Environment - West Cork People

A holistic approach to beef farming

WCP Staff April, 2026

What does organic beef farming and homeopathy have in common: Claire Hurley, the force of nature who returned to her West Cork roots in 2009 to take over the 55-acre family farm, despite its uphill challenges. Claire farms an upland hilly farm in the townland of Gortnaclohy (field of the […]

Musings in the sky

Tina Pisco April, 2026

I went on my first flight when I was around 18-months-old. It was long haul from Madrid to NYC. My most recent one is right now, as I write this column somewhere in the skies between London and Cork. I say “my most recent” because it probably won’t be my last. […]

The intelligent cow

Dr Jeremy A. Dorman April, 2026

I often talk to cows; where I live, there isn’t much else to talk to. They can look so miserable, standing in muddy fields, soaked by the pouring rain and battered by the wind. But then, on a sunny day, chewing the cud, they seem quite content. They stare back at […]

The search for copper in West Cork

Fiona Hayes April, 2026

In the early 19th century copper mining was prevalent across West Cork with miners brought in from Cornwall in the early part of the century to supplement the workforce. While back then landowners owned the mineral rights below the surface of their land and no government licence was needed to […]

The West Cork Bird Race 2026

WCP Staff April, 2026

By Dave Rees and Nicholas Mitchell The West Cork Branch held the inaugural first bird race on January 29, 2017. Apparently there had been a bird race in earlier years but no records exist. Our Chair at the time, Paul Connaughton, felt that this would be a great opportunity to […]

A stinging plant that is actually a superhero

WCP Staff March, 2026

Have you ever jumped back after touching a nettle, shaking your hands after feeling that zingy sting on your skin? Here’s something you might not know: those prickly plants are also one of nature’s tastiest and most powerful wild foods. Rich in iron, calcium and vitamin C, nettles help keep […]

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