Ear to the Ground goes divining for water in Mayo

A WATER diviner from Mayo will feature in this week's episode of Ear to the Ground, on RTÉ One on Thursday, February 1, at 7 p.m.

In his early twenties, Paddy Murphy discovered his innate talent for locating water deep underground. Today, a significant portion of his time is dedicated to traversing the north-west region, assisting individuals in finding water sources.

Presenter Darragh McCullough recently accompanied Paddy during a day spent in Mayo. Their mission was to divine water on a farmer's land, as the farmer aimed to drill a well.

Faced with an anxious farmer and contractors poised to commence drilling, both Darragh and Paddy felt the pressure to identify a robust water source capable of sustaining the farm in the long term.

Also on the programme, what does renewable energy and bitcoin have in common you might ask? The answer is Armagh farmer Tom Campbell.

Nine years ago Tom decided to leave generations of beef farming behind and instead focus on building a renewable energy business on his farm. He chose Anaerobic Digestion. His AD plant not only supplies electricity to around 400 homes in Northern Ireland but also powers what he hopes will be another profitable venture - mining for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin.

Elsewhere, a major downside of country living is the anxious wait between calling an ambulance and waiting for it to arrive. This is where ordinary citizens known as Community First Responders step in and bridge that gap.

Their swift life-saving actions can be vital when it comes to a person's chance of surviving a heart attack.

Meave spends a day training with beef farmer Mike Flahive and his fellow first responders in the remote but beautiful parish of Beale in north Kerry.