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Defiant turf cutters have claimed they won a battle against officials, but not the war.
One man was arrested and another taken to hospital when his machinery was destroyed by fire as a stand-off escalated in Portumna in Co Galway.
More than 100 turf cutters from around the country joined locals at Clonmoylan Bog as they attempted to stop officials removing equipment from an adjoining field.
Independent TD Luke Ming Flanagan claimed gardai finally "gave in" but vowed to contact the Garda Ombudsman over the dispute and blaze.
"They are going to return the machinery to the turf cutter," he said.
"Basically we have won this one, but it's a small battle along the way to winning this war."
Ireland has been ordered to protect and conserve important peatland habitats on raised bogs under the EU Habitat's Directive.
Protesters maintain officials from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) tried to remove machinery belonging to turf cutting contractor Michael Darcy from a field outside the conservation zone.
But when an excavator, worth about 60,000 euro, was destroyed in a blaze after it was detained, Mr Darcy collapsed and was taken to hospital.
A deal was brokered and a stand-off called off when it was agreed to return the remaining machinery to Mr Darcy.
