Rúin na bPortach | Secrets in the Peat
Date Posted: November 14, 2023
Rúin na bPortach | Secrets in the Peat
Wednesday 15 November
TG4 9.30pm
Peatlands store more carbon than all the world’s forests combined, covering just 3% of our planet. Could they be our silent saviours in the fight against climate change? Rúin na bPortach is a new series exploring the role of bogs and peatlands in the world’s ecosystem, history, and culture.
The series received funding from the Irish Language Broadcast Fund, Screen Scotland, and the Canada Media Fund, and was also supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Celtic International Fund.
Starting on November 15th at 9:30 pm on TG4, and BBC at a later date, presenter Cormac Ó hÁdhmaill goes on a journey from the boreal peatlands of Canada to the expansive peat plains of Finland and the beautiful bogs of home. During the journey, we will meet people making medical breakthroughs using the plants found in our native bogs. In addition, we will get to know those who care for Scotland’s Red Stag in the peaty uplands of the Outer Hebrides. We will also discover how changes in the peat industry affect people’s way of life and explore the cultural influence of boglands on the art and music of Scotland and Ireland.
This series intends to explore the rich history hidden in peat, the restoration projects aimed at preserving it, and the medicinal properties of various plants found on bogs that have been used for generations as folk remedies. In Canada an indigenous First Nations’ community are handed back the reins as they are tasked with being a key part in an innovative peatlands research centre.
Presenter Cormac Ó hÁdhmaill said;
“It’s arguable that a series of three one-hour programmes does not give enough time to reflect the huge importance of bogs in the archaeology, history, culture, and psyche of Ireland. In making this series, we did go some way towards that goal. I looked at bodies ritually buried in bogs, customs and practices associated with bogs, what science can reveal about how bogs grow and develop, and the life found within them. And I also learned to appreciate in a deep visceral way how important bogs are in mitigating some of the excesses of modern life and the existential threats we face. But nothing is ever simple. When I stood on a bog in Finland ripped apart for fuel and left a brown lifeless desert, I was nearly brought to tears at what we were doing to the environment, putting short-term gains ahead of long-term security of the Earth. But when I spoke both to those cutting turf for personal use and those harvesting it on an industrial scale, I was struck by the economic arguments driving these practices and, though necessary, how difficult it will be to bring them to an end. I was given lots to think about in this series and so too will viewers.”
Rúin na bPortach is a Below the Radar TV, Mac TV, and Idéacom International UK-Canada co-production for TG4, BBC NI, BBC Alba, Radio-Canada and RTBF.
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Rúin na bPortach
Dé Céadaoin 15 Samhain
TG4 9.30pm
3% den phláinéad, sin a bhfuil de thalamh portaigh ann ar domhan. An iad a dhéanfaidh ár leas sa chomhrac i gcoinne an athraithe aeráide? Is sraith nua é Rúin na bPortach a chaitheann súil úr ar bhogaigh agus ar thailte portaigh na hÉireann agus an domhain – fiosrófar an tábhacht atá leo ó thaobh cothromaíocht chaol éiceachóras an domhain a choinneáil slán, an tionchar a bhí acu ar an stair agus ar an chultúr.
Fuair an tsraith maoiniú ón Chiste Craoltóireachta Gaeilge, Screen Scotland, agus an Canada Media Fund. Fuarthas tacaíocht freisin ó Highlands and Islands Enterprise agus ón Chiste Cheilteach Idirnáisiúnta.
Ar an 15 Samhain ag 9.30i.n. ar TG4 a chraolfar an chéad chlár den tsraith, agus beidh sé le feiceáil ar BBC TÉ ina dhiaidh sin. Tugann an láithreoir Cormac Ó hÁdhmaill ar aistear muid ó thailte portaigh bóireacha Cheanada go machairí móna fairsinge na Fionlainne agus portaigh áille na hÉireann. Casfaimid le daoine atá ag iarraidh leigheas a bhaint as plandaí portaigh dúchais, mar aon le daoine a thugann aire do charria rua na hAlban ar shléibhte móna Inse Ghall. Agus fiosróimid an bealach a bhfuil na hathruithe ar thionscal na móna ag dul i bhfeidhm ar an saol mór.
Tugann an chlár seo léargas dúinn ar an stair saibhir atá i bhfolach sa mhóin, na tionscadal mór caomhnaithe agus athchóirithe agus na buanna leighis atá sna plandaí éagsúla atá le fáil sna portaigh, plandaí atá in úsáid mar leigheas leis na glúnta. Téann pobal dúchais de na Chéad Náisiúin i gceannas arís i gCeanada agus ról lárnach acu in ionad nuálach taighde ar thailte móna.
Dúirt an láithreoir Cormac Ó hÁdhmaill;
‘Fiú murar chaith an mhórchuid againn laethanta samhraidh amuigh ar na bachtaí, tá boladh na móna agus gach rud a bhaineann leis an mhóin sáite go smior ionainn mar Éireannaigh. Ach níor thuig mise ariamh tábhacht na bportach mar is ceart, go ndeachaigh mé ag obair ar an tsraith seo, sraith ar bheagnach gach gné de mhóinteáin na hÉireann. I measc go leor eile, d’fhéach mé ar iarsmaí d’fhir óga a ndearnadh íobairtí dóibh i bportaigh, labhair mé le heolaithe faoi eolaíocht agus nósanna na bportach agus tháinig deora sna súile agam nuair a sheas mé ar an fhásach donn a bhí fágtha nuair a scriosadh portach san Fhionlainn. Thuig mé sa deireadh an tábhacht agus an géarghá atá le móinteáin a chaomhnú ar bhonn domhanda agus ag an am céanna ba léir dom cé chomh deacair a bheidh an obair sin. Sna cláracha seo, bhí ábhair mhachnaimh ann domsa agus beidh do gach duine a fheicfidh iad.’
Is comhléiriúchán de chuid Below The Radar TV, Mac TV agus Idéacom International é Rúin na bPortach, comhléiriúchán a rinneadh idir an Ríocht Aontaithe agus Ceanada do TG4, BBC TÉ, BBC Alba, Radio-Canada agus RTBF.
