Cork rainforest gets RTÉ documentary
A two-part series about a man who created a 73 acre rainforest in West Cork will premiere on RTÉ One this Sunday.
When climate activist Eoghan Daltun abandoned Dublin city in 2009 for a derelict farm on the Beara Peninsula, he could hardly have imagined where the journey would lead.
Overgrazed by livestock and choked with invasive species, the land was in dire need of restoration. His solution was as radical as it was simple: step back and let nature heal itself.
Somewhat mirroring his former life as a sculptor in Dublin, Eoghan went about removing that which stood in the way of beauty. He fenced out all grazing animals and removed any invasive species he encountered, largely Japanese Rhododendron. Seventeen years on, that plot has transformed into a living time capsule resembling the Ireland of centuries past.
Unsurprisingly, Eoghan’s remarkable efforts have captured the national imagination, spawning two bestselling books with a third on the way, an acclaimed documentary film, and a brand-new two-part RTÉ television series, ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’.
Speaking about the extraordinary trajectory his life has taken, Daltun admits the widespread attention remains surreal.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine any of this,” he told the Cork Independent. “I was remembering back; it was actually less than five years ago that I still didn’t know whether my first book would be published or not.
“It’s been quite surreal, a bit of a rollercoaster. But I’m happy to be on this rollercoaster because I think the message is so important,” said Eoghan.
That message comes at a critical juncture for the Irish environment. While the loss of biodiversity poses a massive challenge across the country, Eoghan remains energised by the public’s response to his work.
“Nature is in such a desperate state in Ireland, and there are very few signs really of that changing,” he explained.
“But what is changing is public awareness. People are increasingly aware of how bad things are, but also, and this is equally important, of how it doesn’t need to be that way. Taking very simple steps, nature comes absolutely flooding back.
“The results on my farm in Beara have just been astounding,” added Eoghan.
For many visitors and readers, seeing Eoghan’s Atlantic rainforest provides a profound wake-up call regarding the true state of the Irish countryside.
“We were all raised up to think that places like the Kerry mountains, the Wicklow mountains, or the Twelve Bens are wild and natural,” Said Eoghan.
“It’s been a big shock to people to realise that they are actually ecological deserts. Irish people struggle to even imagine what wild Irish nature could look like. We almost have to go abroad to see what a real, healthy forest looks like.”
Eoghan’s background in art informs his relationship with the landscape. While sculpting involves actively shaping a medium, rewilding requires stepping back and trusting natural processes. Yet, the visual and aesthetic connection remains deep.
“My appreciation and love for the forest is on many levels, but one is definitely aesthetic,” he said.
“I love the visual environment: shafts of light penetrating through the canopy on a sunny day, lighting up hoverflies in a spotlight against the gloom behind. It’s just so beautiful visually.”
Eoghan’s upcoming book, ‘Setting the Land Free: Visions of a Rewilding Ireland’ comes out on 10 September and explores how rewilding can transform Ireland’s ecological and economic future. Having travelled across Ireland, Scotland, and Costa Rica, he sees immense potential for rural communities if farmers are properly supported in rewilding initiatives.
He said: “Farmers’ land is their livelihood. We really need to be looking at ways of giving farmers options to make a living from rewilding. That’s what happened in Costa Rica, and the results were spectacular, not just for nature, but for society and the economy as a whole.”
The first episode of ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest’ airs this Sunday at 6.30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.