‘The Living Farmland - A Guide To Farming With Nature In Clare’ includes profiles of nine farmers who have successfully incorporated environmental management into their farming enterprises. The publication is a joint initiative between Rural Resource Development (Clare LEADER), Clare IFA, Teagasc and Clare County Council.

According to Mr. Padraig Walshe, President of the IFA, “The Living Farmland’ is in the first place a celebration of Clare’s rural landscapes and farmlands. It is an informative and beautifully illustrated book that identifies and describes the great variety of wildlife habitats in Clare, including many which are the product of farming practices.”

“The multi-agency partnership approach to producing the book points the way forward in how we can work together constructively to maintain a vibrant agriculture that protects and enhances the environment”, he stated.

‘The Living Farmland’ profiles the main farm habitats found in Clare, including rock, grassland, peatland, fresh water, coastal, rock, cultivated and built, woodland and wildlife corridors.

Among the topics covered by the book are hedge laying and native tree planting, the creation of man-made ponds to facilitate freshwater habitats, the management of invasive species like mink and the zebra mussel, the introduction of measures aimed at protecting species such as Lesser Horseshoe Bats and Barn Owls, and the protection of sites of archaeological and heritage importance. 

The book also highlights common environmental issues confronted by farmers, including greenhouse gases, water quality and agricultural wastes, along with opportunities in renewable energy technologies.

Commenting on the background to the new publication, Ms. Doirin Graham, CEO, Rural Resource Development Ltd., explained, “Nowadays, much of the farmer’s interaction with the environment is bound by regulations, directives and a long list of requirements, focused mainly on what not to do. For that reason, we decided to produce a publication for farmers in County Clare, which would be informative, practical, of local interest and above all, be positive about farming with nature.”

Ms. Graham said that the book demonstrates there are many ways to give nature a helping hand, whilst staying true to the county’s long tradition of farming.

“As signposts clearly point to a future of farming in greater harmony with nature, much can be learned from the farmers of Clare. Our hope is that the ‘The Living Farmland’ will in some way contribute to the conservation of our beautiful living landscape and all of the magnificent creatures that dwell there”, she concluded.

The farmers profiled in the new book are Shane Casey (Fanore), Christy O’Grady (Ennis), Andrew Killeen (Doonbeg), John O’Connell (Ballynacally), Brendan Considine (Kilmurry), Martin Murphy (Kilmihil), Liam Walsh (Tulla), Sean Bugler (Scariff) and Mark Donnellan (Kilkishen).

‘The Living Farmland - A Guide To Farming With Nature In Clare’ is available at selected bookshops, as well as the Clare County Council Corporate Headquarters and local area offices, Rural Resource Development Offices in Shannon and Teagasc offices throughout Clare.

For further information please contact Rural Resource Development at 061-361144 or see www.rrd.ie.

-ENDS-

Notes To Editor:
- Contributors to ‘The Living Farmland’ and Doirin Graham, CEO, Rural Resource Development are available for interview.  To arrange please contact Mark Dunphy of Dunphy Public Relations at 086-8534900 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
- High-resolution images from the book are available on request

Mark Dunphy
Dunphy Public Relations
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