Walking to Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght

In September 2022 I had the privilege of walking through the woods of Enniscoe House in Co. Mayo, Ireland, to the shore of Lough Conn with Seán Lysaght. Seán is a poet and author who has taught me a great deal (through his books and poems) about the nature, landscape and heritage of County Mayo.

We cover a lot of ground and experience all the weathers, with Seán reading one of his poems at the close of the episode. It ends in dramatic fashion, with the rain sweeping in off Lough Conn and making further recording impossible.

You can see more of Seán's work here and see the outline of the episode below. I hope you enjoy!

Recorded on 7th September 2022 at Enniscoe House and Lough Conn

Woodpeckers arriving in Ireland
Identify wych elm’s bristly leaves
Elm trees in Mayo
2022 a good year for beech mast
How vital ivy can be in woodlands
Ivy is not a parasite
Beech trees in Ireland, a planted tree of demesnes
‘The Big House’ landscape and differences with England
Definitions of rainforest
Tutsan and hypericums
Personal memories of chiffchaff in Kerry, other warblers
Moving from eradication to control with rhododendron
Coniferous plantations in Mayo
The appearance of ‘bog scrub’
Wild Nephin - Seán’s 2020 book about National Park formerly known as Ballycroy
New Leaf - Sean’s latest poetry book
Wild Nephin
Ballina bookshop: Pangur Bán 

Lough Conn and views of Nephin
Flowers found on the shores of Lough Conn
Bog myrtle’s use as bath oil and its folklore in Ireland
How wildlife is faring in Nephin’s conifer plantation
Future management of lodgepole pine and sitka spruce
Mayo’s dry summer of 2022
Irish views of natural landscapes
The role of bogs in preventing climate breakdown
Bogs as ‘wastelands’
Cutting turf in peatlands - sustainable practices versus mechanised extraction
Herons crossing Lough Conn
Seán’s hopes of seeing a newly-introduced sea eagle on Lough Conn
Reintroduction of sea eagles, progress in Kerry, West Cork and Co. Clare, and the Shannon

 

Links:

Seán's author profile: https://gallerypress.com/authors/g-to-l/sean-lysaght/ 
Buying Seán's books in the UK: https://www.waterstones.com/books/search/term/sean+lysaght
Wild Nephin: https://www.mayobooks.ie/Wild-Nephin-Lysaght
Enniscoe House: https://www.northmayogenealogy.com/enniscoe-house