Formation of Irish Bogs

This link takes you to an article that provides a view on how man's influence encourages the formation of blanket bog in Ireland, but how raised bogs formed without man's influence.

Raised bogs have been the main target for fuel.  800,000 tons per year of peat (called turf when cut) were extracted for fuel during the period 1814 - 1946 and this led to the destruction of half of Ireland's raised bogs.  Bord na Mona was set up to manage the extraction of peat  and there were 100,000 ha of raised bogs remaining in 1969 of which Bord na Mona owned 45,000ha.

The extraction of peat at this rate seems strange in the current peat-friendly times.