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Lorna Siggins jumped on board this conundrum and met Sean Doran, whose family runs a fish shop and restaurant in Howth, Co Dublin and master fishmonger Stefan Griesbach in Co Galway.

Philip speaks with farmers Seamus Bradley in Ardclough, Co Kildare and John Keogh in Co Carlow to gauge their understanding. Later, food analyst Sinead Mowlds joined him in studio.

What began with two pet goats has grown into an expanding goat’s milk soap business for Louise Bennett in County Westmeath.  Reporter Della Kilroy discovered how Louise has been balancing the demands of a busy kidding season with the day-to-day running of her small business, turning fresh goat’s milk into handcrafted skincare products.

As the Mayfly season gets underway.  Fisheries scientist, Ken Whelan, joined Sheila O'Callaghan along the banks of the Blackwater River near Virginia in Co Cavan, and Dr Samuel Fabian from the University of Oxford and his colleagues from Imperial College London reveals the science behind the Mayfly's dance in newly published research.

The prospect of cuts in the Common Agriculture Policy budget has ignited a debate about what constitutes an active farmer and whether supports should be removed or reduced from those deemed inactive. Chris Fox, a medium sized Irish dairy farmer and Daniel Buckley, a sheep farmer , and Francie Gorman, President of the IFA discuss.

Countrywide Full Episode 16/05/2026

Poet Pat Boran joined Philip to recite a delightful poem dedicated to birds.

Lorna Siggins reports on recent removal of a beach area in Bray Harbour in County Wicklow which has had a significant impact on local swans.

Author of The Book Of Birds, Robert McFarlane and Cork-based ornithologist and field recordist, Seán Ronayne collaborate to bring you the exquisite sounds of birds and some interesting anecdotes and insights.

Suzanne Campbell reports on how a farmer in the midlands with a thriving organic oats business has made a determined effort to allow space for nature on his farm which has actually added to his bottom line.

You know what walking on a bog should sound like but that's not what could be heard underfoot at Slieve Beagh following a wildfire last week. Ella McSweeney joined Philip Boucher Hayes to talk more.

Philip meets Susan Denny, owner of the field from the 1990 film ‘The Field’, only to find that a portion of iconic landscape has been washed away, due to climate change.

Lorna Siggins meets local people attending the Geopark launch celebrations near the Owenriff River in Oughterard, including An Taisce Climate Ambassador Pat O’Brien, local ecologist Greg Forde and some music by harpist Nathalie Surina.  

Musical trio The Whileaways talk to Philip about making music in the landscape of the Geopark, and their hometown of Headford. Noriana Kennedy, Nicola Joyce and Noelie McDonnell play their song ‘You’ll Find Me There’.

Philip meets uplands farmer Colm Gavin for a walk on his sheep farm on the banks of the Killary Fjord. They discuss what really makes a geopark special, as well as the challenges of mountainside farming, in the company of attention-seeking cuckoo.  

Philip meets the Geopark’s official geologist Benjamin Thébaudeau for a walk at the Pigeon Hole, the cave in Cong. They talk about the formation of the landscape and how its people are connected to it.

Treasa Bhreathnach attends the celebrations at the launch of the newly UNESCO endorsed Geopark in Connemara, the Joyce Country and Western Lakes Geopark. Featuring Trish Walsh, Chair of the JCWL GeoEnterprise and Sinead Seoighe, Tourism Officer for the Geopark.  

Della Kilroy meets artists from a project called ‘Forest Songs’ — a collection of three love songs to the Dublin forests, written in collaboration with composer Tom Lane. The project creators are Cracking Light Productions, and the singer is Maeve Stone

Regan Hutchens visits a forest school Easter Camp near Donadea forest in Kildare to meet Forest School Leader Lucy Bell of Growing Wild, and an enthusiastic team of forest scholars.

Philip visits members of the Boyne Rivers Trust who are planting trees on their river banks to provide shade and help keep temperatures down, thus protecting the fish inside. Featuring Muireann Kerrane, Rosaleen Finnegan Gibbons and zoologist Sarah Austin.

Treasa Bhreathnach visits the farm of Gary Patterson in Granlahan in County Roscommon, where he has introduced trees into a little over half of the pasture, for animal health, soil health and farmer health.

A book promoting the Sitka Spruce tree caused some controversy this week after it was distributed to primary schools. Philip visits St Patrick’s National School Curtlestown, which is surrounded by both commercial and native woodland high up in the Wicklow Hills, to see how the book was received by teachers there.

Countrywide Full Episode 18/04/2026

Last weekend, Lorna Siggins visited Carraroe Community Garden, where residents of the nearby IPAS centre joined locals, including members of the Men's Shed and the arts group Gliogar, to plant vegetables in raised beds.

James Nix is an expert in the economics of heavy vehicles, working with the think tank Transport and Environment in Brussels.