A Wild Year on the Northside – Ep 1 – 

Spring is a time for new life and renewal after the cold and dark days of the winter and one of Spring’s most iconic events is the “dawn chorus” where our resident and recently arrived migratory birds burst into song in unison. We pay a visit to the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin and meet guides Glynn Anderson and Mark Callagahan as they lead a wonderfully informative walk through the gardens to listen to this wonderful eruption of birdsong.

We’ll learn about the incredible migration undertaken by one of our most familiar birds, the barn swallow, whose arrival heralds the spring.

Finally we take a trip to Ireland’s Eye with Mark Doyle of Howth Cliff Cruises to find out more about this underknown haven for wildlife just off the coast of North County Dublin and hope to see one of Dublin’s cutest wild creatures, the fabulous puffin.

About the series

A Wild Year on the Northside takes a lyrical look at a year in nature on the Northside of Dublin City. Each of the four episodes will focus on a different season and give listeners a calendar of nature’s spectacles and the amazing proliferation of wildlife that we can encounter on our doorstep. The series will aim to educate and inform our listeners to where and when they can see these events and talk to some of the volunteers and organisations that attempt to promote and protect  the city’s wild animals and habitats.

With contributions from local conservation organisations including Birdwatch Ireland, The Irish Wildlife Trust and The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group. The episodes will be recorded on location in some of Dublin’s richest locations for biodiversity… like the Bull Island, Howth, Ireland’s Eye and the Phoenix Park and will detail some of the fascinating natural events that occur during  “A Wild Year on the Northside”.

Produced, presented and sound design by Edd Kealy. The series is made with the support of Coimisiún Na Meán’s Sound and Vision scheme, with the Television License fee.