It all started with the posting of an innocuous photo of a sight familiar to aficionados of one of Ireland’s, nay the world’s, finest hostelries: the famed JJ Hough’s Singing Pub in Banagher, Co Offaly, beloved as much for its character as the singing and the trad and the good pints. Is iontach an teach óil é, le fáilte roimh cách.
“First fire of the season,” said JJ Hough’s in their Facebook post. Sure, you can nearly smell the turf. And the nights are drawing in. Also there are at least 6 boxes there to help you give a few bob to a good cause.
However, one company on Facebook – in what retrospectively must have seemed like a foolish move – decided to take issue with the fact that peat was being burned.
“I see you’re burning turf? Carbon footprint lads…” an initiative called Working Holidays Ireland opined.
You can imagine the motivation for the response from their perspective. Had the Singing Pub never heard of Greta Thunberg? Did they not know that burning turf was now one of the Seven Deadly Sins likely earning you five million years in Purgatory?
Virtue Signaller 0@JJHOUGHS Singing pub 1
— Eric Nelligan Aontú (@eric_nelligan) September 13, 2024
Fair play to the operator of JJ Houghs for calling out that BS from Woke Holiday Ireland. #LateLate pic.twitter.com/1KxfhgePNw
The reaction from both JJ Hough’s and its many admirers was swift and devastating. Firstly, there were just a sad three lonely ‘likes’ for the finger-wagging, and precious little further support out of hundreds, then thousands, of engagements,
“Here in the heart of Ireland, this is the homegrown stuff that has sustained us for generations, it’s part of our culture and we’re proud of that fact. JJ Houghs Singing Pub keep the home fires burning,” said one supporter.
“I find it ironic that you’re critiquing a small pub for burning turf while your site promotes international tourism, which involves far higher carbon emissions from flights and car travel. It’s disappointing to see a platform aimed at encouraging tourism to take cheap shots at family-run businesses. Supporting local enterprises like JJ Houghs is vital for preserving authentic Irish culture, rather than undermining them with hypocritical criticisms. Let’s focus on real environmental issues and support local businesses that keep our communities vibrant,” said another.
Many comments highlighted the importance of maintaining traditions, the excellence of the turf fires in JJ Hough’s, and the negligible impact of burning Irish peat harvested from small bogs on the climate.
But the searing reply from the proprietors was what really caught everyone’s attention, winning applause from all and sundry for the no-holds barred riposte.
“It’s how we heat the Pub. Looking at your page, you rely on tourists from abroad coming to Ireland correct? How do they get here? They hardly swam. How would you quantify and compare the emissions of a Boeing 747 to a small turf fire,” JJ Hough’s began.
“How do your guests get around Ireland when they arrive, do they walk? I also see by your page you promote Dunnes Stores, who have 138 stores in Ireland and abroad, do you query their carbon footprint?” they continued.
But they were only getting warmed up: “When your guests are here do you check their clothing to ensure they aren’t made of synthetic polyester,a byproduct of petroleum. Did you write your critique of my turf fire on a phone or laptop? Both of which were developed and are powered by fossil fuel technology. Maybe think before criticising a small family run pubs turf fire. Maybe call in some day and I’ll give you my carbon footprint up your hole.”
It wasn’t long before the response went viral, being liked, shared and viewed hundreds of thousands of times across the various social media platforms. People are obviously fond of turf fires, and of JJ Hough’s.
The best answer I've seen in a long, long time. Well done, @JJHOUGHS 👏👏 calling out the virtue signalling woke rubbish that's destroying the country. @griptmedia @offalylocalnews @offalyindo @Offaly_Express @CNolanOffaly pic.twitter.com/lZ6RGleV69
— Trevor Moylan (@MoylanTrevor) September 13, 2024
It’s very easy to criticize others and call out carbon footprint but then you need to check your own and the day we can’t have an open fire in a snug will be a sad day. pic.twitter.com/2ijwtoa9DU
— Carlow Weather (@CarlowWeather) September 14, 2024
There were many, many other such posts. As Eric Nelligan from Aontú observed above: Virtue Signaller 0, JJ Houghs Singing Pub 1. It was difficult to find supportive comments for the anti-turf-fire corner, it has to be said.
In fairness to Working Holidays Ireland, they stood their ground. “Joking aside, Turf=Peat… Peat=Carbon Capture=Good for the Environment 
Burning 
Peat/Turf=Less Carbon Capture=Bad for the Environment,” they said on Facebook.
But they seemed to have lost the audience. For this skirmish in the ongoing Turf Wars, it was a handy victory for JJ Hough’s Singing Pub and the right to an open fire.