Screening on RTÉ One this May, the acclaimed new documentary Birdsong follows ornithologist Seán Ronayne from Cobh, Co. Cork and his mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland – that's nearly 200 birds. Watch a preview above.
Often joined by his partner Alba, he travels to some of the country’s most beautiful and remote locations to capture its most elusive species and soundscapes: the busy seabird colony of Skellig Michael; a native woodland free from road noise in the Burren; the corncrake stronghold of Tory Island; a solitary nest in the Donegal uplands.
A year in the making, director Kathleen Harris's documentary offers a fascinating portrait of Seán Ronayne, whose hypersensitivity to sound has proven both a struggle and a strength. At once inspiring and cautionary, Seán’s journey illustrates the beauty and importance of sound, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world.
Birdsong, RTÉ One, Sunday 26 May at 6.30 pm - catch up via RTÉ Player.
