Author: Dáithí Mac Cú na Mara

Caoivín Music

Imbas

Caoivín is an Irish neo-traditional musician currently based in Dublin. Born into a musical family, he began playing traditional Irish music at the tender age of 5 and spent the majority of his early childhood summers travelling to and from various different fleadhs and music weeks. In his late teens and early twenties, Caoivín began to develop an interest in a number of genres outside of the traditional Irish music realm, in particular various forms of dance and electronic music. Caoivín’s creations are influenced by the range of styles which he has been exploring from that point up until now, while being rooted at the same time to the long unbroken lineage of traditional music on which he was reared.

M•R•YOGA

Eolas Ársa

Michael Ryan

Michael teaches a form of Mindful Movement, interweaving meditation and philosophy with a biomechanical process called The Bowspring that supports each student in moving safely toward accessing a feeling of strength and spacious freedom.

His teachings draw from a wide experience of yoga, meditation, philosophy and a love of poetry and prose. HIs skill lies in his heartfelt articulation of the spiritual dimension of life through the practice of meditation and yoga while staying grounded in safe and harmonious postural alignment. His teachings speak to the soul and journey into the many different layers of the Self. He guides and encourages each student to explore and open to their fullest potential with care and compassion. Michael is the yoga and meditation teacher to the Irish President, Michael D. Higgins. 

Wild Acre Farm

Tallamh

Claire Templar has been living at Wild Acre Farm, near Ballyhaunis since 2015.

Originally from the UK she moved to Ireland in order to live closer to the land and explore self sufficiency and living more lightly on the earth, with food production and vegetable growing always a core part of this. Production has increased year on year as her skills and experience of growing in this challenging climate increased.

Wild Acre Farm has a one acre garden, designed using Permaculture Principles, including orchard and perennial systems with a 1/3 acre no dig vegetable garden and 2 polytunnels which house tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, courgettes, aubergines and herbs in the summer, and are used for salad growing through the winter.

Claire has always gardened here using ‘more than organic’ no-dig methods and has a keen interest in Permaculture design and regenerative agriculture to rebuild soil and grow nutrient and mineral dense, healthy, abundant fresh vegetables, fruits and salads.

She has also been teaching Permaculture, gardening and practical skills here since 2017.

Before moving to Ireland, Claire was a systems designer, project manager, business process engineer, computer programmer, IT trainer, chef, horse riding instructor, kindergarten teacher, clothes designer and multiple business owner. Not all at the same time obviously… but she doesn’t really like to sit still…

SeaSquared

Uisce

We’re Cillian and Colm, the SeaSquared duo. Born in the same year, in the same hospital, on the same day, this friendship goes way back. March 2020 put a halt to our busy lives in London and Dublin. Remote working brought us back home to West Cork. Here, our eyes were opened, we saw West Cork in a way we had never seen before. The rugged landscape, the intricate coastline, bays, inlets, harbours. The roar of the surf and the beauty, how had it taken us so long to appreciate the surroundings in which we grew up? And an even bigger question that got us talking, how are we going to play our part to protect this beauty, this planet? ​

A combination of passion for design & a love for clothing led us on this exciting adventure. 

Our vision is not only to build a sustainable clothing brand but to build a community focused around sustainable living. From areas such as cleaning the ocean plastic, to reducing packaging waste, we want to play our part in improving the world we live in and have fun whilst doing it.

Join us today to make a change, one square at a time!

Our products are made in small batches from 100%  organic, vegan materials and embroidered here in West Cork. You can rest assured that we take full responsibility for your product and aim to be fully transparent in our design and production processes.

Cailleach Podcast

Imbas

I have been dreaming into this creation for a long time. Was I waiting for the most auspicious time? I’m not sure but it seems to have arrived!​ I was particularly inspired by others who had interview me for their podcasts (Maureen Howard’s Eco Living In Action and Finn Wendle’s Regenerative Livelihood.) It seems that even with fairly basic technical skills and equipment I could get going.

As I send it out into the multi–media–verse my intention is that some or all of its elements will form their own connections for an audience that also hopes to be a part of the regeneration of life on earth.

There are 8 threads: Interviews, Story Time, Identity, Well of Being, Eco-System Thinking, Mediations, Ireland the Ancestors, & Hands On. There are 8 release dates on Celtic seasonal festivals.

In late 2020, I am recording and editing by the fireside in An Seanteachín, like a Seanchaí I am telling tales for these times or perhaps for the future ones, like my granddaughter Violet who was born in 2019, for her they might be tales of long ago.

Inspired and supported by my husband, my children, my granddaughter and my amazing wider family, friends community and interviewees on this podcast.

Wolf Academy

Eolas Ársa

Hi we’re Cormac and Daryl Noonan.

We’re two brothers originally from Navan who both went down very different paths in life after leaving secondary school. We came together to share our stories so that young people don’t make the same mistakes we did. We want to prepare young people for life, not just exams.

We decided to set up Wolf Academy to inspire and empower young people to live happier and healthier lives, become their true selves and achieve their ultimate vision.

We do this through our talks, workshops and online courses. We also aim to build an academy where young people can come after finishing school to discover who they are and what they want to do in the world.

Photograph: ©Fran Veale

Irish Bee Conservation Project

Tallamh

The Irish Bee Conservation Project (IBCP) was established to provide information to communities regarding bee habitat requirements and to increase the survival of all species of native Irish bees through research, ecology support and biodiversity protection.

We work to protect Irish Honey Bees, Bumblebees and Solitary Bees. The Irish Bee Conservation Project is entirely run by volunteers.

The four elements of our approach are highly integrated and through our growing network of members we plan to expand our initiatives from Cork and Waterford throughout the country over the coming years.

Our specially designed “Bee Lodges” provide shelter and breeding facilities for all species of Irish bees

Brigit’s Garden

Tallamh

Themed on the Celtic seasonal festivals, Brigit’s Garden is widely regarded as one of the most spectacular gardens in Ireland set within 11 acres of native woodland & wildflower meadows. Its features include: a nature trail, ogham trees, children’s discovery trail, living willow play area, Roundhouse and calendar sundial, the largest in Ireland. Dine indoors in our light-filled dining room or al-fresco on our patio overlooking the Garden at our excellent Garden Café.

A walk through the four Gardens takes you on a journey through the Celtic cycle of the seasons, each garden representing one of the Celtic festival of Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine and Lughnasa. This seasonal cycle mirrors the cycle of life from conception to old age and death. The design weaves Celtic stories with contemporary design to create spaces that are beautiful and tranquil yet inspiring and full of life.

The Roundhouse nestles in the centre of the Gardens, with windows looking out onto each of the four Gardens. This is a place for art and music, meditation, meetings or just relaxing.

Meander along the Sun Trail and wander through our woodlands and meadows, with sun features, energy installations and the crannog, with boards giving visitors information on ecology, history and mythology.

Cruthaigh

Imbas

Cruthaigh means ‘to create’ in Irish and was brought about to inspire healing through creativity under the Spiral as the symbol for change in Ireland.

Creativity, inspiration and healing are three major elements to healthy individuals and communities and Cruthaigh intends on making that common knowledge around Ireland. It is very important for individuals to know that change must happen within themselves before the world will change. As above, so below, as within, so without.

By Cruthaigh becoming a nationally recognised entity that blurs the world’s of the ancient and the modern it is is destined that our lovely land of Ireland will once again become a festival of love and craic forevermore.

Run to Plant Trees

Crainn

COMPLETED: 232 KM RAN AND 586 NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS IRISH TREES PLANTED WITH HOMETREE CHARITY

Run to Plant Trees is a cause and a call for climate action created by Baiba Šustere, yoga and meditation teacher, an avid runner and nature lover, who is based in Galway, Ireland.

Run to Plant Trees was a year-long fundraiser during which Baiba ran 2 half marathons, 3 marathons and 1 ultra marathon, altogether 232 km. The aim was to raise funds to plant native and indigenous Irish trees on the West Coast of Ireland with Hometree Charity. Baiba also created a platform which informs about the importance of trees, forests and biodiversity, and how it relates to local communities and climate crises. To achieve it Baiba not only ran 6 races along the West Coast of Ireland, but also organised fundraising events accessible to everyone in community. Run to Plant Trees created a platform to talk about current climate crises, importance of individual and systematic changes, about the beauty of our nature, and how important it is to respect and preserve it.

With Run to Plant Trees Baiba hopes that she brought this attitude of encouragement, strength and persistence into action, and encouraged each of you to do something you thought you will never achieve.

You are a part of nature. Stay kind, run and plant some trees.