Farm Walks

The Leitrim Sustainable Agriculture Group and the Ulster Wildlife Farmers’ Group in Fermanagh are working with artists and farmers to host six creative Farm Walks in 2024. The project is co-created with Leitrim County Council and The Dock Arts Centre and funded through the Creative Ireland Shared Island Programme. During the Farm Walks, farmers will lead a talk about their farm, current practices and future plans. Each Farm Walk will also feature a talk by an invited artist whose work resonates with that farm, its creative potential, heritage or other special characteristics. The project draws attention to the synergies and common interests between artists and farmers and highlights common environmental and creative interests in such themes as biodiversity, farming in harmony with nature, water quality and climate action.

We are now inviting other interested artists whose work resonates with the overall project, or with the ethos of a specific farm, to attend one or more Farm Walks. To support attendance, we can cover costs to make those visits up to a maximum of €250 per visit. While this is intended to benefit an artist's research practice generally, project partners plan to develop further opportunities where artists can apply to work with farmers in Leitrim and Fermanagh to make or co-create new work. Given the duration of the project, requests to attend Farm Walks and decisions on support that may be provided will be assessed on a rolling basis. Please note that, irrespective of whether support is required, artists may only attend a Farm Walk by completing this form.

The schedule for the Farm Walks is as follows –

• March: Yvonne Browne & Michael McManus, Spa Well Farm, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim with artist Anna MacLeod.
  Both organic and nature-friendly, Spa Cottage Farm has a sulphur well that is historically renowned for its healing properties.  We will explore the Spa Well, its historic links to medicinal healing and its current role in farm enterprise diversification.
• April: Frank Whitney & John Flynn, Leitrim Village, Co. Leitrim with artist Christine Mackey
  These two farms border the River Shannon and are steeped in history and heritage with the 12th century Portsham Castle, an ancient orchard, the old main road from Carrick to Manorhamilton and a unique ancient spring well on the banks of the river. 
• May: Paddy McGurn, Boa Island, Co. Fermanagh
  Located on the northern shores of Lough Erne, this farm is managed for its species rich wet grasslands, hayfields and rich variety of wildflowers. Breeding waders, including curlews, are frequent visitors to the farm.  The farmwalk will include a demonstration of how clay from the farm is used for producing ceramics.
• June: Gavin & Carol Durkin, Ballinaglera, Co. Leitrim
  A biodiverse-rich cattle and sheep farm with wildflower meadows and an apiary.  This is a hub for social farming and highlights the farm's potential for community building and wellbeing.
• September: Aidan McGovern, Marlbank, Marble Arch, Co, Fermanagh
  Located in the Killykeeghan Nature Reserve, this liminal space hosts the meeting of heather upland heath, rush grasslands, peatlands and areas of calcareous limestone. Swally holes on the land lead to the Marble Arch Caves located below.  Sheep are kept traditionally amongst clusters of hawthorn trees on this mountainside farm.
• October: Trevor Irwin, Boho, Co. Fermanagh
  This walk will focus on hedgerows, their management, the history and heritage that surrounds them and their importance for supporting biodiversity and providing shelter and wildlife corridors.  It will include demonstrations on coppicing and hedge laying.

If you are a professional artist that would like to attend one or more of the Farm Walks, please apply to do so through the link below.