Until relatively recently everyone had their own plot of bog where they would cut turf for fuel, often using a donkey to transport the turf back to the house.
Mac was my wife's grandfather and used to go to the mountains (Dublin) for days on end, sometimes with his sons, to cut turf for fuel. Mac was around during some of the great events in Irish history - he was De Valera's driver for several years.
The painting was commissioned by one of Mac's sons, Kevin, for the dustcover of a book on the family.