Out of the River and the Fields is a journey deep into the dark heart of the Irish countryside in the company of men with an extraordinary affinity to local wildlife – members of a wider family who, for generations, poached trout, by various means, and who now lamp foxes for local farmers in lambing season. The piece is structured as a story in which the narrator chances upon one of the men, asks to record their conversation, and is then drawn into their nocturnal, peripheral world, where trout are snared and otherwise poached, foxes lamped, peregrine falcons admired and every living creature discussed in the rich local idiom. Not an interview-driven piece, this documentary is recorded and sculpted as a real-time audio experience in which conversation, among other things, simply happens.

CREDITS: Out of the River and the Fields was written, recorded, produced and edited by Éamon Little. Sound mixing was by Alan Kelly. Funded via the Sound & Vision Scheme, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.

ABOUT THE PRODUCERS: Éamon Little is a film-maker, screenwriter, radio documentary maker and sound recordist, who lives in Co. Galway with his wife and two children. He is currently adapting for screen John McGahern’s last novel, That They May Face the Rising Sun, for director Pat Collins, and developing his own international film documentary on the amazing story of the violin bow. His next radio piece will be on the Owenduff river in west Mayo.

Content flag: The programme contains content which some listeners may find disturbing. No animals were harmed in the making of this programme.