During the 18th Century, when most of Ireland's forests had already been cleared, peat – which covers roughly 20% of Ireland – was a fuel tenant farmers could harvest from the bogs. Peat cutting became an industry, and as it was dug out of the depths, remnants from past cultures, such as jewellery and even human bodies were found. But this ecosystem isn't just a vast archaeological site, it's also an important resource that helps the planet, as globally, peat bogs hold twice as much carbon as all the world's woodlands. And while forests store carbon for decades or centuries, peat bogs store it for millennia.
