Our first days in Ireland were damp and chilly. Michael and I both noted a distinctive aroma in the air. It wasn't quite the smell of a wood stove. He wondered, was it coal burning? No. It was peat...burning in fireplaces to keep the chill off.
Peat is harvested from bogs and it appears that it is used widely throughout the areas we traveled in Galway County. I have a series of photos of peat. One shows it piled up outside a farmer's house as we might see a cord of wood after a recent delivery. In the bucket next to a shallow fireplace it is ready for usage. Finally the last shows it offering welcoming warmth upon our arrival at Abbyglen Castle.
It was a pleasure to enjoy peat's warmth during those first days.
When I was in Ireland in 1982, we actually went out to a peat field and "helped" them dig/cut some. I still remember the name of the cutting tool but have no idea how to spell it... Burning peat is a lovely smell. It looks like you are truly enjoying your trip, in spite of the chill. If it makes you feel any better, it has been damp and chilly here too.
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