RTÉ is currently running a week-long season of programmes celebrating rural life in Ireland. The “Heart|Land” season includes several contributions by the “Ear to the Ground” team, who talk about their farming and science backgrounds.
Ella McSweeney
The 'Ear to the Ground' team: Ella McSweeney, Helen Carroll and Darragh McCullough
Ella is the newest member of the team. She took a degree in science in the Zoology Department at Trinity College Dublin, then after a year as a freelance broadcaster in Ireland she spent three years in BBC radio and television.
Back in RTÉ she was named Young Science Journalist of the Year in 2000 for a documentary she made on the human genome project.
She has gone on to present many science, farming and wildlife programmes, including “Future Tense”, “Nature’s Web”, “Farm Week” and “RTÉ’s Big Science Debate”.
She also made the marine series “Into the Deep” and the award-winning science series “Mind Matters”.
Ella keeps rare breed hens and pigs and grows fruit and vegetables in her garden in Dublin.
Darragh McCullough
Darragh is the show’s most full-time farmer, running a mixed farm in County Meath and operating a mobile farm unit for Agri-Aware, which helps promote awareness among children about farming and food.
Now in his eighth season on “Ear to the Ground”, Darragh also has a science background. He studied Agricultural Science in UCD and has a Masters in Development Studies.
Helen Carroll
Helen describes herself as a “journalist, broadcaster and novice beekeeper”. Among her family’s farming roots, her father was an agricultural adviser with Teagasc in Kilkenny, and she moved back there from Dublin’s East Wall 10 years ago.
She has worked extensively on RTE television and radio, and also used to present TV3’s sports news and its current affairs programme “20/20″ before joining the “Ear to the Ground” team.
Learn more
Find out more about the programmes in RTÉ’s Heart|Land season
Visit RTÉ’s Ear to the Ground website and the show’s Facebook page
Follow Helen Carroll and Ella McSweeney on Twitter @MsHelenCarroll and @EllaMcSweeney
