We announced that any candidates who are going up for election this time and
wish to ‘set out their stall’ environmentally can have about 5 minutes at the Enviro program on the
3 rd of February. They can just call in to NEAR fm between 3.15 and 4.15 and ask for the Enviro
program
Seamus Mallon: Today we celebrated the life of Seamus Mallon one of Ireland’s great patriots-not in
a militaristic sense but as a builder of peace. Ireland has had a very chequered history over many
centuries with frequent conflicts generally not of the ordinary people’s making With the ‘Good
Friday Agreement’ a miracle happened and Seamus Mallon was one of those who helped in
shepherding the process whenever called upon to do so. But he was not alone as there were many
other peacemakers, including unsung heroes like for example Redemptorist priests Fr. Gerry
Reynolds and rev.Fr Alec Reid and parish priest Fr Des Wilson. Fr. Reynolds was central to
efforts to develop a peace process years before it eventually took root and he believed
totally in the primacy of dialogue” The same can be said of former Irish government
adviser Dr Martin Mansergh, and Presbyterian minister Rev Ken Newell for their
joint efforts in bringing about ceasefires. At the early stages sometimes they had
to meet in secret and invented codes to avoid detection by the authorities as it
was not politic at the time to have dialogue with the IRA. It was in a sense the
work of miracles THAT THE FIRST STEPS WERE TAKEN THEN AND THAT the peace process continues.
Today with the re-establishment of the Northern Ireland parliament.
This radio program Enviro is a pro peace and anti-war program and we celebrate the miracle of
peace in Ireland. Forest Friends Ireland has played a small role supportive of the peace process with
its ‘Peace Forest Ireland ‘Project and the planting of thousands of peace trees in the border counties.
Imbolc-the beginning of spring and ancient Celtic festival coincides with the Brilgid festival. On this
occasion we conducted a phone interview with Dolores Whelan about the Brigid of Faughart 2020
festival- A Celebration of Brigid Celtic Saint and ancient triple goddess of Ireland Dolores will outline
the events which will take place. She was joined by Roisin Cotter one of the festival organisers.
info@brigidoffaughart.ie (See Brigit’s Cloak and father’s sword) :). Brigit Bright Goddess of the
Gael. was a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann. She was a daughter of the chief of the
gods, The Dagda, and was known as a goddess of healers, poets, smiths, childbirth and
inspiration. Her name means "exalted one Joe Dunne Dolores and Roisin and myself had a
discussion on the importance of this festival and the various activities in the program.

Producer/Presenter John Haughton: Panellist Joe Dunne
Phone interview with Dolores Whelan and Roisin Cotter about the Brigid of Faughart festival