The need to conserve the unique landscape of bogs one of Ireland's richest environmental assets.
The area of Ireland covered in peatland has been getting smaller over the past fifty years. This has been caused by the drainage of land for agriculture and forestry and the commercial extraction of peat for the horticulture industry.
This was a day out in the bog with a difference.
Experts predict that within the next ten years, an area the size of an Irish county could be stripped bare. Conservationists are calling for action to save this unique landscape.
Jenny Fuller, Peatlands Park, says that most gardeners do not realise that when they purchase a bag of peat, they are buying something that has been extracted from the land. Gardeners need to move away from relying on peat. British chain store B&Q, which is one of the biggest suppliers of peat products, says it is committed to eliminating its use and replacing it with alternative compost products.
The bog olympics is just one of the many events taking place to mark International Bog Day. Organisers are hoping to make people more aware of the need to preserve peatlands.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 27 July 2003. The reporter is Michael Fisher.
