Ireland Faces EU Court Action Over Peat Cutting Enforcement And Why It Matters for Our Bogs.
The European Commission has referred Ireland to the Court of Justice of the European Union over what it says is a failure to properly enforce EU environmental rules on peat cutting.
The case centres on Ireland’s obligations under the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, which requires projects likely to have significant environmental effects; including peat extraction, to be assessed before they proceed.
According to the Commission, there is still “significant peat cutting activity” taking place without planning permission or environmental impact assessment, particularly on sites under 50 hectares. While Ireland has made legislative changes over the years, Brussels says those changes have not been matched by effective enforcement on the ground.
The issue is not new. It dates back to EU environmental rules first introduced in 1985, with Ireland previously brought before the European Court of Justice in the late 1990s. Although Irish laws were later amended, the Commission says follow-up enforcement remained inadequate.
Since 2020, Ireland has taken major steps to halt peat cutting by Bord na Móna, and rehabilitation of former industrial bog sites is now underway, with support from EU recovery funding. The Environmental Protection Agency has also pursued enforcement against private commercial operators on sites over 50 hectares, leading some operators to cease activity. However, the Commission says illegal or unauthorised peat cutting continues, and that local-level enforcement has not been sufficient.
This issue is also relevant to Co. Tipperary, where protected raised bog habitats form part of the county’s natural heritage. Sites such as Kilcarren-Firville Bog highlight the importance of safeguarding peatlands from extraction, drainage and habitat damage.
It is also worth noting the political sensitivity of this issue. Ireland currently has public representatives in both Leinster House and the European Parliament whose political careers were strongly shaped by the turf-cutting and bog-rights campaigns. Mr Michael Fitzmaurice TD, now a Roscommon–Galway TD, was previously chairperson of the Turf Cutters and Contractors Association, while Mr Luke “Ming” Flanagan MEP has long been associated with defending traditional turf-cutting rights in rural Ireland. Their continued presence in national and European politics shows how deeply this issue remains rooted in rural communities, livelihoods, tradition, conservation, and EU environmental law.
Peatlands are more than traditional landscapes. They store carbon, support biodiversity, help regulate water, and form part of Ireland’s environmental identity. The EU court referral is therefore not just a legal matter — it is a reminder that protecting bogs requires clear rules, strong enforcement, and real action on the ground.
Tipperary filmmaker Anne Williamson has won international recognition in Los Angeles for her short film Bridget, a powerful drama based on the life and death of Bridget Cleary, who was murdered in Co Tipperary in 1895.
Ms Williamson, from Mullinahone, Co Tipperary, directed and co-wrote the film, which revisits one of Ireland’s most haunting historical stories. Bridget tells of the murder of 26-year-old Bridget Cleary, who was killed by her husband, Michael Cleary, after he claimed she had been taken by fairies and replaced by a changeling.
The film was co-written by Williamson and Brian Clancy from Clooneen and was filmed by cinematographer Louis Buggy of Diceman Films. It combines a modern-day introduction, filmed in colour, with a striking black-and-white historical retelling of the events surrounding Bridget’s death.
Speaking at a recent screening of the film at the Abymill Theatre in Fethard, Co. Tipperary, Ms Williamson said the story had stayed with her since childhood. “It was always a story that fascinated me from listening to stories my grandfather told me when I was a child,” she said. “It was always a tale that tore at my heart strings — the fact that Bridget was burned and buried in the middle of the night with no mourners. It always got to me that she was wronged.”
Ms Williamson travelled to Los Angeles with cast members Vicky Maher, who plays Bridget Cleary; John Peter Morris, who plays Michael Cleary; and Deirdre De Búrca, who plays a local gossip. All three were present at the Regal Theatre in Los Angeles when Williamson collected her award.
The production features performances from members of the Fionn MacCumhaill Players from south Tipperary. The cast also includes young actor Cathal Fahey as Danny, Mark Fitzgerald as his father, and Eugene O’Meara as his grandfather, who introduces the story.
The drama includes an original ballad, ‘The Maid of Old Clooneen’, written and performed by Dublin folk singer Chris Kavanagh.
Local support for the film has been strong, with cast and crew members receiving messages of congratulations from across Ireland and abroad following Ms Williamson’s success in Los Angeles.
Fethard undertaker and publican Mr Jasper Murphy, who plays a priest in the film, said the award had brought great pride to everyone involved.
Bridget shines a new light on the Bridget Cleary story, seeking to restore dignity to a young woman whose death shocked Ireland and became known around the world. Through the dedication of local writers, actors, musicians and film makers, the film brings this tragic chapter of Tipperary history to a new international audience.
Russian-owned refinery, Aughinish, County Limerick.
Ireland says it stands with Ukraine. Our politicians speak about democracy, freedom, sovereignty, and the right of a nation to defend itself against invasion. But there is now a deeply uncomfortable question Ireland can no longer avoid; why is a Russian-owned refinery on the west coast of Ireland still sending alumina to Russia?
The refinery at Aughinish, County Limerick, is one of Europe’s largest alumina plants. Alumina is not a harmless by-product. It is the key raw material used to make aluminium, latter a metal that is essential across modern industry, including military production.
Recent investigations have raised serious concerns that alumina exported from Ireland is entering Russian supply chains connected to arms manufacturers. The evidence does not allow us to say that Irish alumina has been directly identified inside a specific missile or drone. But it does point to something almost as alarming; Irish-refined alumina appears to be feeding a Russian aluminium system linked to companies supplying Russia’s war industry.
That distinction matters, but it does not make the situation acceptable. There is also an unavoidable comparison with Ireland’s attitude towards Israel. Irish politicians have often been outspoken in condemning Israel’s actions in Gaza, calling for accountability, sanctions, and a tougher international response. Many of those criticisms may be justified on humanitarian grounds. But that only makes the silence around Russia-linked alumina exports more striking. If Ireland is willing to take a strong moral position on one conflict, it must be prepared to apply the same standard to another. Selective outrage weakens Ireland’s credibility. Human rights, civilian protection, and international law cannot depend on which country is easier to criticise.
Russia’s war is not sustained by tanks and soldiers alone. It is sustained by finance, logistics, raw materials, shipping routes, shell companies, legal structures and loopholes. Every supply chain that keeps Russian industry moving deserves scrutiny, especially when that industry is connected to the weapons used against Ukrainian civilians.
The Irish Government argues that sanctioning alumina could hurt Europe. That may be a real concern. Jobs matter. Energy security matters. Industrial supply chains matter. But so does moral consistency.
Ireland cannot claim to stand with Ukraine while allowing a Russian-owned company here to continue exporting a critical raw material into Russia without the highest level of public scrutiny.
The question is not whether workers in Limerick should be protected. They should be. The question is whether protecting jobs should mean protecting a supply chain that may benefit Russia’s war economy. If the Government believes these exports are safe, then it should show the evidence. Where exactly is the alumina going? Which smelters receive it? Who buys the aluminium produced from it? What due diligence has been done to ensure it does not reach sanctioned arms manufacturers? And why has it taken so long for Irish politics to confront this issue openly?
Neutrality should never mean looking away. Ireland’s position should be clear; no Irish-based industry should help sustain Russia’s capacity to wage war on Ukraine. If this trade cannot be proven clean, it should not continue.
Roscrea seizures by Gardaí highlight confusion around CBD, cannabis and Vape products.
Today’s searches of two vape shops in Roscrea, Co. Tipperary, by the Tipperary Divisional Drugs Unit, where cannabis and cannabis-infused products valued at over €14,000 were seized pending analysis, raise an important question for the public: what exactly is CBD, and is it legal in Ireland?
CBD, short for cannabidiol, is a compound found in the cannabis/hemp plant. Unlike THC, it is not the main intoxicating compound associated with the “high” from cannabis. However, that does not mean every product labelled “CBD”, “hemp”, “cannabis-infused” or “natural” is automatically legal or safe to sell.
Cannabis Infused Products.
In Ireland, the key issue is often whether a product contains THC or another controlled cannabinoid. Cannabis remains illegal to possess, supply, produce, import or export except under licence. CBD itself is not classed as a controlled drug, but CBD products can still fall foul of Irish and EU rules, depending on what they contain, how they are made and how they are sold.
This is especially relevant when it comes to vapes, oils, edibles, jellies and so-called cannabis-infused products. A product may be marketed as CBD, but if analysis shows it contains THC or other controlled substances, it may be treated very differently under Irish law.
That is why today’s Roscrea, Co. Tipperary seizure matters. The final legal position will depend on laboratory analysis, but the incident is a reminder that consumers and retailers need to be extremely careful. Labelling alone is not enough. A product being available over the counter does not necessarily mean it is compliant, safe, or legal.
For members of the public, the message is simple: know what you are buying, be wary of cannabis-infused products, and do not assume that “CBD” means fully legal. For retailers, the responsibility is even greater. Products must be properly sourced, compliant, and free from controlled substances.
Roscrea Co. Tipperary, is not alone in seeing enforcement action around these products. Across Ireland, Gardaí continue to focus on cannabis, THC vapes, oils and edibles, where there are concerns about illegal cannabinoids, public safety, and the sale or supply of controlled drugs.
The bottom line: CBD is not the same as cannabis, but CBD products are not a legal free-for-all. The difference between a lawful product and an illegal one may come down to what is actually inside it.
Incorrectly declared pistachios in specific batches of Gran Grans Foods Homemade Pistachio Spread.
Alert Summary dated Wednesday, June 3rd 2026.
Allergy Alert Notification: 2026.A16 Allergen: Nuts Product Identification: Gran Grans Foods Homemade Pistachio Spread; pack size: 226g Batch Code: Please see table below. Country Of Origin: Ireland
Message: Nuts (pistachios) are not emphasised in the ingredients list of the above batches of Gran Grans Foods Homemade Pistachio Spread. This may make these batches unsafe for consumers who are allergic to or intolerant of nuts (pistachios) and therefore, these consumers should not eat the implicated batches. The affected batches are being recalled.
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