Stranger Than We Thought | The Lyric Feature

This weeks Lyric Feature is -Black Syren, which tells the largely forgotten story of Rachel Baptist, a Black Irish soprano, who predominantly appeared in Irish "pleasure gardens” in the 1750s and 1760s performing arias by Handel and Arne among others.The feature is presented by journalist Saibh Downes.

Ireland has white tailed sea eagles as well as golden eagles, both having been recently reintroduced. In this episode Anja Murray and Brían Mac Gloinn travel to Garinish Island in west Cork and also hear from National Parks and Wildlife Service Ranger Clare Heardman about the nesting and breeding habits of these wonderful birds.

Skylark is a charismatic bird of open ground and the uplands, widely celebrated for their impressive singing ability. In this episode, ecologist Anja Murray and musician Brían Mac Gloinnbegin with the Skylarks’ fame in poetry, with poet Martin Dyar.

Lapwings are any of various ground-nesting birds akin to plovers and dotterels. They range from 10 to 16 inches in length, and are noted for their slow, irregular wingbeats in flight and a shrill, wailing cry.

Jays are colourful, vocal, and highly intelligent woodland birds. In this episode ecologist Anja Murray and musician Brían Mac Gloinn meet ornithologist Seán Ronayne in an autumn woodland to listen to stories these birds’ incredible capacity for mimicr

Feather and Flock delves in to the ways of six iconic native Irish birds. Each episode combines ecology, folklore and history to uncover the incredible lives and journeys of these wild creatures. We begin with the Cuckoo.

Poet Annemarie Ní Churreáin goes back to the Donegal Gaeltacht, where she grew up, and explores the folklore and history, landscape, language and personal experiences that all influenced her poetry.

A collection of four short radio features from artists in various disciplines taking the poems of Patrick Kavanagh as a jumping off point for their own new works. Incl' Annemarie Ní Churreáin, The Sons of Southern Ulster, Scott McKendry & Ceol Connected. Made possible through the support of Monaghan CC & Creative Monaghan.

The legacy of avant-garde art practice in 20th century Ireland is often considered a blank space. Yet the work of a remarkable archive is proving this to be a memory lapse.

Pianist Guy Livingston takes us on his quest for silence in music, from medieval chant to the future sounds of a trip to Mars. Presenter : Guy Livingston