A quirky souvenir to bring back from Ireland is a Peat (or as its often called Turf) incense burner as its said there is no other smell that will certainly bring back memories like a Turf fire!
Peat is the most common fuel that the Irish burn due to the countries many bogs which produce it. It comes from the accumulation of decaying plant and organic matter over thousands of years in natural wet/acidic bogs and mires. To harvest the peat by hand it is cut out of the earth with sharp hoes, then compressed, and then dried out as bricks.
I had heard that you could find little cottage incense burners, and looked all over Ireland to find one. I finally found it in a little shop at the Cliffs of Moher! Keep your eye out for the cheaper version which is a box that looks like a cottage, 6 peat squares, and a shale burner. The other more expensive version comes with more peat squares and a ceramic incense burner that looks like smoke is rising up from the cottage.
Souvenir Saturday is an every-other week series on the items that represent travel memories.
Leave a Reply