Roscommon initiative sees art and farming come together

A local art collective is collaborating with a farming group to highlight the unique karst landscape in South Roscommon and the importance of protecting its biodiversity in the future.

Nicola Bowes, a native of Bealnamulla, is part of the Celtic Eye Art Group, who have teamed up with the recently formed Karst Farming Group, to promote what she calls an “outstanding, unique area” by highlighting the unmistakable limestone rock landscape, along with features like medieval hazelnut woodland, hawthorn trees, turloughs and dolines or sinkholes in what they are calling a biodiversity triangle of Taughmaconnell, Dysart and Brideswell.

The group hopes to hold an exhibition of works inspired by the area in August to coincide with Heritage Week and will gift all pieces back to the three parishes. Ultimately, their aim is to document the features of this beautiful landscape and source funding for sustainable farming initiatives in the future.

At the first Karst Farming Committee meeting on May 6, Chairperson Liam Kildea and Nicola Bowes thanked Cllr Tony Ward, archaeologist Daniel Curley, Roscommon County Council Heritage Officer Nollaig Feeney and Community Water Officer Conor Ruane, who all came to visit the biodiversity areas like Cooksyfinn Hill between Dysart and Taughmaconnell, from the top of which you can see seven counties.

Nicola, who lives in Cappataggle in Galway, but spent her childhood in the area climbing Cooksyfinn Hill or The Rocks as it was known, said they are delighted with the support they are getting since the project began when she was asked to paint a piece depicting the hill by Liam Kildea. Since then, she has set up a Facebook group to document their work in promoting biodiversity called Celtic Eye Art Group (Extension).

Herbalist Paula Sharkey who is also part of their team will lead herbal walks for the public and farmers in the South Roscommon biodiversity triangle once Covid restrictions allow, Nicola explains, adding that she and Paula, along with artists Ann Hill and Fiona Moore are on the committee of the Karst Farming Group.

The groups is also hoping to link in with local schools and the community and are all working on art, crafts, poetry, folklore stories and herbal information and videos to bring a diverse exhibition together in the local community of this Biodiversity Triangle for Heritage week in August.

Coinciding with that, the Karst Farming Group is looking to design and implement projects at a farm level to preserve biodiversity, water quality and economic sustainability of farming in the area.

A map of the karst area put together by Eoghan Finneran shows its importance as the primary source of public water for most of South Roscommon and is a source of ground water feeding the nearby turloughs.

Nicola Bowes cites Parkes, 2012, who describes this karst area as of “unique national importance” with inherent benefits for both biodiversity and water quality.

She explains that almost 70% of this area of the karst habitat has been lost since 1910, with losses accelerating over the past 30 years as farmers were incentivised to reclaim fields by clearing the boulders and bushes for farming.

She says they do not want to lose any more of this stunning landscape and what they are trying to do is raise awareness of its importance, and find ways of protecting it into the future.

The Celtic Eye Art Group is made up of artists Nicola Bowes, Cappataggle, Ann Hill, Ballinasloe, Fiona Moore, Taughmaconnell, Emel Osman, Athlone, Rosemary Carty, Killconnell, Ballinasloe, Natasha O'Brien, Bealnamulla, poet Zara Little-Campbell, Ballinasloe, and herbalist Paula Sharkey from Taughmaconnell.

For more on this project, please contact Nicola Bowes on 087 3624422 or Liam Kildea from The Karst Farming Group on 087 1477889.