Ear to the Ground

In the first programme of this brand new 16-part series,one of Ireland's Rugby World Cup stars, Mike Ross, invites us along to his home farm in Ballyhooley. The Irish prop helps out with the milking and recalls his formative years piking bails and grappling heifers. Helen Carroll investigates the alarming increase in rural crime that has swept the nation as she speaks to some of the people whose lives have been directly affected by break-ins, thefts and assaults. Darragh McCullough is in the eye of the storm as a rapidly expanding dairy farmer. Ear to the Ground will go behind the scenes on Darragh's farm this winter to see the drama unfolding. Also back this Autumn will be our popular 'Food Journeys' strand where we take an in-depth look at how food makes its way to our plates. Whether you fancy single malt whiskey, elderflower cordial or Comeragh mountain lamb, you will learn its unique food journey from Helen and Ella.

Darragh McCullough meets Esther Walsh, who manages an 800 cow herd in Lismore, Co Waterford, Helen Carroll reports on crime, and Ella McSweeney investigates cordial.

Helen Carroll meets Deirdre Scanlon, a mother of two young children and a Guard based in county Clare, to find out more about the challenges of policing in rural Ireland. Meanwhile, in West Sussex, Darragh McCullough sees how English farmers are harvesting the power of the sun.

Including a look at the journey of malt production, and features on city girl-turned-farmer Leonie Byrne, and Frank Murphy on his Cork farm.

As the UN Climate Change Conference takes place in Paris this week, Helen questions if Irish farmers can cut their carbon emissions, Darragh invites us back to his own farm in Gormanston, Co. Meath and Ella asks what now for the IFA?

Both sides in the construction of the Dublin to Galway cycle path, Ella on craft brewing and the latest in the fight for TB eradication.

Mary Walsh of Kilkenny Free Range Ducks & Geese gets a master class on how to to cook and prepare duck from Michelin-star chef, Garrett Byrne. Also, food wastage in Ireland.

A report on a purpose-built playschool outside St. Margaret's village, Co Dublin, and a young girl from Co Kildare takes her pet kunekune to the Irish Pig Society Show.

During the Summer Darragh McCullough journeyed the Boyne river, catching and releasing salmon, exploring the Neolithic settlement of Newgrange to learn of Ireland's earliest farmers, and he even found himself on a ship bound for the Game of Thrones set!

Co. Laois man, Roland Bradley, talks about his prostate cancer scare, Ella visits Leahy’s Open Farm in Co. Cork and Darragh heads back to driving school for a trailer towing licence

Ella travels to Athlone to assess the damage of the flooding to local farmers, Helen gets to taste some apple gin at a multi-award winning orchard in Co. Kilkenny and Darragh hears from an Irishman intensively farming in Russia.

Helen Carroll looks at the decline of GPs in rural Ireland, Ella explores the methods of protecting nature while farming and Darragh hears a first-hand account from a horrifying farming accident.

Darragh explores the issue of migrant workers in the agriculture sector, Helen is on the Comeragh mountains with sheep and dairy farmer Willie Drohan, and Ella questions whether local abattoirs can survive against large processing plants

Ireland if Britain leaves the EU; the Irish Military War Museum in Co. Meath; and is organic farming the way forward for the dairy sector.

Helen Carroll looks back on food and farming in 1916, making parallels between the food that was eaten then, and the superfoods that are popular now.

Ella in Co. Wicklow reading cow signals, Helen joins one of Ireland’s few female auctioneers at her weekly mart, and Darragh is in Ethiopia to assess the progress of Irish charity VITA.