environment
Documenting Ireland’s Vanishing Boglands: ‘They Hold Millennia in Their Layers’
Photographer Shane Hynan explores the tension between the central role peat bogs play in Irish life and their wider environmental impact
TL;DR
- Peat bogs hold millennia of history and cover 14-17% of Ireland.
- Historically, peat was the primary fuel for rural households due to its low cost.
- Over 80% of Ireland's original peatland has been lost to various forms of land use and extraction.
- Peat bogs are vital carbon sinks, storing significantly more carbon than the Amazon rainforest.
- Photographer Shane Hynan's work questions human relationships with the environment and highlights the complex, uncertain future of these bogs.