Irish rainforest creator named Cork Person of the Month for September

Cillian Ferry

West Cork conservationist Eoghan Daltun is Cork Person of the Month for September in recognition of his rewilding work in the Beara Peninsula.

Daltun, a sculptor by trade, left Dublin’s city life in 2009, moving to a derelict farm site near Eyeries. Upon arrival, he found that the land was ecologically damaged, over grazed, and choking with invasive species, so decided to step back and let nature heal itself.

He has now spent more than 15 years transforming his 73 acre farm into a flourishing rainforest featuring native trees and thriving biodiversity.

Eoghan’s work achieved acclaim following the publication of his bestselling book, ‘An Irish Atlantic Rainforest: A Personal Journey into the Magic of Rewilding’. His story was brought to television screens nationwide in a recent two-part RTÉ documentary series of the same name. Filmed in West Cork and supported by UCC, the series explores how he created a native rainforest on the West Cork coast. His latest and third book, ‘Setting the Land Free’, is a bold and visionary call to restore Ireland’s wild places and was published this month.

Speaking as he received his award, Eoghan said: “Living on the Beara Peninsula and supporting the creation of this rainforest has been an amazing experience. West Cork is an extraordinary place with an incredible natural heritage, and I'm proud to play a part in enhancing its biodiversity. Having this recognised through a Cork Person of the Month award is a real honour.”

Awards Organiser Manus O'Callaghan congratulated Eoghan. “Eoghan had an extraordinary vision of creating a West Cork rainforest. He deserves great praise not only for making this dream a reality, but also for inspiring others to take an interest in biodiversity, nature restoration, and ecology. He also deserves credit for his work as a sculpture conservator, having restored many of our Cork monuments and statues over the years.”

Eoghan's name will now go forward alongside the other monthly winners for possible selection as Cork Person of the Year at the Annual Gala Awards Lunch on 29 January 2027 at the Metropole Hotel.