CountryWide

Countrywide Full Episode 18/04/2026

Last weekend, Lorna Siggins visited Carraroe Community Garden, where residents of the nearby IPAS centre joined locals, including members of the Men's Shed and the arts group Gliogar, to plant vegetables in raised beds.

James Nix is an expert in the economics of heavy vehicles, working with the think tank Transport and Environment in Brussels.

Philip talks to Rob McNaughton, from Zoomlion, about hybrid and electric tractors that will be coming on the market from China.

An Feirm Ground is a farming initiative that received a national recognition for its impact on rural wellbeing. The initiative works with agriculture professionals, giving them the skills and confidence to engage with farmers who may be in distress.

Suzanne Campbell meets Brian Meredith and his father Keith, organic beef and tillage farmers in Co Laois, who have eliminated fossil fuel based, synthetic fertiliser from their farm.

Fendt Salesman Philip Mattey in Northampton gives our Philip a virtual demonstration of a Fendt battery-powered tractor, which will be in showrooms in Ireland next month.

Philip visits a farm with contractor Irvin Rothwell, who is spreading slurry near Ferrycarrig in Co Wexford to find out what impact the government's recently announced relief package will mean for him.

Countrywide Full Episode 11/04/2026

Fermanagh farmer Roger Corrigan takes Philip around his farm in the middle of lambing season, explaining that clay in some of his soil that is unsuitable for farming gets used by a local potter in her ceramics work. The poem ‘There will come Soft Rains’ by Sarah Teasdale echoes the sentiments of Roger's farm. Read here by Susannah De Wrixon.

Minister O’Sullivan offers some follow-up information on the issue of tangle netting, highlighted on the programme back in February, as well as analysis on the current national situation with fuel protests and government negotiations.

Philip is joined by Southern Correspondent with the Irish Independent Ralph Riegel for the latest update from the Whitegate Refinery under blockade in Cork, including analysis of the difficulties presented by the geography and infrastructure of the area.

Philip is joined by Francie Gorman, President of the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) and Denis Drennan, President of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) to discuss the ongoing negotiations with government as to address the fuel hardship being felt by farmers and how to bring an end to the protests.

Philip is joined by Barry Larkin, CEO of the Acorn group of feed suppliers to discuss the impact the protests are having on their supply lines, including impacts on animal welfare.

Philip meets geographer and author Liam Campbell at Derry’s Peace Bridge to talk about the history of the River Foyle and what it means to the city of Derry. For a farmer’s perspective, he travels to the farm of Richard and Leona Kane, producers of Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil.

Countrywide Full Episode 04/04/2026

Philip meets Dr Sarah McLean from The Loughs Agency, the body tasked with managing and protecting Lough Foyle, to talk about the significant wild native oyster population of the Lough.

Della Kilroy meets angler Damien Devine on the River Deele, a tributary of the Foyle, where he is teaching a group of young people how to fish as well as about the importance of preserving biodiversity around the river.

Kathy Donaghy visits Moville Pier to find out about the history of emigration from that very point throughout the ages. With historian Seán Beattie and retired local GP Don McGinley. This segment also includes Don McGinley's live rendition of 'Moville along the Foyle'.

Writer Neil Hegarty reads an excerpt from his essay ‘Klondike’ which explores the watery geographies of the River Foyle. The essay appeared in a collection entitled ‘Impermanence’, published by the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris, to reflect on one hundred years of partition in Ireland.