CountryWide

On Countrywide we feature farmers who are trying to bypass the middlemen and sell their product directly to consumers. The big problem they all have in common is they either find themselves tied to a single farmer’s market stall or strapped into a van doing deliveries. Step forward Cavan farmer Ben Tierney who runs ten egg vending machines.

A complicated problem we are facing in Farming is how to get younger people taking over the reins. Generational Renewal is the short hand. Our reporter Suzanne Campbell went in the company of some Nuffield Scholars to Cork to look at a shared farm.

Lorna Siggins visits an all woman aerial circus production of the story of Grace O’Malley or Granuaile with the truly spectacular backdrop of the old pirate queen’s stomping ground of Clew Bay.

David Keohan, is a man on an archaeological quest to discover Ireland’s ancient lifting stones and revive a sport and culture – Stone Lifting – that has almost been erased from the landscape entirely.

Countrywide Full Episode 20/06/2026

Keith Brennan, on Hawthorn Hill Farm in Roscommon, reflects on the power of Meitheal, and therefore found putting his back in to a shared job of work on a neighbour’s land helpful.

This morning we looked at what farming is like in countries affected by war and climate change; Sudan, Lebanon, Ukraine. Given what the agronomists, the supply chain experts, the supermarket buyers are now saying about the global food system being tested to breaking point, Philip asked former President of Ireland Mary Robinson was she concerned.

National Parks and Wildlife Service has taken the precaution of appointing a warden to make sure visitors know how to tread softly on the Inishkea Islands. And Ella McSweeney took a rib out to Inishkea south and was joined by the person behind the idea, Irene O’Brien.

Grass growth has been rampant in the last few weeks, with quite a few farms pushing into surplus. It’s a time of year where that kind of growth means booleying can come into its own. A livestock management tradition where the cattle and the farmer’s children headed for the hills away from parental supervision. Della Kilroy reports.

'Making Farms Work for Women' is a pilot project that's looking at the reality of farming for women and at the challenges they face. Over the three year life of the project they'll be working with 60 women farmers in North Mayo. Treasa Breathnach reports.

Swarming season is in full swing across the country. Queen bees are leaving their nests, allowing developing queens to inherit their thrones. There has been a long running campaign and draft legislation to ensure special protection for the wild Irish honeybee. Lorna Siggins reports.

Looking at the bogs a bit more closely, where are we at in developing completely peat free alternative composts so that we can stop cutting up bogs to grow food? Teagasc, the agricultural research agency is in the middle of a lot of work in this area. Philip met with Dr Michael Gaffney to discuss further.

The European Commission is not happy about what we haven’t done to protect our bogs. They say we have failed to stop large scale commercial peat extraction. So Ireland is getting sued, again. While we have done a bad job protecting our raised bog networks, taking take peat away in the morning would mean we end a large part of Irish horticulture.

Della Kilroy goes beachcombing in Bray with Marine Biologist, Mona McCrae and a group of school children as part of ‘Seashore Kids’, which provides marine environmental education to children.

Speakers at the Fair Seas Conference 2026 on MPAs: Minna Epps - IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), Belinda Bramley - UK marine protection expert, Grace Carr - Marine policy officer at the Irish Wildlife Trust).

Fisherman John Lynch talks to Suzanne Campbell about his reaction to MPA introduction.

Marine Biologist, Ben Harris, has scientific evidence that MPAs work.

Ornithologist, Sean Ronayne, on how important Marine Protection Areas are for Seabirds and his passion for capturing bird sounds

Jesmond Harding, author of the The Irish Butterfly Book, makes the case for conserving habitat for creatures like the Marsh Fritillary butterfly within a Land Use Plan.

Ella McSweeney talks to locals in Roscommon who feel there is better environmental and cultural value to be had on their bog than the climate benefits that would come from a proposed wind farm.

Stakeholders from farmers to renewable energy call for the publication of the Land Use Review. Pat O'Toole, Political Editor, Irish Farmers Journal. Prof Mary Bourke, Geographer, TCD. Ronan Power, CEO Solar Ireland. Oonagh Duggan, Head of Policy, Birdwatch Ireland.

With a wind farm going up in the next field Michael Miley's farm outside Monasterevin is just one of thousands that would benefit from clear direction on Land Use.

There isn't enough land in the country to do all the things we have set targets for. 17 months ago government received a report setting out what land uses needed to be prioritised. Where is it?

There’s enough hedgerow in Ireland to go around the equator 17 times and there’s a Whitethorn at the heart of every hedge. So lets pause for a moment in awe of the Whitethorn, with its dazzling display across our landscape right now, with Janet Heeran from her family farm in Co Cork.

Food historian, Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire discusses whether enough has changed since the Great Famine to guarantee access to food for all. Máirtín is co-editor of Irish Food History: A Companion, published by Royal Irish Academy.