Peatlands in Practice is a two-day event at the Common Knowledge Centre for people taking action on peatland restoration across Ireland.
The programme includes panel discussions hosted by Anja Murray, hands-on workshops, keynote talks, a guided tour and walk of the bog and peer learning sessions. Over the weekend communities will have the chance to share approaches, challenges and learning from their own projects. It's a chance to learn from your peers as well as from experts working in the field.
Speakers and workshop hosts include Anja Murray, Barry O' Loughlin, Feidhlim Harty, Lydia Furey and more. We'll also be joined by groups working across the country, including RePeat, the Community Wetlands Forum and Friends of Ardee Bog, with more to be confirmed.
The festival will also mark the culmination of our Boglands Oral History Project, with a public presentation of recorded testimonies exploring the cultural history and living memory of the local peatlands in Kilfenora.
What’s involved in the weekend?
Saturday:
Panel Discussions
Talks from Keynote Speakers
Facilitated Peer Exchange Workshop
Sunday:
Participants will be able to choose from one of the following hands-on workshops to book, including:
Timber Dam Building with Feidhlim Harty
Biodiversity on the Bog and Invasive Species Removal with Lydia Furey and Ciara Parsons
Peatlands and Heritage Tour of the Land with Aisling Wheeler
Boglands Oral History Presentation
Traditional Music
The weekend is free, spaces are limited and booking is required. You can reserve your ticket here.
What is included in my ticket?
Your weekend ticket includes access to all panel discussions hosted by Anja Murray, hands-on restoration workshops, keynote speeches, guided walks of the bog, and a peer exchange bringing together groups to share approaches, challenges, and learning from their own sites.
What is not included in my ticket?
Accommodation at the Common Knowledge Centre is not included in your ticket.
If you require accommodation, it will be available to book separately through the ticket link.
Note: Please bring waterproof shoes and weather-appropriate clothing. for the workshops
What is the Peatlands in Practice project?
Peatlands in Practice is our new, community-led peatland restoration project! Based at our 50 acres site here at The Common Knowledge centre in Kilfenora, County Clare.
This project empowers people to take meaningful action. Through practical workshops, interactive tours, collaborations and culture events, participants gain the skills and confidence they need to make a real difference on both a personal and community scale. Over the next 6 months, we will work with ecologists, educators, cultural practitioners, and local communities to restore degraded peatland habitats through hands-on ecosystem restoration education, and together we will learn how to appreciate the beauty of bogs and the importance of restoring them.
This project invites people to take part directly in peatland restoration, reconnecting with the living landscapes shaped by both nature and culture.
Completely free-of-charge and open to all backgrounds and experience levels, this project encourages participants to take what they learn and share it with their communities, creating a positive ripple effect of environmental action.
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For more information about booking a course, accommodation options, and preparing for your course at Common Knowledge, see our
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Booking information
Peatlands in Practice Festival weekend tickets can be booked below. We are finalising details for our events and workshops and will follow up for booking information for these once they are confirmed.
2026 Supporters & Partners
Common Knowledge is deeply grateful for the support of its co-funders the National Parks & Wildlife Services & the Heritage Council for bringing the Peatlands in Practice project to life.
We are also very grateful to our other supporters SSE Airtricity, the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, Patagonia and Ecosystem Restoration Communities for our their support with our overall efforts in eco-system registration.
