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EAR TO THE GROUND

NY23 Ear to the Ground Group One Image Name: NY23 Ear to the Ground Group One
Ear to the Ground Group Two Image Name: Ear to the Ground Group Two

Well Drill
It’s hard to imagine that in Ireland, we could ever find ourselves short of water. But as our climate changes, and we experience more drought during the summer months, we can no longer depend on having limitless access to water. For farmers with livestock, that’s an even bigger problem and many are seeing once reliable old wells now running dry. Last summer Darragh met Wexford dairy farmer
Arthur Sweetman on the day he decided to have a new well drilled in the hope of solving
his water supply issues, but as the day rolled on and the drill went deeper, both came to
realise that maybe this was an expensive and hopeless endeavour.

Peatlands
Throughout Ireland, peatlands have been drained for agricultural purposes so they can be turned into
grassland. But now a new Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission could see the
legally binding rewetting of this farmed land turning it back into its original state. Helen Carroll visits one
farmer in Mayo to find out why some farmers are so concerned about the impact this proposed new law
will have on their livelihoods.

SUAS
Farming on commonage or grazing the uplands can be challenging for farmers but also for these fragile
habitats. Ella McSweeney joins the members of SUAS in the Wicklow Mountains. SUAS is a partnership EIP
project involving farmers and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, to work together to maintain and
improve biodiversity and habitat on farmed uplands. Ella joins them for a days work blocking drains &
planting trees to improve the shared landscape.