Karen Browlett

Karen Browett is a visual artist with a grounding in print making who takes a multidisciplinary approach to her work, often drawing from previous qualifications in horticulture and time spent working with plants. Her recent focus has been on eco processes for analogue lens based and print media, with an intent to create materially relevant and sustainable ways of working. From here a thread was followed which has allowed her to understand her practice as a collaborative endeavour, always working with rather than from the landscape.

Karen has completed a post graduate Diploma in Art and Ecology at NCAD 2024 and MA ARC Arts and Research Collaboration in IADT 2021. She was chosen as the recipient of a ‘DLR Baths Workspace’ in 2024/25, Signal Arts Bray ‘Studio Resident’ 2024, ‘Emerging Artist Residency’ at The Darkroom, D7 2022 and as a Future Labs resident at DAS Belfast 2022/23. Karen has worked in education alongside her practice for over a decade.

Melissa O’Brien

Originally trained in fine art printmaking, Melissa O’Brien’s practice has expanded to include analogue photography, low-tech cameras, and home-developed film, alongside communal makings and workshops. In 2024, she completed the Professional Diploma in Art and Ecology at NCAD through the Creative Futures Academy, broadening her work to anthotypes, pinhole photography, soundscapes, and archival research. Her recent work focuses on the closed Water House Complex at the National Botanic Gardens, exploring its novel ecology and themes of the anthropogenic, time, materiality, and process. Melissa co-founded Limerick Printmakers, managed the facility for 14 years, and holds a Master’s in Cultural Management from Northumbria University.

Claire McLaughlin

Galway-based artist, Claire McLaughlin is original from Donegal. She studied at UU Belfast and the RCA London. She lectured in Ceramics at ATU (GMIT) until 2019. Claire recently completed the Professional Diploma in Art & Ecology at NCAD and is the first recipient of the Derek Hill Foundation Artist’s Residency which she completed at Glenveagh in April.’We are all KINFOLK’ invites us to make kin, and recognise interconnection with our more-than-human family to inspire care.

An Crann Óg

Grúpa déagóirí as iarthuaisceart Dhún na nGall a bhíonn ag seinm ceol traidisiúnta & ag canadh amhráin bhreátha i nGaeilge. Faoi stiúir Caitlín Uí Dhuibhir & a tháinig fríd Scoil na Crannóige.

An Crann Óg is a group of young musicians from the Donegal Gaeltacht that attend music classes in Scoil na Crannóige. They play traditional music and sing songs in Irish.

Sáile

Sáile is a trad group from Gortahork in the Donegal Gaeltacht who formed this year for Siansa Gael Linn. The group, are all musicians of the Comhaltas Chloich Cheann Fhaola.  They have been playing traditional Irish music since primary school and have competed in the County and Ulster Fleadhanna as well as the Ulster final of Scór na n-Óg. The Sáile group members are:

– Éabha Nic Fhionnghaile – fidil
– Lucia Nί Mhίocháin – fidil
– Sophie Nί Fhearraigh – fidil
– Thia Nί Fhearraigh – bosca ceoil
– Conor Ó Gallachóir – fliύit agus feadóg stáin
– Aoibhe Nί Ghallachóir – méarchlár
– Oisίn MacLabhrainn – drumaí

All group members are singing too.

Róisín Doherty

Róisín Doherty is a visual artist based in Galway, originally from Cruit Island in Northwest Donegal. She recently graduated with a Master’s degree in Creative Practice from ATU Galway. She has widely exhibited both nationally and internationally, being the only Irish Artist selected during COP26 to showcase her work in Transmission Gallery, Glasgow. She is a recipient of the Youth Arts Explorer grant from the National Youth Council of Ireland in 2023, working with young people to combine local environmental knowledge with art therapy. She was granted funding by the Heritage Council in March 2025 to undergo a project on tangible and intangible Island Heritage.

Róisín has a multidisciplinary approach to her practice combining drawing, painting, sound and photography along with found objects in her installations. Beach combing, sound recording and walking are essential to her work. She is interested in the connection and disconnection between people and nature. Through her work she delves into the loss of natural life that coincides with the end of traditional Island living. She immerses herself into the machair habitat on the Island, home to many species that are merely hanging on by thread. Roisin’s intricate and detailed work reflects the deep connection our ancestors once had with the environment.

Aengus Kennedy

Aengus Kennedy has worked in the area of environmental education for the last 16 years and is self-employed as owner of NatureNorthWest.

Aengus currently delivers contracts for An Taisce’s Green Schools program, is a member of the Heritage in Schools Scheme, delivers Leaving cert. river and ecology study programs, adult sustainability courses for the ETB and delivers biodiversity workshops for a number of county councils in Ireland. Aengus has lead dozens of guided walks for adult groups in a number of different habitats. He delivers department of education approved teacher training courses annually, makes nature films for a variety of agencies and has a regular nature slot on Highland radio, a local radio station in Donegal.

Julie Corry

Biodiversity Officer Donegal County CouncilJulie Corry is the Biodiversity Officer with Donegal County Council. The County Donegal Biodiversity Office was established in November 2023, part-funded by The Heritage Council through The Local Authority Biodiversity Officer Programme. The role covers many functions from supporting Council in delivering on it’s Biodiversity Duty, to leading the creation and implementation of a Donegal Biodiversity Action Plan. Julie has been busy in 2024securing and delivering funded projects that included biodiversity surveys, action for wildlife on the ground and importantly, community engagement and biodiversity awareness raising.

Robert Vaughan

Robert Vaughan is a Wildlife Illustrator and Artist based in Donegal. Since completing a Higher National Diploma in Illustration from Ballyfermot Institute of Further Education, he has worked on a wide range of projects from books, magazines, biodiversity maps and brochures, to commercial illustrations and logos, all with a focus on the natural world. He also works as an ecologist, studying some of our rarest birds such as Ring Ouzel.

Robert Vaughan Illustrations Website

Cornelius Browne (Plein Air)

Cornelius has a degree in Fine Art Painting from the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, and worked for almost a decade at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Cornelius has become a notable Irish Plein air painter. He has had several solo exhibitions of Donegal landscapes painted entirely outdoors, and he writes a regular Plein Air column for the Visual Artists’ Ireland.

Gráinne Mc Guinness, Creative Director, Paper Owl Films Ltd

An award winning creator of standout stories for young children that encourage them to see the world in different ways, Gráinne is Creative Director at Paper Owl Films, leading the development of ambitious content for international audiences.

Creator of ‘Pablo’ for CBeebies, Netflix, RTÉJr. and CAKE, she is currently show running spin off series, ‘Pablo: Next Level’, with BBC Children’s, CAKE and Crayola Studios.
Her collaboration with Myra Zepf ‘Lí Ban’ has just been green lit for TG4, S4C & Aardman Animations. This is Series Two of a Five Arc Celtic Anime style epic that follows Lí Ban’s quest through the celtic seas and the almost forgotten stories of our shared shores. Gráinne is also creator of Happy the Hoglet & Sol (TG4, CITV, Aardman) and Co Creator of ‘Ladybird & Bee’ ( RTÉ & Disney)

She is delighted to have the opportunity to work with Glenveagh National Park on their ‘Woodlands’ film for younger viewers which champions the work of the park on a 100 year strategy to restore native woodland habitats.

Paper Owl Films Ltd. Is a family run business creating content that matters for audiences all over the world. Founded in 2012 by Gráinne McGuinness, Stephen Petticrew and Gavin Halpin, we are a diverse team of storytellers, film makers, animators and creators across our animation and live action facility. The team brings an exciting mix of solid industry experience and fresh new talent to every project. We are passionate about creating content that makes a difference to wide and varied audiences.

Paper Owl Films Website

Crossing the Line

Based on Ireland’s west coast in county Mayo, Crossing the Line are leading international documentary producers making highly crafted films on subjects they are passionate about from the worlds of wildlife, science, sport and history. Cepa Giblin leads their Natural History output and has focused on bringing the best of Irish wildlife to the national and international screen for over 20 years. Company highlights include an Emmy award for the feature documentary ‘The Farthest’ on the Voyager space mission, RTS award winning arts documentary ‘A Note for Nature’ which combines musical performances and the natural world, ‘Wild Ireland – The Edge of World’ made for the BBC & PBS and winner of a Grierson Award and ‘The Eagles Return’ which followed the story of the reintroduction of Eagles to Ireland. Currently projects include a landmark series ‘Hell for Leather’ – on the story of Gaelic Football and ‘The Land that Breathes’ a three part series on the work of Wild Atlantic Nature LIFE IP project, which will feature Glenveagh National Park and surrounding communities.

Crossing the Line Films Website

Aoife Lynch

Laura McFadden

Laura McFadden is a Belfast-born cellist living in Donegal. Educated in Ireland and Scotland, Laura has an extensive and experienced playing career. She has toured extensively across Europe, including performances in England, France, Italy, Poland and Germany as well as the United States. Laura spent five years in Australia, where she performed with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra, The West Australian Philharmonic Orchestra and Fremantle Chamber Orchestra. She was also a regular performer with many Perth based event ensembles, playing for wedding and corporate events, whilst also performing alongside highly acclaimed artists including Olivia Newton-John, Tony Hedley, John Farnham and Diana Krall. Since returning to Ireland, Laura performs regularly with the Ulster Orchestra, Arco String Quartet and the Ulster Sting Quartet, while also recording for numerous local singer-songwriters including Malojian, the Wood Burning Savages, Ciara O’Neill, ROE, Sam Wickens, Mandy Bingham and Phil Kieran.

Laura McFadden Music Website

Victoria Toye

Victoria Toye has been teaching Yoga and Pilates for 12 years in county Donegal and has worked with a wide variety of groups, from postpartum mums and babies, CAMHS in patients, disabled adults, and the Donegal senior GAA team. She has hosted yoga retreats both in Ireland and abroad.

Victoria is the in-house yoga teacher for the Shandon hotel and leisure club, where she teaches weekly classes and summer yoga retreats. She teaches beach yoga at marble hill in summer, and has regular classes at Cara house in Letterkenny, and in Naomh Fionnan Falcarragh .

Victoria enjoys incorporating a variety of styles into her classes, from Yin yoga to Yogalates, vinyasa flow and more. She is able to offer mixed level classes that speak to both the beginner and the more experienced yog.

Maria McCormack

Maria McCormack is a singer/songwriter from Co. Donegal, Ireland. Maria has been songwriting since the age of sixteen. Maria released her debut album “I choose to love” in February 2019. The album received both national and international airplay and reached number 3 on the RTE radio One charts. The album features well-known musicians including Richie Buckley on saxophone, Declan McClafferty on guitars, Pat Crowley on piano, Peadar Coll on guitar, and it was recorded and produced by Billy Robinson and Pat Crowley in the Groove Shack recording studio in Ramelton, Co. Donegal. Maria releasesd her second album “Matters of the Heart” on September 2024

Sarah Lewtas

Born in London in 1953, Lewtas grew up in East Sussex and began her artistic journey in 1971, studying Fine Art Foundation at Eastbourne College of Art and Design. The following year, she moved to London, where she earned a BA in Painting from St. Martins in 1975. During this time, she lived in a communal squat in South London, an experience she credits with shaping her later commitment to self-sufficient living. The hands-on work of restoring old houses led to her eventual move to North West Donegal, where she transitioned her practice from painting to sculptural installation.

Over the years, Lewtas developed a deep interest in botanical illustration, often creating studies of native plants encountered during her travels in Ireland and abroad. In 2016, when she began making frequent trips back to Sussex to care for her mother, she pursued a diploma in botanical illustration with the Society of Botanical Artists. She completed the program in 2018 with credit.

Instagram @sarahlewtas

Sarah Lewtas Website

Maura Logue

Maura Logue is a former Primary School teacher & Creative Educator pioneer in design & delivery in NW. Maura also worked with Donegal Co Co as “A Community & Education officer,” and has designed and coordinated Carnival Ballyshannon, the largest community arts event in NW with over 300 participants & viewed by 3k as part of Donegal Co Co for 20 years. Maura is a seasoned storytelling and writes all her own material customed to clients needs and delivers in character. Maura has brought many arts engagements to Glenveagh, for many years, from Storytelling to actors in character re-creating atmosphere of 1800s and 1950s.

Seoidin O’Sullivan

Seoidín O’Sullivan is an artist, educator, and interdisciplinary researcher. Her collaborative art projects focus on bringing people together in collective action to protect and enhance their ecological commons. Through her artistic practice, she explores sustainable models within urban ecological contexts, addressing issues such as land use, lost knowledge, social justice, and biodiversity. O’Sullivan teaches first-year studio practice and specialises in Contemporary Art and Critical Ecologies at NCAD. She has received multiple Arts Council project and bursary awards and has been awarded several prestigious art residencies.

Conor McTeirnan

Dr Conor McTiernan (PhD) is a tourism and hospitality management lecturer in the Department of Tourism and Sport in Atlantic Technological University, Donegal. His teaching and research focus on sustainable tourism policy development, tourism networks, innovation, knowledge management and trust in tourism SMTE’s. He is knowledgeable on tourism network formation and facilitating knowledge transfer within network structures. An emerging theme of interest is the use of business modelling to mitigate against crisis and disruptions in the hospitality sector.

Conor is involved in EU projects such as work package co- leader on REMODEL, funded by Horizon Europe Widera Access, a capacity building project with partners in Bursa Uludag University, Türkiye and Universidad de Leon, Spain. His also the co-leader of ATU’s Tourism cluster (WP3) in EU Green, a pan-European project enabling peripheral and regionally located universities to become more sustainable.

Conor is a member the Irish Hospitality Institute, the First International Network of Trust and is the Chair of the Tourism committee for the Laurentic Forum.

Maura Keily

Maura is CEO of Leave No Trace Ireland, the outdoor ethics organisation that promotes greater awareness of responsible outdoor activities and the protection of outdoor spaces and our natural environment. Prior to joining Leave No Trace Ireland, Maura worked overseas for Enterprise Ireland within the Digital and Environmental sector supporting Irish high potential start-up companies to grow in Northern European markets. She also worked with Fáilte Ireland assisting in the development of Ireland’s first Coastal Blueway recreational trails. Maura has received awards for innovation at the ‘UCC Entrepreneur Awards’ as well by her volunteer efforts as “Volunteer Citizen of the Year” by the President of Ireland. Maura holds an Honours BSc in Science from University College Cork, and an MSc in Public Affairs and a BSc in Psychology. She is currently undertaking a part time PhD with the NUIG School of Natural Sciences on stakeholder engagement in conservation and outdoor recreation.

Donna McDade

Donna McDade is Enterprise Engagement Officer with Donegal ETB and works with all sectors and businesses throughout the county. DLETB has a long working relationship with farmers countywide in relation to development of digital skills. Last year we partnered with Síolta Chroí to deliver a 6 week course on an Introduction to Regenerative Agricultural. This was delivered in 3 separate areas countywide. Feedback from the farmers who participated, was to develop and to offer a course with an accreditation. Working closely with our Programme Developer, we identified the L3 City & Guilds in Countryside Management, and specifically the unit Undertaking Farm Habitat Management. DLETB was approved to deliver the certificate in October 2024. In February this year, we started the unit, with 13 participants from a number of sectors including farming. Based on the success of the first unit, we aim to offer the full cert in countryside management.

Cathal Ryan

Cathal Ryan is a PhD student in Geography at Maynooth University. He is a palaeoclimatologist with an interest in investigating the impacts of past climatic shifts on the terrestrial system. Currently he is examining the impact of longterm climate change on carbon storage in Irish blanket bogs. This investigation includes field-based examinations of multiple Irish blanket bogs and of their biological and non-biological proxies. The research aims to investigate the ability of blanket bogs to store carbon during periods of past climatic shifts. Cathal has previously done a masters in Geology at Lund University, where he investigated a loess-palaeosol sequence in North-eastern Serbia.

Emer Magee

John Duffy

Wild & Co is a soon-to-be-launched high protein snack based on a freely available but underused Irish natural resource – venison. Its creators are John Duffy and Laura McGoran who run a regenerative farming project in a beautiful but remote part of Donegal adjacent to the Glenveagh National Park.

Home Tree – Ray O’Foghlú

Ray is Hometree Development Lead at Hometree Charity. He works with the Leadership Team of the organisation to deliver broad range of agri-environmental, nature financing projects, and cultural projects. He is a woodland conservationist. His background is in Environmental Science, specializing in Forests and Water Quality. He worked for a decade with An Taisce, Ireland’s National Trust, on various environmental programs. He is a contemporary Nuffield Scholar, with the research topic “Acquiring Social License to return Trees to the Irish Landscape.” Last year, he co- authored “Under Summer pastures,” a book about Ireland’s remnant temperate rainforests. He has a regular feature in the Irish Farmers Journal talking about native trees and biodiversity.

Elaine Harrington

Elaine Harrington is an artist and creative facilitator based in Mayo. Her practice is transdisciplinary and encompasses material practice, site-specific installations, and socially engaged projects. Her work explores ecology of making in art and craft practices, using found, natural and waste materials to consider how we connect to our environment, and how communities evolve through shared activities & resource networks. Recent public art commissions include the Reimagining Enniscorthy public art & community decarbonisation project 2022-23 – a collaborative, place-based response to the climate crisis. Currently, she is project lead on the Wilderland public art and community ecology project 2023-25 in Mayo, supported by the Creative Climate Action Fund, an initiative from the Creative Ireland Programme.

Brendan Farren

Brendan Farren is originally from Newtownards, Co. Down, and now lives in Inishowen, Co. Donegal, with partner and 3 children on a small organic farm. He has been a self-employed artist since 1992. Since 2004 he has grown willow and other natural materials on his land, and uses these materials where possible in his sustainable creations.

Lorcan O’Toole

Lorcan O’Toole, works for the Golden Eagle Trust and is a birds of prey expert. He is a long standing member of the Glenveagh Community.

Ralph Sheppard

Ralph Sheppard is an ecologist living in Donegal, where he has been monitoring the birds since the 1950s. He has a B.A. (Natural Science) from Dublin University in 1968, and an M.Sc. (Ecology) from University of Wales in 1972. He was employed as a Lecturer in Ecology at Bristol Polytechnic 1970 -1978, and was an ecological consultant in Ireland from 1978 to retirement in 2010. He is the author of Ireland’s Wetland Wealth: the report of the Winter Wetlands Survey 1984/5 to 1986/7 (Irish Wildbird Conservancy), and has contributed chapters to Atlas of County Donegal, ed. Mac Laughlin and Beatty (Cork University Press) and The Natural History of Ulster, ed. Faulkner and Thompson (National Museums Northern Ireland). He was a Member of the Designated Areas Appeals Advisory Board 1999 – 2020. He has served on the councils of Irish Wildbird Conservancy and An Taisce, and was the first chair of Irish Wildbird Conservancy’s Donegal branch.

John D Ruddy

John D. Ruddy is an Irish writer, actor, teacher, illustrator and historian. He is the creator of Manny Man and the YouTube history series Manny Man Does History, including World War 1 in 6 Minutes, Irish History in 6 Minutes and Easter Rising in 8 Minutes. When not writing and illustrating history videos, John is usually treading the boards of the Irish stage as a professional actor, or in the classroom talking about history.

Eric Dempsey

Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh

Sean O’Gaoithin

Sean O Gaoithin, Head Gardener at Glenveagh since 1995. Educated at National Botanic Gardens Glasnevin, Chelsea Physic Garden London and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Passionate about native woodland and historic flower garden conservation.

Clare Bromley

Co-ordinating Le Chéile don Dúlra,  Clare oversees all aspects of learning, education and outdoor visitor event management in the park. Leading the team of Education Guides she works together to deliver training, resources and online content to raise awareness of nature conservation. Their work involves outreach engagement with teachers and community groups surrounding the SAC. Clare studied Youth and Children’s work in Ulster University, Environmental Studies with the Open University and more recently Project Management Leadership with UCD. Currently undertaking an MSc in Interpretation, she is researching the changing world of how nature is communicated. She also trained in the Peak District National Park and is an accredited Leave No Trace Trainer and Green Flag Award judge.

Glenveagh Education Team

Glenveagh Conservation Team