A series of short films about climate action project will be premiered at a closing ceremony on the 18th of January (this is a new date, following the postponement of the original event in early December due to hazardous road conditions).
Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe, working with ten farming families from the Dingle Peninsula explored ways in which farmers in the area can diversify and make their farming practices more sustainable. As the project draws to a close, a public event is taking place to mark the conclusion of the initiative.
Wednesday, 18th January 2023 at the Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin, will see the premiere of a series of short films, Guthanna ón nGort / Voices from the Fields, that recount the experiences and thoughts of the participating farmers.
Commenting on the project, project manager Catríona Fallon said: “At the outset of the project, we selected a group of farmers and an ‘embedded’ project artist to explore and identify climate action solutions that work for the local farming community and wider society. Everyone who joined the project stayed engaged and it has been so rewarding to see the connections forged between the participants during the year. Building capacity to diversify, adapt and cope with climate change is crucial, and the better we are at working together, the better equipped we are for challenges that lie ahead.”
Jointly organised by Dingle Hub, the Green Arts Initiative in Ireland and the SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine (MaREI), the project, entitled ‘Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe – A Creative Imagining’, commenced in December 2021 and received funding under the inaugural Creative Climate Action fund, an initiative from the Creative Ireland programme and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
Lisa Fingleton, an artist, writer and organic farmer, who has addressed environmental issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss and food security in her creative practice for many years, was selected as the project’s embedded artist. She has worked closely with the farming families over the past 12 months and describes her role as that of as a “creative spark”, who helped generate new ways of thinking, fresh perspectives and new approaches.
“Working closely with the famers on the Dingle Peninsula over the last year and visiting each farm several times has been a real privilege. It has given me a unique opportunity to understand their deep connection with the land and their growing concerns about climate change. Together, we creatively explored their experiences and their ideas for the future on taking climate action and protecting biodiversity. It was great to see the wider farm families becoming involved, including children and partners. The project has created bonds of friendship between the families and real momentum for action,” she said.
The participants visited several innovative farms, renewable energy facilities and other sustainability-focused initiatives as part of the project. Destinations included the Burren Programme in Co Clare; Green Gas, an anaerobic digestion facility in Co Limerick; the locally-led agri-environmental MacGillycuddy Reeks European Innovation Partnership Project on the Iveragh Peninsula; and the Kerry Woollen Mills in Listry, where a recently installed micro-hydro scheme provides renewable energy to run the woollen mills, reducing the carbon footprint of the enterprise.
Speaking about her participation in the project, Niamh Foley, a beef farmer from Blennerville on the Dingle Peninsula, said: “The project has been absolutely fantastic. One of the main benefits has been the sharing of information – the sharing of knowledge has been huge. We went on many great visits to innovative farms and green initiatives that I would never have visited otherwise, because I thought I couldn’t apply their practices to my farm. Next month, I’m going planting about 500 native trees just to thicken up our hedges. It’s given me drive to make changes that I thought were never possible on my own farm.”
John Joe Fitzgerald, a hill sheep farmer from Baile an Lochaigh on the Dingle Peninsula, added: “We went to many different farms and saw a lot of different things – it’s been a real learning curve for us. It has been interesting to see what other people are doing and to learn from them. Our group has been great, too. We’re all different types of farmers and we’re having really useful conversations that are helping us all to get a new sense of direction.”
The project’s closing event and film premiere will take place at 7.30pm on Wednesday 18th of January 2023 at 7.30pm at the Blasket Centre in Dún Chaoin in Co Kerry. The event is free to attend and all are welcome, however, places are limited, and advance registration is essential via: http://bit.ly/3ieptb1 (Eventbrite).
The short films, which will be premiered at the closing event, were directed by Lisa Fingleton, filmed by Chris Garrett, and edited by Clint Fitzgerald.
Tá feirmeoirí Chorca Dhuibhne chun deireadh tionscadail inbhuanaitheachta bliana a mharcáil le himeacht poiblí
Sraith gearrscannán faoi thionscadal gníomhaíocht aeráide le taispeáint don gcéad uair ag an searmanas clabhsúir
Tá lucht eagraithe tionscadail gníomhaíocht aeráide bliana, go raibh deich teaghlach feirmeoireachta ó Chorca Dhuibhne páirteach ann agus iad ag féachaint ar shlite go bhféadfadh an earnáil sin éagsúlú agus a gcleachtais feirmeoireachta a dhéanamh níos inbhuanaithe, tar éis sonraí imeachta phoiblí a fhógairt inniu mar chlabhsúr ar an tionscnamh.
Mar chuid den imeacht seo, a bheidh ar siúl ar Céadaoin 18ú Mí Eanair 2023 ag Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir i nDún Chaoin, déanfar an chéad thaispeáint de shraith gearrscannán a chuireann síos ar thaithí agus ar thuairimí na bhfeirmeoirí a ghlac páirt sa tionscadal.
Comheagraithe ag Dingle Hub, Green Arts Initiative in Ireland agus SFI Research Centre for Energy, Climate and Marine (MaREI), thosnaigh an tionscadal, darbh ainm ‘Corca Dhuibhne Inbhuanaithe – A Creative Imagining’, i Mí na Nollag 2021 agus fuair sé maoiniú faoi bhliain thosaigh an chlár Éire Ildánach agus ón Roinn Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide.
Ag labhairt di faoin tionscadal, is é a dúirt bainisteoir an tionscadail, Caitríona Fallon, ná: “Ag tús an tionscadail roghnaíomar grúpa feirmeoirí agus ealaíontóir tionscadail ‘neadaithe’ chun fiosrú a dhéanamh ar réitigh fhéideartha gníomhaíochta aeráide a d’oibreodh don bpobal feirmeoireachta áitiúil agus don tsochaí níos leithne. D’fhan gach duine a thosnaigh leis an tionscadal páirteach ann go deireadh, agus bhí sé thar a bheith tairbheach agus sásúil na nascanna a chruthaíodh idir na rannpháirtithe i rith na bliana a fheiscint ag fás. Tá sé fíorthábhachtach an cumas éagsúlaithe agus oiriúnaithe in aghaidh an athrú aeráide a fhorbairt. A chumasach is atáimid ag tarraingt le chéile, is is fearr a bheimid chun tabhairt faoi na dúshláin atá amach romhainn.”
Roghnaíodh Lisa Fingleton, ealaíontóir, scríbhneoir agus feirmeoir órgánach atá ag plé le ceisteanna timpeallachta leithéidí athrú aeráide, meath bithéagsúlachta agus slándáil bia ina cleachtas cruthaitheach le blianta fada, mar ealaíontóir neadaithe an tionscadail. Tá sí tar éis a bheith ag obair go dlúth leis na teaghlaigh feirmeoireachta le 12 mí anuas ag tagairt dá ról mar “splanc cruthaitheach” a chabhraigh chun modhanna nua smaointe, dearcadh úr agus cur chuige nua a chruthú.
“Ba phribhléid dom bheith ag obair go dlúth leis na feirmeoirí i gCorca Dhuibhne le bliain anuas, agus ag tabhairt cuairt ar gach feirm roinnt uaireanta. Chruthaigh sé deis ar leith dom tuiscint a fháil ar an nasc doimhin atá acu leis an talamh, agus ar a gcuid buarthaí faoin athrú aeráide atá ag fás i gcónaí. I dteannta a chéile, dheineamar fiosrú cruthaitheach ar a dtaithí agus a smaointí maidir leis an todhchaí agus le h-idir ghníomhaíocht aeráide a ghlacadh agus bhithéagsúlacht a chosaint. Bhí sé go hiontach an teaghlach feirme ar fad a fheiscint ag glacadh páirte, le leanaí agus pairtnéirí san áireamh. Tá an tionscadal tar éis nascanna cairdis a chruthú idir na teaghlaigh agus faobhar dáiríre chun gnímh”, a dúirt sí.
Thug na rannpháirtithe cuairt ar roinnt feirmeacha nuálaíocha éagsúla, áiseanna fuinnimh inathnuaite, agus tionscnaimh eile atá dírithe ar an inbhuanaitheacht mar chuid den tionscadal. I measc na n-áiteanna ar tugadh cuairt orthu bhí Clár na Boirne i gContae an Chláir; Green Gas, áis díleá anaeróbaí i gContae Luimnigh; tionscadal agra-timpeallachta atá á threorú ag muintir na háite, Chomhpháirtíocht Nuálaíochta Eorpach na Cruacha Dubha in Uíbh Ráthach; agus Muilte Olla Chiarraí ag Lios Treighe, mar atá scéim hidrileictreach bheag a cuireadh i bhfearas le déanaí, ag soláthar cumhachta inathnuaite do na muilte olla, ag laghdú rian carbóin an fhiontair.
Ag labhairt di faoina taithí féin de bheith párteach sa thionscadal, is é a dúirt Niamh Foley, feirmeoir mairteola ó Chathair Uí Mhóráin, ná: “Tá an tionscadal tar éis a bheith go hiontach. Ceann de na príomhbhuntáistí ab ea roinnt eolais – bhí an méid eolais a roinneadh ollmhór. Chuamar ar an oiread sin cuairteanna iontacha go feirmeacha nuálaíocha agus tionscnaimh ghlasa nach mbeadh feicthe agam gan mé a bheith páirteach sa thionscadal, mar gur cheapas nach mbeinn in ann a gcleachtais a chur i bhfeidhm ar m’fheirm féin. An mhí seo chughainn táim chun tabhairt faoi timpeall 500 crann a chur chun ár bhfáil sceach a dhéanamh níos dlúithe. Tá sé tar éis faobhar a chothú ionam tabhairt faoi athruithe nár cheapas go mbeinn in ann iad a chur i bhfeidhm ar m’fheirm féin riamh.”
Is é a chuir John Joe Mac Gearailt, feirmeoir caorach ó Bhaile an Lochaigh i gCorca Dhuibhne, leis an méid sin ná: “chuamar go dtí a lán feirmeacha difriúla agus chonacamar a lán rudaí difriúla – ba chuar foghlama géar é dúinn ar fad. Bhí sé suimiúil na rudaí a bhíonn ar siúl ag daoine eile a fheiscint agus foghlaim uathu. Bhí ár ngrúpa go hiontach leis. Táimid ar fad sáite i saghsanna difriúla feirmeoireachta agus bíonn comhráite thar a bheith áisiúil againn a chabhraíonn linn ar fad teacht ar bhealaí nua.”
Beidh imeacht clabhsúir an tionscadail seo agus taispeáint na ngearrscannán ar siúl ag 7.30pm ar an Céadaoin 18ú Mí Eanair 2023 ag Ionad an Bhlascaoid Mhóir, Dún Chaoin, Co. Chiarraí. Beidh sé saor i aisce freastal ar an imeacht agus beidh fáilte roimh chách. Tá spásann teoranta, áfach, agus ní mór áit a chur in áirithe roimh ré ag an nasc: bit.ly/3V5QFXU (Eventbrite).
B’í Lisa Fingleton a bhí ina stiúrthóir ar na gearrscannáin a thaispeánfar ag an imeacht clabhsúir, agus b’é Chris Garrett an ceamaradóir agus Clint Fitzgerald an t-eagarthóir.
Tuilleadh eolais ag: dinglepeninsula2030.com/projects/creativeclimateactionproject.
