Friends' Work

// Savage destruction to protected bogs

FIE is today publishing a shocking report detailing the savage destruction of Ireland's bogs designated for protection under European law.

Only 1% of Ireland's raised bogs remain, and 1/3rd of them have been destroyed in the last ten years.

The report shows machinery cutting into 12 foot high turf banks, newly cleaned deep drains, acres of destroyed bog and endless fields of turf extruded from machines to dry.

Spot visits to 18 of the protected raised bog where cutting was supposed to have ceased last year shows extensive machine cutting continues on 6 of them.

The sites include Cloonchambers, the bog where TD Luke Flanagan has said he will continue cutting turf.

In total, damage that will result in a further deterioration of Ireland's raised bogs conservation status - cutting, burning, draining, adjacent extraction - was photographed on 21 of the 31 designated raised bogs visited.

Read the Report | Read the Petition to the EU Parliament

GO DIRECTLY TO THE MORE THAN 700 PHOTOGRAPHS

See our Recommedations to the Emergency Meeting of the Peatlands Council on 1 June