Gwen Tuinman
Gwen Tuinman is a novelist, born and raised in rural southern Ontario. Fascinated by the landscape of human tenacity, she writes about people navigating the social restrictions of their era. Her storytelling is influenced by an interest in bygone days. She lives in the Kawartha Lakes region with her husband. Gwen's 19th century historical adventure novel UNREST will be published May 7 2024 by Random House Canada.
Gwen Tuinman 
September 23, 2014 at 11:13 am
We experienced several peat fires in hearths when traveling in Ireland. Their odor was distinctive, but not unpleasant. I’m enjoying your blog. Thanks for writing!
September 28, 2014 at 8:27 am
I’m so glad you shared that detail. I’m accumulating research for some writing about characters who hale from Ireland. I never gave any thought to what the burning peat might smell like. What a wonderful sensory detail. I’d like to visit Ireland, possibly in the next year, so hopefully I will experience that too.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I’m delighted that you are enjoying the content shared here:)
September 26, 2014 at 6:28 pm
It is cold outside, so use peat to keep warm.
September 28, 2014 at 8:31 am
Hello Joan. Thank you for writing. I’m wondering, do people store the peat in sheds so it is dry for lighting? A number of photos I’d seen showed that the peat was stacked outdoors. I wondered if the generous precipitation in Ireland might keep things a bit soggy for burning.