In search of the Dinnseanchas at Maam Cross Mart

The price for lambs was good, and there was a brisk trade in hay and straw out on the main road. I was perched on top of an old red gate, swapping stories with a poet, a fiddle player and a farmer.

This unlikely crew had come together under the auspices of Hometree’s Dinnseanchas project. Launched in September 2023, Dinnseanchas, meaning ‘lore of place’, uses creativity, whether through music, art, or storytelling, to forge connections, build networks and perhaps even generate solutions to the social and environmental challenges faced by upland communities.

Rather than rely on traditional, top-down approaches to environmental issues, Hometree conceived Dinnseanchas as a way to tap into the vast local knowledge of place, history and culture already present within these landscapes.

Farm school

Twelve artists and researchers were recruited for the project. About half are engaged in year-long residencies within upland communities, spanning Glenveagh in Donegal, the Maam Valley in Connemara and the Borlin Valley on the Cork-Kerry border. Some already live and work in their respective communities, while others travel to theirs.

Before beginning their residencies, the group convened in the mountains of south Kerry for a four-day crash course on all things uplands. Based at the Climbers Inn in Glencar, they attended classes on climate change, peatlands, forests, farming, language and community development. They also visited farms, bogs and forests across the Iveragh Peninsula. The course aimed to equip the artists with essential knowledge and context, enabling them to approach their residencies with understanding and sensitivity to the communities’ challenges and histories.

Following this induction, each artist was linked with a local contact in their community and sent on their way.

Big themes at Maam Cross Mart

The artists have now been embedded in their communities for about eight months, each taking a distinct approach informed by their unique skills and perspectives. Once a fortnight they come together online to share updates and reflect on their experiences.

Farming has emerged as a dominant theme, encompassing sub-themes such as identity, connection, succession, loss, and emigration. These topics not only deepen the artists’ understanding of rural life, but also inspire their creative work, which explores and reflects these realities.

Many of these ideas were discussed by the roadside in Maam, when I visited last month. I was there with Peadar-Tom Mercier, the Dinnseanchas artist in residence. A traditional musician from Ceathrú Rua, Peadar-Tom has been working with local Macra na Feirme groups, Irish language organisations, placename collectors and schools.

His community contact, well-known Farming for Nature ambassador Colm Gavin, stopped by for a chat.

“Opportunities for our communities to come together are increasingly scarce,” Colm noted. “The meitheal is gone, and many of the lads are too old to go to the hills now. Mass, the pub, even the mart—all of it is in decline.”

Loss and renewal

In the Derryveagh Mountains of Donegal, renowned glass artist Róisín de Buitléar has been working with John Duffy and his partner Laura, who are reintroducing native cattle to their upland holding. Once again, the theme of loss surfaced.

“There are no longer enough hands to the acre,” one farmer remarked, underscoring the struggle to sustain these landscapes without younger generations to carry on the work.

Generational renewal has emerged as a pressing issue across all the communities involved. Remote rural areas, in particular, struggle to retain young people, who often leave for towns, cities, or opportunities abroad.

This theme has been central to the work of artists Heather Griffin and Paddy Mulvihill in the hills of Lyreacrompane, Kerry. Like the iconic hen harriers of Lyre, the human population is also in decline. Heather and Paddy have collaborated with well-known farmer and former wildlife ranger Tim O’Donoghue and his son Barry to explore these dynamics.

Many artists observed that topics like climate change and biodiversity loss were difficult to discuss directly with farmers. However, when approached through the lens of history, music, folklore, or placenames, candid and insightful conversations often unfolded, offering new pathways for understanding and dialogue.

Despite the very real challenges faced by upland communities, not all the emerging themes have been negative. Artists have been struck by the warmth, generosity, and hard work they’ve encountered.

Resilience has come up again and again. Life in these places has never been easy or profitable, and emigration has always been part of the story. Yet, the communities persist. Shops, GAA clubs and pubs – though under pressure – remain vital focal points for community life.

The artists’ work captures this spirit of endurance, helping ensure that these stories and experiences are not lost, but celebrated and shared.

*Ray Ó Foghlú is an environmental scientist and woodland conservationist. He is the farm programmes co-ordinator with the Hometree charity. The Dinnseanchas Project was made possible through funding from Creative Ireland. More information at www.hometree.ie/dinnseanchas-project

Dinnseanchas has now taken on its own momentum. The artists have formed deep relationships within their communities, and they’ve also developed a strong bond with one another—an unexpected but invaluable outcome of the project.

For most participants, the focus is now shifting from listening and learning to creating.

Many are collaborating closely with their communities to produce works of art, music, and storytelling inspired by the themes they’ve explored together.

From Hometree’s perspective, Dinnseanchas has transcended the boundaries of a conventional project. It has become a process, one that we plan to integrate into all our future work.

The culmination of Dinnseanchas will take place at the Ardnaculla Summer School in Ennistymon on 16-18 May 2025, where all participating artists alongside members of their communities will gather to share their experiences and creations.