Public Events

Public Event and Panel Discussion – National Launch of Short Film 'Meadow Magic” and Discussion on Biodiversity Initiatives and Education 

Join us in person at Dundalk Institute of Technology for an exciting public seminar based around the national launch of 'Meadow Magic', a short film-based youth biodiversity initiative! The film launch will be followed by a Panel Discussion on Biodiversity Initiatives and Education with Aoibhéann McCann (Actor & Writer), Dr Noeleen Smith (UCD), Collie Ennis (TCD) and Paddy C. Courtney (Actor/Writer/Veg grower!).  Dive into the wonders of environmental innovation and education, connect with like-minded folk, and discover the initiatives that are making a difference nationwide.

Don't miss out on this fun and inspiring event – see you there!

Date: Monday 27^th April

Tea and Coffee Reception: 6pm

Event: 6.30pm-8pm

Location: Dundalk Institute of Technology.

Tickets are free, registration required via Eventbrite.

Aoibhéann McCann is an actor, writer and eco-activist. She studied French & Sociology in Maynooth University before training as an actor at the Oxford School of Drama. In 2020, she was awarded Best Actress at the Irish Times Theatre Awards and is a participant of Screen Ireland’s X-Pollinator 2024. She runs production company “Athrach” (weareathrach.com)– the focus is to make work as sustainably as possible. In 2023 they made the short film The Last Harvest which outdid the Albert calculator. She recently wrote, directed and acted in short film “Step in Time”, which is currently in post-production. In 2024 her theatre monologue "Humanitarian", a story of eco-activism with a violent twist, was presented by Landmark's Theatre-For-One at Cork Midsummer Festival and she is now working on the feature script of Humanitarian. As an actor, she plays Geraldine in Blue Lights S1, 2, 3 & 4. Other recent acting screen credits are “Ellis” (Channel 5), Coast (Charmer Pictures) “Clean Sweep” (RTÉ), “Harry Wild” (Acorn), “Yield” (Out of Orbit). Her IMDB can be found here. Recent acting theatre credits have been “Girl on an Altar” (Abbey Theatre), “Twinkletoes” (Abbey Theatre); Widow Quin, “The Playboy of the Western World”; Blanche DuBois, “A Streetcar Named Desire”.

Paddy C. Courtney is an award-winning actor, IFTA and RT Society, nominated screenwriter and voice artist whose work blends warmth, humour, and storytelling with purpose. After a fifteen-year career in stand-up comedy, he moved into screenwriting and acting, writing on much-loved productions including Dig in Diner, Jessy & Nessy, Funny Little Monsters, and RTÉ’s Blasts From The Past.
For the past decade, following the success of Dig in Diner, Paddy has been a familiar presence at Bord Bia’s Bloom Festival, where he works with children to explore empathy through sowing, growing and caring for plants and helping them to be environmentally aware. His hands-on approach connects kindness with biodiversity while encouraging small, positive steps towards climate action.

Dr Noeleen Smyth is a botanist and chartered horticulturalist with national and international experience in environmental issues, amenity horticulture and conservation botany. She is also a university lecturer and communicator with a career that has ranged from managing urban and amenity landscapes and gardens for the OPW and Fingal Co Council to large scale landscape scale forest restoration on Pitcairn Island, South Central Pacific with a specialist interest area in invasive alien plant species. Noeleen works with the National Parks & Wildlife Service on CITES (Convention International Trade in Endangered species of wild fauna and flora) as the National Scientific Authority for Ireland, advising and risk assessing trade in rare species. Her mission is “cultivating a wider perspective” for the role of botany and horticulture and the insights and skills they bring to building a better and more environmentally sound and sustainable future for all.

Collie Ennis is the Biodiversity Officer at Trinity College Dublin and a Naturalist with a passion for Ireland’s often overlooked wildlife, particularly amphibians and invertebrates. His work focuses on creating and improving habitats including ponds to support species in both urban and rural settings. A regular voice in Irish media, Collie is known for making wildlife accessible, engaging and relevant to everyday life.