Treks and trails: why Ireland's hills need help

Treks and trails: why Ireland's hills need help

From Behind the Story by RTÉ News

May 4, 2026 · 32 min

About this episode

Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty discusses the poor condition of Ireland's uplands and shares hiking recommendations.

Many people enjoy trekking hills and mountains on bank holiday weekends but the majority of the country's uplands are in very poor state. A recent report revealed that 90% of our protected habitats are in an 'unfavourable' condition.  Ecologist Pádraic Fogarty joins Fran for a conversation about what can be done to improve nature on the country's hillsides and he shares his favourite spots in the country for a hike.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Fran

Guest: Pádraic Fogarty

Topics covered

  • environment
  • ecology
  • hiking
  • conservation
  • uplands
  • nature

Keywords

  • Ireland
  • hiking
  • ecology
  • uplands
  • nature conservation
  • Pádraic Fogarty
  • bank holiday

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: RTÉ News

Places: Ireland

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