We are delighted to be selected as one of the ‘50 To Watch’ by the Irish Times for 2026. Brilliant Ballybunion was named as one of 4 groups to watch this year in the Sustainability category in this article by Joanne Hunt.
Special thanks to Creative Ireland and the amazing team of people who have come together to protect nature, grow food and be creative.
Here is the article:
“Nature, food, creativity – that’s Brilliant Ballybunion’s recipe for community climate action. The enormity of climate change and biodiversity loss can leave the individual feeling disempowered, but by coming together and acting locally, we can transform how we feel and create change, the group believes. Brilliant Ballybunion began with a call out to the north Kerry community for those passionate about nature, food or creativity to collaborate.
Nature-lovers, farmers, bird watchers, photographers, sketchers, writers and ecologists came forward and so began a journey of creative climate action.
Outputs so far include the Ballybunion Nature Group, a 60-strong collective that has carried out a survey of the Ringed Plover, a tiny ground-nesting bird in decline in the area. The group protects nests and talks to walkers about the importance of keeping dogs on lead. Journaling and sketching helps collaborators to record and process what they are seeing, and inspire action.
“If we don’t know the names of the birds, the trees or the animals, how will we know when they are gone,” says artist and grower Lisa Fingleton. “If our eyes are not open to nature, we just don’t see the loss.”
