuel for occasional use.
Industrial use
Although hand-cut turf was mostly used for domestic heating
and cooking, but it was also used
for
industrial purposes. The Robb linen factory in Portadown
was powered by peat gas and burned 3,500 tonnes of turf
per year. In the 1960’s four electricity stations
fuelled by hand-cut turf were set up in the west of Ireland.
All four stations have closed as this proved to be a very
uneconomical way of producing electricity.
Until 1850 turf charcoal was used to fuel the forges of
rural blacksmiths in Ireland who believed that it helped
create a more robust product. In 1746 a large ironworks
was erected near Lough Neagh to produce pots, furnaces and
bar iron using peat charcoal. Peat charcoal was produced
commercially in Kilcock, Co Kildare and was claimed to be
superior to wood charcoal in the manufacture of iron ore
and gun powder. It was replaced in the forges by coal when
the development of the railways resulted in the distribution
of coal to all parts of the country.
