Why the Irish are happy to get bogged down in peat

THEY have inspired poets and artists, were the victims of fire and war, provided safe habitats for wildlife, have a rich diversity of flora and have kept the home fires burning for generations of Irish people.

Remains of prehistoric settlements, dugout canoes, Bronze Age weapons, an Iron Age golden collar, medieval leather shoes and the skeleton of the great Irish elk have all been found beneath their surfaces.

The bogs of Ireland are part of the Irish identity, even attracting midges that drove turf cutters to their homes early on sunny days.