An audio playlist from Tóchar Stories - under Tóchar Wetlands Restoration in the Midlands - a co-funded programme by the Irish Government and EU under the Just Transition in Ireland to support bog restoration and the communities that live and work around the bogs and wetlands.

Tóchar Stories

Bogland : Between the sight of the sun

Rachel Ryan is one of the 10 years old in 4th Class Tyrrellspass Westmeath who took part in our bog art and nature project for Tóchar Community Stories. The children got to spend time with local volunteer ecologist and passionate bog expert Eugene Dunbar and Eugene spent time in class before they did their bog walk sharing the wildlife and story of the bog and how sphagnum moss is as he says 'the business'. The children then got to do a bog walk on Cloncrow Bog with Eugene and artist Annie Holland and later Annie mentored them on their art drawings of the bog nature and wildlife with children picking plants, birds, insects or animals from the bog - their artwork then became a printed panel at the entrance to the bog so everyone can see their work and experience the stories they've created. In this short audio clip Rachel tells us why she picked the Butterwort and how she is sending the postcard version of her art to the champion athlete and Olympian Rashidat Adeleke. 
to find out more about the project visit Tóchar on https://www.tocharwetlands.ie

Rachel's Butterwort and Rhasidat Adeleke

St Anne's NS Tyrrellspass Westmeath took part in a Tóchar Stories project led by Ethos ( Eugene Dunbar) with artistic mentorship by Annie Holland. The project saw the children learn more about their local bog and creating a new visually impactful boardwalk entrance to Cloncrow Bog.

St Anne's NS on Cloncrow Bog with Eugene Dunbar singing the Rathlin Bog Song

Amber was part of the 4th Class in St Anne's NS Tyrrellspass Westmeath who took part in the Tóchar Stories project bringing art and bog nature together where the children worked with volunteer ecologist and bog convservationist Eugene Dunbar and artist Annie Holland to create a new boardwalk panel for Cloncrow Bog in Westmeath - just a short stroll from their school. Amber is from Croghan where the bog body Old Croghan Man was found ( he's now in the National Museum) and she talks about the project, why she picked the Green Veined Butterfly for her artwork and why she think Croghan Man should come back to Croghan. The Tóchar Stories project is part of Tóchar Wetlands Restoration in the Midlands which is a co-funded project by the EU and Irish Government under the Just Transition process. As part of the project in creating the artwork for the boardwalk we also printed postcard versions of the work for the children to send to people they wanted to experience it - and we also helped them print badges of their own artwork so they literally wear their art!

Amber on why the Croghan Bog Man should come back to Croghan

Abby took part in the nature bog and creative arts project where the children from 4th Class St Anne's NS Tyrrellspass Westmeath got to create the new visual arts boardwalk entrance to the Cloncrow Bog. Abby drew a fallow deer for her piece and besides it becoming part of the new entrance to the bog loop you - like all the children - got printed versions of her card so she could send cards to people and share the visual stories of the bog. Abby decided to send it to her friend Maya in Longford and in this audio clip tells us why and shares her postcard.

Abby and her bestie Maya

Before the Summer break the 4th Class children of St Anne's NS Tyrrellspass Westmeath got to take part in a bog nature and creative art project under Tóchar Stories - led by local ecologist and volunteer community leader Eugene Dunbar with artistic mentorship by artist Annie Holland.  In this short package you hear Eugene begin the project in the classroom showing the children the history, ecology and biodiversity of the bog before they went on a guided bog walk to find and identify species like sundew ( always a favourite with children because this tiny plant eats insects) and the vital sphagnum moss. After the children worked with artist Annie Holland on creating drawing and then moving in water colours, when these were finished they were assembled into the entrance panel that was installed on the Cloncrow Bog. Tóchar Stories then printed postcard versions of the 24 art works so the children could send postcards out to the world - sharing the image and story of their bog - and Annie showed them how to make fun badges of their art so they could literally wear their art. Tóchar Stories is a public engagement and storytelling project under Tóchar Wetlands Restoration in the Midlands - a three year project co funded by the EU and Irish Government and operating under National Parks & Wildlife Services (NPWS). You can find out more on www.tocharwetlands.ie

Tyrrellspass children get to tell their own bog stories

"Bogland - between the sights of the sun"  brought together artists and community leaders in conversation on the changing value of our bogs. It was an event co-hosted by the National Library Seamus Heaney Listen Now Again and Tóchar Community Stories to mark and celebrate International Bog Day and took place in the Seamus Heaney exhibition venue on Saturday July 26 2025. Poet Jane Clarke, one of the guest speakers on the day,  grew up on a Roscommon farm with a lived experience of the bogs, turf-cutting and turf fires, and in this piece she shares her own roots and changing understanding of the bogs and how in Ireland we're beginning to appreciate the boglands and see how precious they are to us and our future. The music is 'The Seed in March' by Michael Gallen with performance by Michael Gallen on piano and Aoife Ní Bhriain on fiddle.  Visit www.tocharwetlands.ie

Bogland - Jane Clarke, poet

Ann Cleare is a contemporary composer from Birr Co Offaly. She was a guest speaker at the Tóchar Stories International Bog Day event in National Library Seamus Heaney 'Listen Now Again' exhibition on July 26 2025.  She shared her work inspired by the boglands of Offaly and how in her piece 'Terrarium" she buried microphones deep into the bog to 'listen' and record its sonic waves. In this short clip she responds to a question we asked all the guest speakers on the day about their relationship to the bog and the bogland.
To find out more about our work and Tóchar go to https://www.tocharwetlands.ie/tochar-stories/

Bogland : Ann Cleare, composer

Shane Hynan is a visual artist from Cadbury, Co Kildare. He draws inspiration from the changing landscape of the Midland bogs and is involved as a volunteer in his own local bog, Knockirr Bog. Shane is an artist collaborator with Tóchar Stories, working with communities in the region, and he took part in the Tóchar Stories Bogland - Between the sights of the sun public event in the National Library, Seamus Heaney 'Listen Now Again' exhibition venue, on July 26th to mark International Bog Day. The event drew on Seamus Heaney's bog related work and in particular his early poem 'Bogland' to facilitate a conversation about our changing relationship with the bogs as we  move from using them to extract fuel in turf to realising bog nature restoration where bogs become a vital carbon store to assist climate action and protect biodiversity.  In this short clip Shane responds to our question 'what does the bog mean to you?' and shares his own childhood memories growing up and learning to cut and foot turf at Knockirr which is a community owned bog since 1906.

Bogland :  Shane Hynan, visual artist

Fr Michael Long is a volunteer leader and director at Cabragh Wetlands Trust. He often uses the phrase and concept of 'earth literacy' to capture how our ancestors were often illiterate but were deeply literate in the needs of the land and how to live in tandem with it., By contract in the modern world we are often highly academically educated but more and more disconnected from nature, the land and our relationship with the earth. 
Michael was a guest speaker at the Tóchar Stories July 26th public event 'Bogland: between the sights of the sun' at the National Library, Seamus Heaney 'Listen Now Again' exhibition venue to mark International Bog Day.

Bogland: Michael Long - Cabragh Wetlands  on  'Earth Literacy'

Fr Michael Long is a director  and volunteer at the community-led Cabragh Wetlands Centre.  He was one of our guest speakers at the International Bog Day event at the National Library in Seamus Heaney 'Listen Now Again' exhibition venue on July 26th. We asked him about the wetlands - and why they are important. 
Tóchar Stories is part of Tóchar Midlands Wetland Restoration a three year scheme to restoration wetlands ( bogs, fens etc) in the Irish Midlands under the Just Transition Programme in Ireland. Tóchar is co funded by the Irish Government and EU and managed by the National Parks and Wildlife Service

Bogland : Michael Long - Cabragh Wetlands Centre

Seamus Corcoran is Chair of the Lemanaghan Heritage and Bog Conservation Group and we invited him to be one of our guest speakers at the Bogland - between the sights of the sun - International Bog Day event on July 26 2025 in the National Library. Seamus is a local historian who shared the rich heritage and archeology of his place, and the story of the early Christian treasures which have been found buried and preserved in the bog there. 
Lemanaghan community has a long running campaign to oppose the proposed BnM wind farm on Lemanaghan which was a cut peatlands bog under Bord na Móna. For Seamus and many of his neighbours in the area the land there has already contributed enough, has been harvested enough, and they wish to see it conserved and the archaeological riches that may be buried within the bog preserved and saved. 
In this audio version of the presentation by Seamus - Helen Shaw - Tóchar Stories curator introduces him to the live audience in the Seamus Heaney Listen Now Again exhibition venue space and starts by asking him about what the bog and the concept of the boglands means to him.
To find out more about Tóchar go to https://www.tocharwetlands.ie/tochar-stories/ 
Tóchar is a Wetlands restoration project in the Midlands of Ireland co-funded by Irish Government and the EU under the Just Transition Programme in Ireland. It is managed by NPWS through the Dept of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. 
You can find out more about Lemanaghan through some videos that also feature Seamus and tell the story :https://youtu.be/emrm_H78iFc?si=ur1Gw3lFO0PGHJpp

Seamus Corcoran - Lemanaghan Bog  -  Bogland Presentation July  26 2025

Pantisocracy "A Cabaret of Conversations with host Panti Bliss" 

Pantisocracy - The Panti Personals is a child of #Pantisocracy - intimate one to one conversations between Panti Bliss and her guest, with unique performances. 
An independent podcast production by Athena Media - the producer is Helen Shaw and the digital editor is John Howard. 
All rights rest with the content creators.