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Irish researchers bring peatlands to the pub
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- A new beer mat series created by researchers at UCC and UCD brings Ireland’s peatland archaeology and biodiversity into pubs across the country.
- The campaign aims to highlight Ireland’s rich peatland heritage, including archaeological finds like the Brockagh axe and Ralaghan figurine, and alien-like plants including the sundew and sphagnum moss.
- Researchers aim to spark conversations about the archaeological and cultural heritage value of Ireland’s bogs in parallel with natural environmental values.
A team of Irish researchers is taking an innovative approach to public engagement by bringing the story of Ireland’s rich peatland heritage into an unexpected but familiar setting: the pub.
As part of a new public outreach campaign, a series of beer mats featuring bold artwork and bite-sized facts about Ireland’s unique peatland heritage will appear in pubs, bringing research on peatland heritage and biodiversity into everyday conversations.
Led by researchers at University College Cork (UCC) and University College Dublin (UCD), the project brings “peatland heritage to the people”, highlighting rare wildlife, ancient artefacts including the Brockagh Bronze Age axe and Ralaghan figurine, and little-known ecological gems like the sundew and Cladonia lichen.
The series offers a glimpse into the unique biodiversity and cultural history preserved in Ireland’s bogs. Each mat includes a QR code that links to more detailed stories, images, and insights into Ireland’s peatlands.
The initiative is part of a collaboration between the Irish Peatland Archaeology Across Time (IPeAAT) project at UCC, UCD Earth Institute and Peatland Finance Ireland, which aims to conserve and promote the rich archaeological and environmental history preserved within Ireland's peatlands.
Ireland’s bogs are unique landscapes that play a vital role in supporting biodiversity, sustaining economies, and preserving both natural and cultural heritage. Peatlands cover over 20% of Ireland’s land area, and around one-fifth of these are now under State or private protection, safeguarding their ecological and cultural value for future generations.
Dr Benjamin Gearey, Lecturer in Environmental Archaeology at UCC and Principal Investigator of IPeAAT, said: “This is about sparking curiosity and conversation. Peatlands have protected some of Ireland’s most remarkable archaeological finds for thousands of years. Ironically, we’ve only discovered many of them because of peat extraction, a process that also risks destroying the very heritage it reveals.
“By bringing archaeology and biodiversity into the pub, we’re aiming to start new conversations about the value of our landscapes and heritage. We hope the project encourages people to see these ancient landscapes differently, not just as remote or forgotten bogs, but as living landscapes—rich in history, biodiversity, and cultural value—that deserve attention and protection.”
Dr Shane McGuinness, a Climate Fellow at UCD Earth Institute, said: “Peatlands have, in the recent past, been regarded as wastelands requiring drainage, clearance or digging for fuel. But in our distant past, they were areas filled with mythology, wonder and inherent cultural and spiritual value. Now, peatlands are increasingly valued for climate, biodiversity and water provision. Along with these values should come the inherent cultural and spiritual heritage—our own deep time.”
The beer mats are set to roll out with a pilot launch in Dublin and Cork.
IPeAAT researchers are collaborating with the Lemanaghan Bog Group, the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland and Deep Time Agency on a ‘Bog Guardians’ event on 23 August during National Heritage Week. The event invites reflection on the changing identity of the bog, from its industrial peat extraction past to its possible future as the site of a large-scale wind farm, and the potential impacts such changes could have on the archaeological and cultural heritage of the area.