Turf cut in half west’s protected peat bogs

Rebel turf-cutters say that turf has now been cut in more than half of the 53 protected bogs in the west.

And the turf-cutters, who were out in force at the weekend in Co Galway, have vowed to continue, despite harvesting being banned in bogs which are formally designated as Special Areas of Conservation under the EU Habitats Directive.

Turf has already been cut at more than 30 bogs, mostly in the west and midlands, as the bog owners continue to reject the Government’s offers of compensation and insist on exercising their age-old right to harvest the peat.