Series 33, Programme 14 – 7:00pm Thursday 19th February, 2026
RTÉ One – Repeated Sunday 22nd February, 2026
Claudia Marl
From farming goats to farming a rare breed, a lot has happened in Claudia Marl’s life since Ella Mc Sweeney’s first visit to her Westmeath farm back in 2012.
Two years ago Claudia changed from milking 450 goats twice a day, to rearing and selling Droimeann cattle – a native breed that had almost become extinct just a few years before.
Over the course of the day Ella follows the route the Droimeann take from Claudia’s farm, through a local abattoir and into a restaurant in Ballymahon in Co Longford, along the way meeting many of the people whose love of these hardy Irish cattle is ensuring its survival.
Pigs
Just three years ago the pig sector in Ireland was in crisis. Years of low prices and rising costs meant farmers amassing debt with many seeing no other choice but to leave the sector.
The economics of pig farming have since stabilised – but is that enough to keep farmers rearing pigs?
Darragh McCullough travelled to Tipperary to meet one young farmer who has committed her future to the sector.
Old Roots Wine
In 2014 Esperanza Hernandez and her husband Jesus Lazaro decided to plant 7,000 vines on their small farm near Wellington Bridge in Co. Wexford. It was the beginning of a long term project to produce wine in this little corner of the country.
This year they have over 12,000 vines with eight grape varieties producing 7 wines. Stephen Robb joined the couple to help gather this year’s grapes and to learn more about how two Spaniards ended up farming grapes in Ireland.
Ear to the Ground is produced by indiepics for RTÉ.