Documentaries on KCLR

Other European countries are blessed with a long tradition of planting trees.  We lost this tradition somewhere along the line and the Irish state is now trying to encourage private landowners to plant trees.  For some farmers and landowners this is a big decision to make, and, in this programme, we speak with retired forester from Coillte Barry Comiskey. He used to go around and visit farmers and talk to them about the benefits of planting trees.  He recalls the misgivings that farmers would have had at the time and benefits and supports available to the farmer to plant trees.  We also speak with Jim Carroll, a farmer from Castlecomer who was one of the first in his area to plant forestry on his land back in the 1990s.  Despite some ups and downs between licences and other issues 'he has never been sorry that he planted trees'.  'The trees have been good to me'.  Finally in this programme Nicholas Sweetman, farmer and Director of the Irish Wood Producers lays out the importance of trees to mitigate against climate change and calls on the government to ease some of the regulations in the licensing system to make it easier on farmers to join the afforestation programme.   The programme ends with a response from Pippa Hackett, Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity, to some of the issues raised by the participants in this programme

This programme series 'Trees: From Seed to Sawdust' looks at the value of trees, not just from an economic perspective but also in relation to their ability to store carbon.  This is becoming more and more important as we try to reduce the amount of carbon going into the atmosphere and prevent further global warming.  

In this programme Monica Hayes meets the Irish Wood Producers at their wood chip depot in New Ross. The Irish Wood Producers are a not-for-profit company which supports farmers who plant trees by providing training and forestry services to them.  In this programme we meet Alex Kelly, manager, Nicholas Sweetman, Director and Nicholas Roberts, Wood Chip Depot Manager and explore with them the role of money and the environment in their wood chip business. The programme also features Will Gabbett, a Kilkenny forester and member of the Irish Wood Producers group.  

For thousands of years the wood from the trees has been a source of material from which music can be made.  In fact the oldest musical instrument ever to be found in Ireland is made from the wood of a yew tree and was found in Wicklow in 2003.  Simon O'Dwyer, from Ancient Music Ireland joins us on the programme to talk about the reproduction he made of these 4,150-year-old set of pipes that have become known as the Wicklow Pipes.  Simon believes that music and musical instrument making was an integral part of Irish life - a tradition which is still important today

Paddy Cleere is one man who is carrying on this tradition of musical instrument making.  He is based in Tullaroan and what's special about Paddy is that he makes his guitars and mandolins etc partly from the wood of local Kilkenny trees.  Paddy talks about the importance of the grain for sound and strength of the instrument and about the types of wood that can be used.

Barry Comiskey and Micheal Somers are both foresters who play music.  Barry likes to play his tin whistle in the woods and so give the music back to the trees and animals of the forest.  Michael talks about the rare woods used in musical instrument making and highlights the importance of trees in every facet of our lives - especially in relation to music and creativity which trees have been giving to us for a least 4,150 years.

Trees: From Seed to Sawdust is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as part of the Woodland Support Project.

The programme beings on the border between Kilkenny and Laois at a forest which is being thinned by Paddy Bruton's company Forestry Services Ltd.  The different lengths of wood being cut from the trees are mostly being processed locally to be used as stakes or in the construction industry, in pulp or made into pallets.  All the timber is cut to exact lengths for the sawmills

The programme then moves to Murray's Sawmills in Ballon Co Carlow.  The sights and sounds of the busy mill are recorded and the processes of cutting the logs described by John Ryan, Purchasing Harvester and Forester for the company.  Outside the mill there are big stacks of timber ready to be sent to the market. The timber is marked FSC - Forestry Stewardship Council - certifying that the timber has come from sustainably managed forests

Rod and Julie Calder Potts grow apple trees at Highbank Orchard just off the Callan Road Kilkenny.  Rod inherited the orchard from his parents and in 1986 he decided that he would stop spraying his trees and go completely organic. The transition to organic was terrible though.  All his trees died.  So, he started from scratch again and though it took a while to get going he now has a wonderful crop of organically grown apples that grow on healthy trees.  The secret?  Good soil microbes and plenty of prayers.  

The Calder Potts run a lucrative business by adding value to their apples and making, cider vinegar, apple syrup, cider, treacle etc.  They are an example of a local business growing trees in a sustainable way and with a low carbon footprint

In the first programme in this series we hear from Kevin Black, a scientist who specialises in trees and climate change but first we visit the Blackstairs Eco Centre and join their Celtic Tree Trail in order to put into the context our long and productive relationship with trees.    Trees:  From Seed to Sawdust is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine as part of the Woodland Support Project

The final programme in our Nore Vision Series, for the past 2 months we have been bringing you programmes about the Nore Vision project which is a Kilkenny Leader Partnership initiative. It’s all about creating community engagement with the River Nore with the ultimate aim of establishing a long term Trust that looks after the community’s interests in the river. This is the final programme in the series and it explores the future of the project as it transitions into the Nore Vision Catchment Trust. This programme features Declan Rice CEO Kilkenny Leader Partnership, Michael Starrett, Chair of the Nore Vision Catchment Trust, Minister Malcolm Noonan, Trish Murphy of hte Inishowen Rivers Trust, Mags Morrissey Co-Ordinator of Nore Vision Catchment Trust and Maurice Keane Secretary of the Trust. Funded by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership CLG through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the EU

In Programme 8 we explore how industry has moulded itself around the geological landscape of the River Nore in the form of mining, milling, brewing and more. This programme features Taly Williams hydrogeologist with the Geological Survey of Ireland, Rick McGrath engineer, Brett’s Sawmills Kilkenny, Paddy Neary historian and Lisa Maher from the EPA. Funded by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership CLG through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the EU

The River Nore provides a great space for outdoor activities and in this programme we feature some of the people who swim, fish, walk and boat on the river. Featuring Denis Drennan, Paddy Dunne, Tommy Hoyne, Aidan Brennan, Donnachadh Brennan and the Thomastown Paddlers, Cliff Reid and finally Maura Brennan of the Acorn Project who is involved in educating young people about their environment. Funded by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership CLG through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the EU

In the 6th programme in the Nore Vision radio series we visit the uplands of the River Nore, talk about the farm walks organised by Nore Vision, discuss farm ecology and explore the role of the farmer and farm policy in improving the water quality of the River Nore. It features Michael Costigan from Clonakenny, Bredan McSorley, Field Officer for the Farm Walks and Mags Morrissey Ecologist on the Farm Walks and Denis Drennan Chair of the Farm and Rural Affairs Committee of the ICMSA. Funded by Kilkenny LEADER Partnership CLG through the Department of Rural and Community Development and the EU