Future of bogs to be discussed at Tyrrellspass event

Tyrrellspass is to be the venue next week for a workshop at which the future of Ireland’s bogs is to be discussed.

Taking place at The Barn, from 9am on Thursday May 30, the event has been organised by the team behind Peat Hub Ireland, a one-year project based in University College Dublin (UCD) which aims to collate and summarise evidence for the sustainable management of Irish peatlands.

The project is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).

Stating that an inclusive, whole-of-society approach is necessary if a sustainable road map for the future of Ireland’s peatlands is to be developed, the organisers say the workshop will include participants from the public and private sectors, academia, NGOs, and farming and community organisations across civil society.

“The workshop will communicate the outcomes of the Peat Hub Ireland project and use scenario planning to encourage creative thinking and better understand how future social, economic and environmental worlds will be served by the choices we are making for peatlands today,” Dr Kate Flood, researcher with the project told the Westmeath Examiner this week.

Dr Flood went on to explain that sustainable peatland management involves optimising the social, cultural, environmental and economic contributions that peatlands make to the wellbeing of this and future generations.

“Peatlands have a crucial role in supporting human health and wellbeing when they are in good condition or on a pathway to being restored, rewetted or rehabilitated,” said Dr Flood.

Conversely, she continued, research has shown the negative impact that degraded peatlands have on water and air quality, flora and fauna, flood risk and climate, as well as the impacts on cultural heritage and the communities that live and work in these landscapes.

Dr Renou-Wilson notes: “Despite their importance, peatlands face significant pressures due to human activities, such as drainage for agriculture, forestry, and peat extraction. These activities lead to peatland degradation, resulting in greenhouse gas emissions, loss of biodiversity, and altered hydrological regimes. Sustainable management is essential to mitigate negative impacts and ensure long-term ecological, economic, social and cultural benefits.”

The event takes place in The Barn, Tyrrellspass, at 9am on Thursday May 30 and will include a guided walk on Cloncrow Bog.

Find out more and register your place for the event on Eventbrite.