Project Manager

Caroline Lalor is an ecologist with a strong interest and professional experience in Peatland Ecology. As part of her MSc Caroline studied peatlands in the Netherlands and Finland. Caroline worked from 2003-2006 as Conservation Officer with the Irish Peatland Conservation Council and has worked as a freelance Ecological Consultant from 2008-2021. Based in Offaly, she has contributed to a variety of projects including habitat mapping projects, NPWS Monitoring Surveys, ecological surveys for existing and proposed Wind Farms and educational projects. Caroline was project lead on the UCC Pilot Biodiversity Survey 2014-2018 and she developed the first UCC Biodiversity Action Plan. She also worked with University College Cork as co-ordinator and lecturer on the Field Ecology Diploma course from 2011-2017.

Email: caroline@farmpeat.ie

Project Officer

Raised on a dairy farm outside Moate, Co. Westmeath, Laura actively works alongside her father on the family farm. Laura studied Agricultural Science at UCD, specialising in Animal and Crop Production. During this time, gained invaluable experience working on a dairy farm with 2250 cows on her Professional Work Placement in New Zealand. Laura also undertook a research Masters in Agricultural Innovation and Support with UCD and Teagasc. Coinciding with the Agricultural Catchments Programme, her research focused on using catch crops to mitigate nitrate leaching anp imrove water quality in the Castledockrell Catchment in Wexford. During her research, Laura worked in an advisory office, supporting farmers with scheme applications and training. Before stepping into her role as Project Officer Laura was a module coordinator and lecturer in Gurteen College, working closely with the future generation of farmers.

Email: laura@farmpeat.ie

Umeras Local FarmPEAT Officer

Bernie farms 48 acres outside Monasterevin, Co Kildare. Having obtained a City & Guilds qualification in computer programming, he worked on the redevelopment of Kildangan Stud from 1985–89, all the time helping out on the family farm. When his dad retired from farming in 1992, Bernie took over the reins and milked a small dairy herd until 1995. He has since changed farming systems several times until settling on fattening store lambs and hay production. In addition to farming, he has helped the late Dr Anne Behan to prepare Environmental Impact Studies. In the community, he has been a committee member of Ellistown GFC, a parent representative on Lackagh National School’s Green Schools Committee, and as a community representative on the School’s Board of Management. He is currently a member of Umeras Community Development, who are working to turn Umeras Bog into a local amenity and a Blueway Tourist attraction. Bernie is working part-time as a local FarmPEAT Officer to help implement he project in Umeras.

Email: bernie@farmpeat.ie

Public Liaison Officer

Katie is passionate about using systems thinking to tackle social and environmental issues. She studied Environmental Science at Trinity College Dublin and holds an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management from the University of Oxford. During her undergraduate degree, Katie managed student-led environmental groups, monitored plant-pollinator interactions as an intern at Intel Ireland, and launched a nature programme while working at Patagonia Dublin. Since completing her MSc research on farm forestry, Katie has been co-ordinating campaigns with Hedgerows Ireland, delivering sustainability workshops with the Rediscovery Centre, and organising community projects with her local biodiversity group. She also regularly joins other environmental volunteering days and was an An Taisce Climate Ambassador in 2018.

Email: katie@farmpeat.ie

Ecologist and GIS Support

Mary Catherine has been working with Wetland Surveys Ireland as an ecologist since 2017. From 2013-2016 she carried out her PhD research on the impacts of an invasive barnacle species on native species and ecosystems. Since joining Wetland Surveys Ireland, Mary Catherine has worked on a variety of projects across different sectors including nature conservation, water infrastructure, renewable energy, and agri-environmental. Mary Catherine has extensive experience in communicating to both academic and general audiences and has been involved in education and outreach on a number of projects. Mary Catherine has been a key member of the Pearl Mussel Project EIP, acting as Office Manager with key responsibilities surrounding data management and GIS. During 2020, on account of the work completed by Mary Catherine on the Pearl Mussel Project, Wetland Surveys Ireland were nominated for an ESRI award in the category of data management.

Email: mc@wetlandsurveysireland.com

Admin Support

Lesley is originally from Dublin, living in Kenmare for the last ten years. Lesley has several years of experience in Office Administration and Bookkeeping. Lesley has worked within various industries (Insurance, Retail, Printing, Advertising (South Kerry Advertiser) Health Care and Law). Lesley now works with Wetland Surveys Ireland as an administrator on a number of projects, including FarmPEAT. For FarmPEAT she provides invaluable financial administration support and corresponds with the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and the Marine in all matters to do with the financial running of the project.

Project Director

Patrick is a Chartered Ecologist, with over 20 years experience working in the areas of nature conservation and ecological assessment. He has managed a large number of projects of varying scale and complexity. Based in his native Kenmare, County Kerry, he has been involved in environmental assessments across a wide range of sectors including; agri-environmental schemes, national infrastructure projects, renewable energy, tourism, and nature conservation projects from a local to national level. Patrick has been working as Project Manager of the Pearl Mussel Project, a large-scale results-based EIP in the west of Ireland, since 2018.

Email: patrick@farmpeat.ie

Admin Support

Mary Keyes Cornally has been the Training-coordinator & administrator at Irish Rural Link since 2015, she is the co-ordinator of the Getting Citizens Online Programme, IT Skills for Farmers programme & numerous European projects. Mary oversees the IRL team operations from daily functions to tendering for and organising seminars, public consultations, conferences, membership management, website and IRL publications.

Email: mary@farmpeat.ie

Past Project Officer

Emma Byrne was the Project Officer on the FarmPEAT Project. Emma began working on a dairy farm at a young age and she has had a passion for agriculture ever since. During her undergraduate degree in NUIG, Emma studied zoology, botany and agricultural science. She also spent time volunteering in Thailand on a wildlife conservation project. After completing her undergraduate degree, Emma spent a year in the UAE working as a biology teacher. Emma then came home and completed a six month research internship with Teagasc as part of her Masters in Agribioscience. As part of this internship, Emma studied The Burren Programme and other EIPs in Ireland and conducted research into how they benefit our biodiversity and water quality. Emma and her team also won the Galway Climathon in 2018, which focused on tackling current environmental issues. Before her role with the FarmPEAT Project, she worked in MSD where she was the team leader on two projects.

Past Public Liaison Officer

Paddy grew up on a beef farm in Co. Kilkenny and has always been interested in rural life and the environment and currently works for Irish Rural Link. Paddy qualified as a Landscape Architect from UCD and his thesis, regarding hedgerow retention on the thresholds of rural towns, linked his interests with that of the Irish Rural Link. His main role within IRL is to work as part of the FarmPEAT Project Team. Prior to joining IRL, Paddy worked with South Dublin County Council with the Public Realms section. Paddy has always been community focused and has a lot of experience working with charities, namely, the local homecare team and Chernobyl Aid Ireland, which saw him work in an orphanage in Belarus for many years. Paddy is also an elected council member of the Irish Landscape Institute for the past 3 years where he has been a part of the discussion on what current issues affect the profession and the environment on a national scale. He has extensive experience in stone masonry, construction, and engineering with a keen interest in designing with the environment.

Past Support Project Officer

Alena Kunkel was a Support Project Officer on the FarmPEAT Project. She has a strong interest in social issues surrounding farming such as workforce retention and the societal relationship to food production. Alena holds an M. A. in Sociology from the Johannes Gutenberg-University in Germany. After her studies she was working as part of an interdisciplinary research team leading a project funded by the German Research Association. Her main focus was on science communication and how academic data from different fields can be effectively communicated and implemented in various community programmes. Alena has further experience in teaching and journalistic work.

Since moving to Ireland Alena has trained and worked for many years as a tour guide with a strong focus on Ireland’s natural heritage. She has further worked as a volunteer with the Inishowen Rivers Trust and was involved in various actions including invasive species control, river bank repairs, and tree planting as part of riparian zones restoration.

In 2022 Alena trained in Nature Animation and Conservation with the NPWS. As part of the training, she worked at Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal. Alena is also a qualified Leave no Trace trainer with a strong interest in sustainable recreation and outdoor education. Alena’s passion is connecting communities to the places they live in.