Peatlands in Ireland
Ireland is home to some of Europe’s most extensive peatlands, covering around 23% of the country. These unique landscapes have stored carbon for thousands of years and play an important role in biodiversity, water regulation and climate mitigation.
Over the past century, however, large areas of Irish peatland were drained and extensively harvested for fuel, particularly by Bord na Móna for use in power generation. This has left vast areas of cutaway peatland across the Irish Midlands, with much of the original peat resource removed and the landscape significantly altered. Today, Ireland is undertaking large-scale peatland rehabilitation and restoration, creating an opportunity to explore new ways of recovering these landscapes and returning carbon to long-term storage.
Projects
ExecutedReconnaissance field trip Co. Kildare and Offaly
Visiting existing peatland research projects of Trinity College Dublin and Research Ireland, and establishing the viability of integrated peatland rehabilitation and carbon storage projects in the Irish Midlands.
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ExecutedDiscover the climate potential of Ireland’s peatlands
Stakeholder engagement workshop sponsored by Kildare County Council and organised by iCRAG (Science Foundation Ireland Research Centre for Applied Geosciences).
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In progressEU Just Transition Fund
Application in collaboration with Kildare County Council, iCRAG and Trinity College Dublin for a large-scale carbon storage infrastructure project, demonstrating the power of integrated peatland rehabilitation and carbon storage with independent research.
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