The Shaking Bog - Where Art & Nature Meet
Presents

The Shaking Bog is excited to present a rare opportunity to accompany renowned ornithologist, wildlife sound recordist, writer and activist Sean Ronayne for a Dawn Chorus walk in the beautiful Glencree Valley. Recently acclaimed for his book Nature Boy and film Birdsong (directed by Kathleen Harris), Sean will help to interpret the birdsong and identify the singers whilst meandering through the native woodland that straddles the banks of the river.

In return for your early morning wake-up, coffee and tea will be served at the hostel after this walk.

Sean Ronayne is a Cork-born ornithologist and naturalist who has successfully sound-recorded all except three of Ireland’s bird species. (www.irishwildlifesounds.com)

This staple of The Shaking Bog never ceases to enthral and inspire. Beloved local nature enthusiast and zoologist Ciarán Finch will once again - but for the very first time in Spring - create a moment of wonder as he unveils an astounding variety of moth species collected overnight in the Glencree Valley. A special event guaranteed to inspire a sense of awe and reverence for these elusive creatures as they slowly awaken to the day.

The Bug Hunt is part of the I Wonder project based in Curtlestown School for 2^nd-4th class pupils. It is a first invitation to the parents of these pupils to come and learn about the world that they will be exploring. The children with their natural sense of wonder will be the guides as they bring their parents to different environments that support the lives of many invertebrate species. Together they will record what they discover through writing, drawing (with ink made by the children) and land art.

I Wonder is a tailormade forest immersion project for children from 2^nd-4th class at Curtlestown School, starting at the beginning of May. It is designed to connect local families with their environment. It will take place over several weeks, in the woodland near Knockree, as part of the wider Riverscapes project.

Liz Mc Mahon is a visual art facilitator and forest school leader. She is currently part of the Scalp Project to promote and support nature based learning in primary schools.

A meandering walk exploring the valley and the banks of the Glencree River for adults and children. Mountain Leader and nature enthusiast, Martha Burton, who grew up in the Glencree Valley and knows all the many secrets that it holds like nobody else, will lead the walk, sharing her expert knowledge along the way. She will encourage people to open their senses, to look, listen and explore, An engaging walk for all the family.

Martha Burton is an engineer, keen hillwalker and fiddle player from the Glencree Valley. Martha is from a farming background and has been interested in native wildlife, plants and flowers from a young age.

There is no month more beautiful in the Glencree Valley than the month of May when the ground along the riverbanks is thickly carpeted with bluebells and wild garlic and buzzing with insect life. Join the internationally-acclaimed botanist Professor Jane Stout as she guides a trail through the landscape sharing her deep knowledge of pollinators and wildflowers. It will be an immense privilege to join one of Ireland’s leading botanists out in the field on this springtime walk.

Jane is Vice President for Biodiversity & Climate Action and Professor of Ecology (Botany) at Trinity College Dublin. She is an internationally renowned expert on pollinator and pollination ecology, and a prominent voice for biodiversity and its value. She is co-founder and Chair of the Irish Forum on Natural Capital and co-founder and deputy Chair of the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan www.pollinators.ie

Mark Cocker is a multi-award-winning author of creative non-fiction, a naturalist, columnist and broadcaster. His latest book One Midsummer’s Day: Swifts and the Story of Life on Earth celebrates the interconnectedness of all of life and has been shortlisted  for the prestigious Richard Jefferies Prize for nature writing. Mark will present a talk entitled ‘What is Wild?’ followed by a public conversation.

Mark Cocker is an author and naturalist who writes and broadcasts on wildlife in a variety of British media including The Guardian and The Guardian Weekly. He has written 13 critically acclaimed books, covering works of biography, history, literary criticism and memoir. (www.markcocker.com)

‘A beautiful, brilliant mind-stretching and soul-flying book. Genius.’ - Horatio Clare (praise for One Midsummer’s Day)

The day-long programme of events will draw to a close with a memorable performance in two parts. The first will be a poetry reading from the wonderful nature/eco poet Jane Robinson who will read from her poetry collections Island and Atoll - described as ‘ not simply a book; it’s a forcefield of imagination’ (Annemarie Ní Churreáin) - and Journey to the Sleeping Whale.

Jane Robinson’s many award-winning poems address the urgent issue of environmental loss. Her first collection, Journey to the Sleeping Whale (2018) was begun when she lived just two and a half Irish miles from Enniskerry.

The second part of the evening will mark the first ‘home’ performance by acclaimed soloist and concert violinist Lynda O’Connor, who grew up just minutes away from Curtlestown Church.

Lynda will be joined by international concert cellist and composer Ailbhe McDonagh and together they will perform McDonagh’s The Irish Four Seasons which premiered late last year.

Lynda O’Connor is regarded as one of the finest Irish violinists of her generation. She regularly performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician. In 2024 she released her debut solo album “The Irish Seasons”. (www.lyndaoconnorviolin.com)

Irish cellist Ailbhe McDonagh is an international soloist, chamber musician and recording artist. As a composer she has a large collection of chamber, orchestral and pedagogical works to her name. Her much anticipated violin concerto ‘The Irish Four Seasons’ was released in 2024. (www.ailbhemcdonagh.com)

‍“McDonagh’s The Irish Four Seasons is an idiomatic and compelling synthesis of traditional Irish music, blending captivating melodies with classical form.” BBC Music Magazine