Saol na Feirme is a brand new six-part RTÉ series taking us into the lives of eleven very different Irish farming families across four seasons. Viewers get to know the men and women who are growing and producing the food we all eat and providing income and employment in our rural communities. The series charts their lives from spring through to winter, how they cope with everything that nature has to throw at them and how more than ever they are affected by environmental responsibilities. Our local farming industry is also a global concern, impacted by price fluctuations across the world, natural disasters thousands of miles away and even war in Ukraine.
Saol na Feirme cameras have been out in all weathers capturing the stories of the people who live and work the land, giving an insight into modern Irish rural life in counties Antrim, Armagh, Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Meath, Waterford and Kerry. Farms featured include arable, hill and lowland sheep flocks, dairy, beef and vegetable enterprises. Some farmers are high-tech and cutting edge while others are keen to preserve traditional methods.
This series is filmed in some of Ireland’s most stunning locations. There is the contrast of the beauty of the land with the practicalities of making a living in these places. As many a farmer on the west coast says, “You can’t eat the view”. But would they or could they ever leave it?
Saol na Feirme gives viewers a timely insight into one of our oldest industries, showing the journey of our food from field to fork and celebrates the custodians of our countryside. Our farmers are always racing against the weather; managing unpredictable animals and temperamental machinery – there’s plenty to keep them busy.
Episode One begins on the Waterford coast with brother and sister Jamie and Mairead Costin who each farm in their own distinct ways. Mairéad runs a vegetable enterprise while Jamie is a progressive dairy farmer. We visit Piaras Ó Lorcáin, a young beef farmer in Armagh, and join Seánie Ó Baoill and his sheep flock in the hills of Donegal.
Episode Two takes us to Mayo where Niamh Seoighe is raising sheep and Connemara ponies. We meet Briain Ó Doibhlin on the scenic shores of Lough Neagh, while Blatnaid Gallagher is in Galway spreading her passion for the Galway sheep and its wool.
In Episode Three Briain Ó Doibhlin is having a challenging first cut of silage in county Antrim – the sun is shining but where there is machinery, there is always the risk of breakdowns. In Donegal, Seánie Ó Baoill is treating his sheep ahead of their return to the mountain – it’s a time of year that he loves. In Kerry, Rónán Ó Siochrú is a progressive young farmer; this episode sees him putting plans in place for future cows to join his herd. Saol na Feirme is a Strident Media production for RTÉ, made with the support of the Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
