Molly McKeon

The Midland’s Rejuvenation

A journey through the Irish Midlands
Energy has always been a key challenge to society but it is an even larger challenge now as we make the transition from fossil fuel to renewable energy. This project looks at that transition from fossil fuel to renewable energies, as moving away from fossil fuels has presented a whole new array of problems. The focus of this project will centre in the Midland region of Ireland as it is one of the worst affected areas from the transition to renewable energy. The counties of the Midlands for the scope of this project include Kildare, Offaly, Laois, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath and Galway. It will focus on assessing the history of this site, why it has been so impacted by this energy transition and will also explore the future potentials of this region.

Why the Midlands?
As Ireland moves toward its ambitious goals of producing 80% of its energy from renewable by 2030, it is important to look at Ireland’s energy history to understand why this is not an easy task. Ireland in the 1900’s was home to a thriving peat industry, during its peak, peat produced 40% of Ireland’s overall electricity. The core of the peat industry lay in the Irish Midland’s as it has an extensive number of raised bogs. The midland’s thrived off draining and harvesting bog to burn and as industry grew so did the infrastructure surrounding this business. Extensive railway, road and grid lines were developed. Midland communities thrived, multiple peat burning station were established in West Offaly, Shannon bridge and Lough Ree. However, peat is a finite resource and the draining of Irish bogs has resulted in very negative environmental impacts.

Now in 2024 peat energy only makes up 0.6% of Ireland’s electricity and the life that this industry once brought to the midlands is slowly fading.(SEAI, 2022) Bord na Mona, the Irish organisation who own the majority of the peatland in Ireland and where the main employer during the peat industry, have closed down the peat power stations leaving many unemployed and towns suffering from unemployment and underdevelopment.