Peat harvesting in Ireland

[Kirbstone]

In my 'pics & looks' thread 'peat for burning' I described this process. I've dug these pics. out and they might be of interest, as this sort of thing isn't seen elsewhere, to my knowledge.

[crfriend]

[...] I've dug these pics. out [...]

Thanks very much for a look at the process; it gives one pause to think how much work it must've been before mechanisation. How much heat does the combustion give off compared to wood (which quite a few folks here in the US burn) or coal (which is burned in many other places)?

Now, about that pun...

[Since1982]

Living in Ireland and toting peat all Winter long looks like it would be terrific exercise. Ah Well, I'll just HAVE to put up with the seldom summer Hurricane and common rains all winter. It doesn't quite get cold enough for peat here. At least I don't think 70F in Jan/Feb is cold enough for peat.

P.S. I do shiver sometimes when records are set and the thermometer drops below 60F.

[Kirbstone]

Peat has about the same calorific value as wood and leaves a fine white ash which can be used as fertiliser. Coal has a much higher calorific value than either, of course.
There is a saying here that 'turf' warms you three times: once while harvesting, once while storing it at home ( viz. my shovelling pics.) and lastly when you burn it. Like wood, it's clean to handle, unlike coal.

How lovely to live where Jan./Feb. temps are around 70 degrees. We flew to Barbados and cruised the Grenadines one January. I could happily live there for the heat.
Here in Ireland the temps. are cold temperate maritime: 40-odd in Winter average, and only 64-odd in Summer average.

Last Winter was one in 50+ years....we got Minus 18 degrees Celsius one night, with a whole week at minus 14-odd ! We lost lots of plants, trees and shrubs.

[Since1982]

By the way, speaking of Peat...there's a professional Poker hustler named Rodney Peat...not the black golfer Rodney Peete, not spelled the same, the poker player's nickname is "Fiffer" I have no clue why.

[Kirbstone]

.....and an Update:

Last week end a group of us went on a 3-mile trek across the local high-bog, preceeded by a wonderful lecture on the geology, botany and history of such bogs in Ireland, and a demonstration of traditional 'turf' cutting as was practiced for hundreds of years before mechanisation.
Pic.1/ Our lecturer introduces us to the 'face' of the high bog, showing the traditional slawn or cutter markings.
Pic.2/ The cutter digs the next 'sod' out with the slawn while the catcher stacks the previous one on the bogie.
Pic.3/ Left-handed cutter pitches a sod to the catcher.
Our Botanist lectured on the development of the bog over 8,000 years from a shallow lake bed to its present height.
The slawn is a special flat oblong spade with a vertical knife on one side, specifically for cutting peat.

[couyalair]

Interesting, thanks.

Martin