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A Slèan.

People from cities rely mainly on electricity, oil and coal for heating their homes and cooking, but a great number of country people still burn turf to heat their homes.

For about 1,000 years turf has been cut by hand in Ireland using a peat spade called a sleán. First a bank was opened up on the bog, and using the sleán, sods were cut and landed on the top of the bog. The wet sods were spread out using a turf-fork or pike. After one week the sods were moved to dry ground and built into small stacks, by standing the sods up on their ends against each other. A sod was placed on top (sometimes called the jockey) to stabilise the stack. This is called footing the turf. The stacks were left to dry throughout the summer months in the sun and wind. When the sods were dry they were transported to the home and built into a large pile or clamp. From here they could be used in the home. A week turf cutting would provide enough fuel to last one year.

This method of turf cutting is not seen much in Ireland today because machines can do this tiring work easily.

Stacks of turf for the family fire drying on the bog.