(09)Ear To The Ground (Series 24, final programme)
Tuesday 28TH February 2017
RTÉ One
8.30pm
Organic Beef Farming in Wicklow
Not only is this Organic beef farm home to a beautiful herd of Aberdeen cattle its also home to the hit Vikings TV series close to the scenic village of Ashford, Co. Wicklow.
For the last episode of the season, Darragh McCullough took in the breathtaking scenery whilst travelling south to visit the O’Connell family in Ballyhenry. Even though the family has owned this beautiful 500-acre farm for over 30 years, they only began farming it themselves 4 years ago.
Joe O’Connell and his daughter Rebecca Harris demonstrate to Darragh how they run a minimal labour and machinery output farm as they rear their Aberdeen Angus cattle.
Small Changes that Lead to Big Rewards
Before moving to Ireland, New Zealander Andre van Barneveld was a young man in a big rush.
Obsessed by farming, by his mid twenties he was working two farms and milking over 300 cows a day.
However, after a marriage breakdown, Andre re-evaluated his life and chose to take a different direction.
Now working as a dairy consultant, Andre is putting his own life lessons to use. He believes that with a change of mindset you can have both financial and lifestyle gains.
Helen Carroll travels with Andre to a farm owned by Niall Walsh in Laois. Niall has found that making small critical changes on his farm has had a massively positive impact on his work- life balance, and on the time he spends with his young family.
Saving the Red Grouse in North Leitrim
In 2007, only three pair of Red Grouse was left on Boleybrack Mountain and numbers all over Ireland were declining by 70%. In response, the locals got together to figure out what could be done to save this much loved bird.
The result is a huge success story with numbers now nearing 100 pair, but it’s also the story of a man who was once an outsider and who now has become an integral part of the local community in rural Glenfarne.
Ella McSweeney had a very early start on the beautiful Boleybrack Mountain in North Leitrim in the hope of hearing an unusual dawn chorus – that of the elusive Red Grouse, a native Irish bird that had almost become extinct.
Ear to the Ground is produced for RTÉ by Independent Pictures.
Series Producer – John Cummins
Presenters – Darragh McCullough, Helen Carroll, Ella McSweeney
Directors – Paula Williams, Liam Lavelle
Executive Producer for RTÉ – Michael Hughes
Press enquiries:
TVPR
Ann Coughlan 00 353 87 6778045
Pauline Cronin 00 353 87 2629967