Locals hoping for success at nd RDS Sustainability awards

Local sustainable practices have been recognised and have been shortlisted for the RDS Sustainability awards to be held as part of ‘Finding Common Ground’, a festival on biodiversity and sustainability.

The BRIDE ‘Farming with Nature’ Project, based in the East Cork and West Waterford region, was among those shortlisted. Set up in 2018, the project aims to reverse the loss of biodiversity on intensive farmland in the Bride Valley area.

A total of five Corkbased businesses and organisations were shortlisted to celebrate the work of individuals, farm families and organisations who are enhancing the economic, environmental and social development of Irish agriculture and rural communities.

Blackwater Honey, based in the Ballyhooly region, was also named on the shortlist. Co-founded in 2020 by brothers Andrew and John Shinnick, Blackwater Honey’s name and inspiration came from the River Blackwater which flows alongside their dairy farm in Ballyhooly.

In Ballynoe, Bo Rua Farm, run by Tom and Norma Dinneen was selected as it embarked on a journey of farmhouse cheesemaking, utilising milk from their Montbeliarde and Friesian cows.

While Glenbrook Farm, located at White's Cross near Cork city also made the list, acknowledging the free-range pig farm set up by Peter Twomey and his family during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020.

FRIDAY CEREMONY

As part of the twoday event, the RDS is hosting a series of awards with Cork city and county well represented in the shortlists for the Irish Forest and Woodlands awards; Sustainability awards and the Circular Economy awards.

Mallow Castle Demense and Town Park was shortlisted for the Community Woodland award, while Crocane Farm located near Aghada in east Cork named on the shortlist for the RDS Circular Economy award.

The awards ceremony takes place as part of the ‘Finding Common Ground’ Festival on Friday, May 3. The inaugural two-day event is being delivered as one of the RDS Foundation social impact programmes. It will incorporate presentations and panel discussions exploring how Ireland can harness the benefits of our natural resources and the circular economy with a view to creating increased awareness, education and identification of solutions to act on.

Alongside this, a number of awards ceremonies will take place to celebrate best practice in these areas.

Andrew and John Shinnick, of Blackwater Honey, Ballyhooly, who are shortlisted for the sustainability awards.

Peter Twomey, of Glenbrook Farm, located at White’s Cross.

Donal Sheehan, project manager of the BRIDE Project.

Nora and Tom Dinneen, of Bo Rua Farm, Ballynoe.