Shanks Mare 2005

Click on a date to listen to the show.

Monday 31st October
The popular Shanks Mare walking series is back for a special one-off Halloween programme. Join Ella McSweeney as she walks the wilds of Ireland this Bank Holiday Monday.

Programme 13: 2nd September 2005
In this, the final programme in this series of Shanks Mare, Ella goes to her favourite part of Ireland - Burrishoole in Co. Mayo - to walk the majestic lakes of Lough Feeagh and Lough Furnace, and talks with Joe McDermott, Sue Callaghan and Russell Poole.

Programme 12: 26th August 2005
This week Ella walks the dramatic coastline of Hook Head in Co. Wexford, starting in the gorgeous fishing village of Slade. Ella talks to Billy Colfer and Kevin Whelan along the coastal walk of Slade to the Hook Head Lighthouse.

Programme 11: 19th August 2005
On this week's Shanks Mare, Ella walks along the banks of an amazing engineering project that took place in the 18th Century to provide extra water to keep the Grand Canal functioning.

Programme 10: 12th August 2005
On this wee's Shanks Mare, Ella walks the lands of `An Creagan` community centre, located between Cookstown and Omagh. They've developed a biodiversity trail for local walkers and a special"storytelling" walking trail for children who can practice their reading whilst walking the landscape.

Programme 9: 5th August 2005
This morning Ella is in Knocksink Nature Reserve, just outside of Enniskerry in Co. Wicklow. She finds out more about the National Environmental Centre which is located in the reserve, and also about a plan to make this gorgeous native woodland part of the wonderful Wicklow Way.

Programme 8: 29th July 2005
On this mornings Shanks Mare, Ella walks the nature reserve of Aughinish Island on the Shannon Estuary which is a site of huge oxide refinery but also an area dedicated to walking and watching various wildlife species.

Programme 7: 22nd July 2005
On this mornings Shanks Mare, Ella takes a walk through an orchard in Scariff, Co. Clare which has over 150 varieties of apples.

Programme 6: 15th July 2005
On this morning's Shanks Mare, Ella travels to the town of Banagher in west County Offaly to meet Brian Caffrey, who takes her on a walk to find the elusive corncrake bird.

Programme 5: 8th July 2005
This morning Ella goes on an urban walk through parts of Ballymun in North Dublin with local artist Paddy Kavanagh who tells her the lie of the land before the flats went up in the 1960s. She also meets Joe Stuart who grew up in Ballymun and looked after one of the last functioning farms in Poppintree. He recalls the days of looking after the animals, hearing and seeing the wildlife of the area and life in general before the flats went up in the late 1960s.

Programme 4: 1st July 2005
This week Ella walks the beautiful rugged coastline of West Cork. She meets Padraig Whooley on Galley Head who gives a few hints of how walkers can spot whales and dolphins off shore. She also meets a local farmer who's spent his life with one eye on the ocean, incase he sees some cetaceans!

For more information please check www.iwdg.ie

Programme 3: 24th June 2005
Ella walks the coastline of Dunfanaghy, Co. Donegal, with local naturalist Liz Shephard who talks to her about the unique coastal machair habitat. Ella also talks with Ewan Barry who wrote about this for the exhibition in the local workshouse museum in Dunfanaghy.

Programme 2: 17th June 2005
A local development organisation in Ballybay, Co. Monaghan bought a 65 acre farm a mile from the village five years ago. Ella meets with the people responsible and finds out more about the farm, the wildlife walks in it and the projects that have been developed for the local children north and south of the border.

Programme 1: 10th June 2005
Ella McSweeney walks around the rugged coastline of Dungloe in west Donegal with librarian Fiona Sweeney who initiated a project 'Even the Rocks have Names'.

Click here to see a map of the named rocks. (.pdf)

"Even the Rocks have names"
"Even the Rocks have names" is a project initiated by Forbairt na Rosann in conjunction with Leabharlann Phobail na Rosann. From a casual conversation, it grew out of the realisation that the oral history of Traigheanna Bay was fast disappearing and would soon be lost to us unless we took positive action. We wanted to enhance public understanding and appreciation of our placename heritage by doing something that would benefit the community and motivate the local people. During our research in 2001-2002 the elderly in the area became very excited and motivated about what we were doing and the young people have become aware of their local heritage.

In order to promote the project our aim is to produce a map with reference to these placenames, with translations or explanations of what they mean with photographs depicting the most significant inset. By making copies available to the community we can raise awareness and public enjoyment of our placename heritage and in doing so promote the Irish language.

If listeners would like a copy of the map phone Fiona Sweeney on 074 952 2500

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