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

Sharing our Past, Imagining our Future, Kilcormac, Offaly Sept 25 2025

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

Anne Coffey has been working in Coffey's Drapery Store all her life and she took over the running of the business from her late father. He set it up in 1947 when the Bord na Móna peat harvesting industry was taking off and like many retailers and businesses in the town the shop thrived as Kilcormac thrived. Today Bord na Móna has stopped harvesting the bogs as a fossil fuel and has switched to both bog restoration and renewable energy but the suddenness of that transition has been hard for places like Kilcormac. On September 25th Tóchar Stories co-hosted a community storytelling event with Kilcormac Development Association called 'Sharing our Past, Imagining our Future' and we talked to some of the locals there - including Anne- about their sense of place and belonging.

Anne Coffey, Coffey's Drapery Store, Kilcormac, Co Offaly

Tina Claffey is a nature photographer from Birr, Co Offaly well known for her beautiful macro photography work in the boglands of Ireland where she draws our attention to the flora and fauna that lies, often hidden, beneath our feet. IN September Tóchar Stories co hosted a community storytelling event in Kilcormac close to Birr and invited Tina to share her own story, her relationship to the bogs, and her creative and artistic work.

Tina Claffey, nature photographer on her bog work

Sean Craven - Kilcormac Development Association

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.