Groundbreakers Series Two: Three documentaries that chart the life and work of older women who did not just live through a changing Ireland but who were the changemakers.

Three groundbreaking women have made positive changes in academia, engineering, the environment, and social justice. These women are known and highly regarded and loved within their area of expertise, but they are not known by the general public. We listen to their story, to celebrate them, to thank them for making Ireland a better place for us all.

Their lives tell the story of Ireland’s progression and change. One women’s story that brings us on an audio journey through the changes, over the last decades, to the issues she dedicated her life to. In Groundbreaker: Anita Hayes we explore the issues of seed sovereignty and biodiversity, in Groundbreaker: Mary Crilly we examine sexual violence and exploitation in Ireland and in Groundbreaker: Jane Grimson, we look at women in engineering and genderism in the workforce.

Warning: some readers/listeners may find this content upsetting

Mary Crilly is approaching her 40th year at the forefront of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork (SVCC). Her story traces the slowly changing attitude towards sexual violence against men and women in Ireland.

When Mary started the centre, Ireland was a place where a man could legally rape his wife, where domestic violence was often treated as a time-wasting nuisance and where any form of sexual assault or rape, no matter the victim’s age, status, or condition, was usually viewed as the woman’s fault. Marital rape only became a crime here in 1990; until then a husband could not be found guilty of the rape of his wife.

When they opened the centre, they were meet with hostility. Back then, what they were doing in the centre was not really accepted, they were told by many to pack up and stop what they were doing. But they held on and now 40 years on Mary would consider that they have made great progress in bringing sexual violence into the open, though she would reflect there is still a long way to go when it comes to victim blaming and protecting perpetrators. Crilly’s end goal is to work towards a society that does not tolerate sexual violence in any capacity.Mary’s mission is to keep the conversation going, because without this change will not happen.

If you have been affected by this, you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre on freephone 24-Hour National Helpline at 1800 77 8888.

Groundbreakers Series Two: Three documentaries that chart the life and work of older women who did not just live through a changing Ireland but who were the changemakers.

Three groundbreaking women have made positive changes in academia, engineering, the environment, and social justice. These women are known and highly regarded and loved within their area of expertise, but they are not known by the general public. We listen to their story, to celebrate them, to thank them for making Ireland a better place for us all.

Jane was the first female graduate in engineering in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). Being the only woman in the class, she was never expected to last. This was the 1960s, at a time when female engineers were almost unheard of, not just in Ireland but worldwide. Even now Engineering and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) struggle with gender bias. But in the 1960s, as a young woman, Jane sat as the lone female in a class of engineering students. But it never deterred her.

Jane went on to obtain a first-class honours degree and a Masters and PhD degrees in Computer Science in 1971 and 1981 respectively. She then went on to become Dean of Engineering and of Research. Throughout Professor Jane Grimson’s extraordinary career as an engineer she has achieved much and received many accolades. However, perhaps one of Jane’s most lasting legacies will be the hugely important role she has played as an advocate for women in engineering, science, and academia. She has mentored a generation of female engineers and is passionate about promoting the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in STEM. As Provost and President of Trinity College Dublin Linda Doyle said ‘I would not be here without her”.

Their lives tell the story of Ireland’s progression and change. One women’s story that brings us on an audio journey through the changes, over the last decades, to the issues she dedicated her life to. In Groundbreaker: Anita Hayes we explore the issues of seed sovereignty and biodiversity, in Groundbreaker: Mary Crilly we examine sexual violence and exploitation in Ireland and in Groundbreaker: Jane Grimson, we look at women in engineering and genderism in the workforce.

Groundbreakers Series Two: Three documentaries that chart the life and work of older women who did not just live through a changing Ireland but who were the changemakers.

Three groundbreaking women have made positive changes in academia, engineering, the environment, and social justice. These women are known and highly regarded and loved within their area of expertise, but they are not known by the general public. We listen to their story, to celebrate them, to thank them for making Ireland a better place for us all.

Ground Breaker Anita Hayes centres on the life's work of Anita Hayes, who established Irish Seed Savers. She dedicated her life’s work to safeguard our future food crops by preserving the rich genetic diversity of the past, by creating a community of Seed Savers all over Ireland.

Anita founded the Irish Seed Savers in 1991 on a small farm in Co. Carlow. In 1996 the project moved to its present site in Scarriff and in 1997 a FAS community employment scheme secured a site and employment for many staff. It is now home to a seed bank containing more than 600 rare and endangered vegetable varieties, a native broadleaf woodland, and wildlife sanctuary. This provides a home for a thriving colony of heritage Irish black bees. Irish Seed Savers hold the national collection of Irish heritage apple trees in their orchards, numbering over 180+ varieties, as well as an orchard of over 33 self-rooting varieties of apple trees that require no grafting for propagation, the largest collection of this type of apple trees in the world. The genius of Irish Seed Savers is that the living ark of heritage crops is a much better way to preserve our horticultural heritage than in static seed banks, frozen in time and wrapped in cotton wool. The yearly renewed cultivation of these crops exposes them to the realities of climate change, to the evolution of circumstances in pest and diseases, and strengthens them to compete and thrive in the modern world and with them their heritage and stories.

Their lives tell the story of Ireland’s progression and change. One women’s story that brings us on an audio journey through the changes, over the last decades, to the issues she dedicated her life to. In Groundbreaker: Anita Hayes we explore the issues of seed sovereignty and biodiversity, in Groundbreaker: Mary Crilly we examine sexual violence and exploitation in Ireland and in Groundbreaker: Jane Grimson, we look at women in engineering and genderism in the workforce.

'Milk to North Kerry is like Oil to the Arabs’, produced and narrated by Mary Lavery Carrig, tells the story of the early days of Kerry Co-Op, a company established in North Kerry 50 years ago, laying roots for the multinational global giant we know today as Kerry PLC.

Interviewees are Billy Keane, Eamon Barry, Hugh Friel, Denis Brosnan, Tom O’Connor, Pat Golden and Tom O’Sullivan. They all recall, first-hand, those exciting, formative and busy days, 50 years ago.

This program offers fascinating insight into the dairy farming world of North Kerry 50 years ago and the series of events which occurred to bring about the formation of Kerry Co-Op, with seismic implications for the future. This is a story about community, perseverance, self-belief, empowerment, ambition and a drive to succeed, when dairy farmers and businessmen combined to realise a dream.

Mary Lavery Carrig set out to find the human face of Kerry Co-Op 50 years ago and in this documentary, she brings that human face of Kerry Co-op to you, the listener.

CREDITS
Music: Matt Griffin
Editor: Cian McGrath
Studio: Pat Donegan
Producer: Mary Lavery Carrig
Narrator: Mary Lavery Carrig

Thank you to Kerry Dairy Ireland for the use of the Jan 1974 Board of Directors photograph.

'Milk to North Kerry is like Oil to the Arabs', was made possible due to the support received from Coimisiún na Meán, funded through the television licence fee.

A father and his 14-year-old daughter set out on a journey across Japan to discover why Irish traditional and Celtic music have become fused into Japanese culture. In recent years, Nihonjin (Japanese people) have picked up fiddles, whistles, bazoukis and uilleann pipes, and begun playing Irish traditional music. Now Japanese musicians are bringing their take on trad back to us in Ireland. Pavel and his daughter Edie attend the annual Féile Tokyo, which draws musicians and dancers from across Japan. They meet performers in Kyoto and explore the historical, cultural and artistic connections between Ireland and Japan.

Shōgun Seisiún is edited, presented and produced by Pavel Barter and Edie Carey-Barter. Funded by Coimisiún na Meán with the Television Licence Fee.

Featuring musical performances by:

Lisako Fukuda

O’Jizo (Kozo Toyota, Koji Nagao, Hirofumi Nakamura)

Ryo Kaneko

Suzaki Kazuhiko

Anona (tribute to Anúna)

Peter Cole Irish pub session night in Tokyo

The Field pub session night in Kyoto

Sharleen McCaffrey

Brendan Doyle

Galway City Chamber Choir

Eirsat-1: Ireland’s First Satellite is the remarkable story of a group of young Irish scientists and engineers who are determined to make Ireland a space-faring nation – by designing, building and sending Ireland’s first satellite into space.

Eirsat-1 is Ireland’s very first spacecraft, a research satellite that passes over our heads six times a day as it orbits the earth. Produced and presented by John Higgins, this moving documentary tells its story - and the incredible challenges faced and overcome by the determined group of students and staff in University College Dublin who launched it into space.

Eirsat-1: Ireland’s first satellite is produced, presented and edited by John Higgins of As the Crow Flies Productions, with sound mixing by Neil Kavanagh of Coach House Media. With special thanks to the European Space Agency and the staff and students of UCD. Supported by Coimisiún na Meán.

‘45 Years of Listening’ tells the story of the Dublin Lesbian Line – an essential, landmark community-led resource – through a collection of personal reflections from one of the original founders, and current volunteers.

Dublin Lesbian Line was founded in 1979 – a time in Ireland when homosexuality was invisible, unmentionable, and profoundly isolating – to provide a way for gay/queer/bi/questioning women to connect, meet, make friends, find a community, or even just to talk anonymously on the phone. In 1979, and in the years that followed, it took enormous courage to pick up that phone and dial. Homophobia, patriarchy/gender roles, and heterosexism were so normalized and taken for granted as ‘the way things should be’ that some callers to Dublin Lesbian Line couldn’t even get the words out once they had gotten through to the number. Others, like one-time caller and then volunteer, Marina, found it a lifeline — found not only support, but friends and community.

Ireland has changed, but many LGBTQ+ people still experience discrimination and hostility. Now, in 2024, 45 years later (and despite its legacy name), Dublin Lesbian Line (DLL) serves the entire country – and all genders. As the current volunteers and organisers point out: “We’re not just for Dublin, we’re not just a phone line, and we’re not just for lesbians.” DLL is a registered charity, and aside from offering a listening ear and advice, DLL acts as a reference point for other services (social, health, advisory), and the team at DLL also organises events and courses for the Lesbian community. In the words of volunteer Val, DLL strives to be an “open embrace”.

This programme gives the listener an opportunity to learn about diversity of experience in Ireland and reflect on aspects of Irish society and social history, and explore the work of a grass-roots community-led charity/organisation.

Information and support for the issues raised in this programme can be found at Switchboard, LGBTQIA support and resources, on 01 872 1055 or by visiting theswitchboard.ie. Please note: Anyone can call on any day, but Tuesday is a dedicated women’s night, 6.30-9pm.

’45 Years of Listening’ was produced, recorded, and edited by Shaun O’Boyle and Maurice Kelliher, shaunandmaurice.com, and was supported by Coimisiún na Meán.

Connect with Dublin Lesbian Line on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dublin-Lesbian-Line/100064358546983

Vision: The Story of Sister Margaret Coyne tells the remarkable story of Irish nun Sister Margaret Coyne, who ran an eye clinic near the Ethiopian-Eritrean border for decades, saving the sight of countless thousands - often in the midst of war, conflict and famine.

Produced and presented by her nephew John Higgins, her story is told in her own words and through the eyes of the Ethiopian and Irish people who know and worked with her - from her sister Sabina Higgins, to the Spanish doctors who stumbled across her clinic and started an international NGO to support her work, to Ethiopian people living in Ireland and those who live there now - as the Tigray region where she lived once again finds itself embroiled in a brutal civil war.

Vision: The Story of Sister Margaret Coyne is edited, presented and produced by John Higgins of As the Crow Flies Productions, with sound mixing by Neil Kavanagh of Coach House Media. With special thanks to Proyecto Vision and The Daughters of Charity. Funded by Coimisiún na Mean with the television licence fee.

Photo credit: John Higgins/Ivo Rovira