In brief
In a recent initiative, sculptor Eoghan Daltun is confronting Ireland's ecological decline by rewilding his farm in West Cork, aiming to inspire broader environmental restoration across the country.
Eoghan Daltun is on a mission to reverse the ecological devastation of Ireland, often inaccurately hailed as the Emerald Isle due to its misleadingly lush appearance. At his home in West Cork, overlooking the Atlantic, Daltun reflects on the country’s environmental woes. Despite abundant rainfall and green fields, he emphasizes that many of Ireland's landscapes are “biological deserts.”This issue is underscored by a recent report from Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency, categorizing the country's environmental health as “poor.” Historically, 80 percent of Ireland was forested, but that number has now plummeted to just 11 percent, predominantly covered by nonnative Sitka spruce. Native woodland constitutes a scant 1 percent of the total land area.Daltun, who has spent years rewilding a 73-acre stretch of land in the Beara Peninsula, believes the time for apportioning blame to historical colonialism has long passed. “Ireland has had independent governance for over a century, and the situation has only deteriorated,” he argues.Documenting his journey, Daltun released his book, “An Irish Atlantic Rainforest,” in 2022, followed by “The Magic of an Irish Rainforest,” a photographic collection showcasing Ireland's rare wild ecosystems. His hope is to galvanize others to join his rewilding efforts and foster a richer biodiversity across the Emerald Isle, encouraging more communities to embrace ecological restoration.
