NATIONWIDE WEEK 40
MONDAY 3RD OCTOBER
FARMING STORIES
PRESENTER ANNE CASSIN
This evening Nationwide looks at new approaches to farming the land and meets the pioneers who are exploring working with nature and using non-invasive methods.
FARMING FOR NATURE/REPORT HELEN MARK
Over the past few years, the Farming for Nature initiative has encouraged and supported a growing number of farmers who work in ways that protect and enhance nature on their land. To celebrate that, they created Ambassadors, role models as it were, to help inspire others. Our reporter, Helen Mark visited one of last year’s Ambassadors, West Donegal farmer Cathal Mooney.
DEXTER CATTLE/REPORT NIALL MARTIN
Farmers all across the country have been trying to figure out how they can reduce costs of production and carbon emissions. We’ve been to visit one Monaghan suckler cattle farmer who has found a way to square the circle. Niall Martin went to meet him.
WEDNESDAY 5TH OCTOBER
MUSIC AND DANCE PROGRAMME
PRESENTER ANNE CASSIN
This evening’s programme features music, performance and art. Nationwide meets up with Jean Butler to find out about her latest dance project and talks to a Clare-based artist who enjoys nothing more than spending time painting the Banner county on canvas. Plus, we travel to Donegal to hear about a unique music project there.
DONEGAL MUSIC/REPORT MARY HARTE
We head to the Northwest of the country, to the Inishowen Peninsula in Donegal where, over the past 20 years, a group of dedicated musicians have been archiving the unique traditional tunes and songs of the area. In the process they’ve discovered manuscripts of tunes going back centuries. The music has now been rearranged into an orchestral suite. Reporter Mary Harte has been finding out more about the Inishowen Traditional Music Project.
DOREEN DRENNAN ART/REPORT ZAINAB BOLADALE
We’re off to County Clare to meet an impressionist painter who’s been documenting the Burren region through her artwork for over 30 years. Zainab Boladale has the story.
FRIDAY 7TH OCTOBER
ENVIRONMENTAL STORIES
PRESENTER ANNE CASSIN
On this evening’s show Nationwide takes to the water, with a couple who are travelling the Shannon on an electric, solar powered boat. We meet a Wexford community who have undertaken a project to improve water quality in their local stream. Plus, the ongoing national effort to protect and support salmon stocks in our rivers.
SHOWBOAT/REPORT VALERIE WATERS
Taking a boat out on the inland waterways of Ireland is a passion for thousands of people on this island. We meet a couple who have sailed a solar-electric powered vessel through our beautiful lakes and rivers. Not only that, but they have stopped at harbours along their route and have produced ecological events incorporating art and science where communities are invited to attend.
WEXFORD STREAM/REPORT PHILIP BROMWELL
We are in County Wexford where efforts are under way to tackle a problem which will be familiar to many coastal communities – a beach stream which is prone to pollution and contamination. In Ballymoney, they’ve set about trying to protect and restore the biodiversity of their local stream and so far, the results have been promising, as Philip Bromwell found out.
SALMON/REPORT NIALL MARTIN
A lot of wildlife conservation work goes on in the background here in Ireland with results not being visible for years. Inland Fisheries Ireland is the state body responsible for trying to increase salmon numbers in our rivers and reporter Niall Martin went out to see their salmon conservation programme in action.