For countless centuries Irish peat land (bog land) has covered much of rural Ireland and every farmer and almost every family had their own turf bank. Irish Turf was and still is, dug from the ...

“The Oul’ McMahons’ Spade”, a 1973 epic by Matt Duggan, also features in McKeagney’s book, although its last verse implies ...

Spades need to be sharp to cut effectively. If your spade is dull, it can make cutting and digging much harder on your back, and crush turf and roots rather than cut cleanly through them.