The CountryWide team feature the events, people and happenings that bring colour and life to communities, towns and villages across Ireland. Listen live Saturdays at 8am on RTÉ Radio 1.
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The CountryWide team feature the events, people and happenings that bring colour and life to communities, towns and villages across Ireland. Listen live Saturdays at 8am on RTÉ Radio 1.
Two pupils in Loreto secondary school Fermoy look like they are on the brink of developing a biodegradable plastic packaging made from seaweed washed up on the shore.
Back in the early nineties all across the EU a rule was introduced to protect rivers and streams from agricultural run off. At the last count 7,000 out of 137,000 farms in Ireland had received a derogation from this directive. A decision on this derogation is on the agenda at the next meeting of the EU’s Nitrates Committee on December 9.
Several cases of avian have now been confirmed here in Ireland, and that means it’s more important than ever to stick to strict biosecurity measures. Dr June Fanning is Chief Veterinary Officer at the Department of Agriculture, and Paul Moore is a tillage farmer from Cork.
In Monaghan, a not-for-profit co-operative called Síolta Chroí is hosting training courses on regenerative agriculture. They recently started a six-week program called Farming the System, aimed at helping local farmers to create more diversified and resilient farms. For more details, visit sioltachroi.ie
The Tralee Oyster Fishery was founded in 1979, after the near collapse of the native oyster stock. The local fishers came together to restore the population and today, they’re a cooperative of 200 fishers who both profit from and protect the fish in the bay.
Irish scientist Mark John Costello, based at Nord University in Norway, looked at the evidence of economic benefits on 50 existing marine protected areas in 31 countries. Can protecting parts of our oceans actually increase profits for the fishing industry?
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board is the body that investigates accidents and incidents at sea. It says that fatalities and injuries remain too high, especially on smaller boats under 15 metres in length.
Last month, Séamus Boland became President of the European Economic and Social Committee, an EU body that gives voice to workers, businesses, farmers and communities right across Europe.
At the moment, anyone across the world can use “Donegal Tweed” to describe their fabric, whether it was made in Donegal or not. This might all stop because the Donegal Tweed Association is applying to get official EU recognition and legal protection.
Across Ireland, repair cafés are springing up. The idea is simple: reduce waste, reuse what you can, and give old items, from clothing to furniture, a new lease of life.
Mary Reynolds is a writer based in Wexford. She’s been thinking about how our concept of nature has shifted over generations and wants to introduce us to the idea of Shifting Baseline Syndrome.
In 2021, Nick and Cass McCarthy set up Lúnasa Farm on 30 acres of land in Co. Clare. Neither of them comes from a farming background. Nick’s an engineer by trade, and he met Cass while working in her home country of Australia. lunasafarm.ie for more details
Up on Forth Mountain in Wexford, a group of volunteers and craftspeople have been slowly restoring an old cottage, a place that was once the centre of a small, close-knit community.
Two very large farms that have just come on the property market, and the asking prices for both say all kinds of fascinating things about the value we attach to land.
Last month the government allocated €157 million of public money in Budget 2026 for the Department of Agriculture to continue their efforts to eradicate the disease.
The CountryWide team feature the events, people and happenings that bring colour and life to communities, towns and villages across Ireland. Listen live Saturdays at 8am on RTÉ Radio 1.
