CLONAKILTY’S growing flax community will feature in an upcoming episode of RTÉ Nationwide.  TV presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh focused on the town as part of a two-part programme, which also saw the crew filming around Fernhill House Hotel for the first part.

Kathy Kirwan, who organised a comprehensive flax workshop in March, said the RTÉ team decided to interview the Flax Lín community after hearing about the planting of flax at the well-known hotel, celebrating its 200th anniversary this year.

‘Bláthnaid was really interested in the heritage of flax in the area and the Threads of Time link,’ said Kathy who has been organising talks, workshops and exhibitions under the title Threads of Time.

‘The whole experience was very exciting and we got the message across about the heritage and social history of flax, and about the work that’s been going on before. It was really lovely and a great validation for the voluntary work people are doing to remember the history and to promote the future of flax.’

The camera team also captured farmer Michael Coughlan using a vintage seed fiddle to plant flax seeds at Bennet’s Mill Field, Clonakilty.

‘It will be another few weeks before the flowers start to appear,’ said Kathy. ‘It’s quite a sensuous plant. The first thing people tend to do is bring it up to their nose to get the smell and sense of it.’

Claire Deasy from NPWS was also interviewed as part of the Nationwide episode. In addition to the RTÉ filming, the Flax Lín community continue to work on an interactive project with Wombat Media to mark 200 years since the decline of the flax and linen industry in West Cork.

Wombat Media filmed farmer Michael Coughlan and Mark Doherty from Geata Arts who organise Clonakilty’s Samhain Parade, moving in unison and spreading flax seeds on the one-acre site at a local farm, which once played a role in the flax industry. Nan Dineen from Ballinascarthy will share her memories of working at a flax retting pond, while Greta Moloney will talk about life at her home at Moloney’s Mill in Conanagh.  You can see the Nationwide programme featuring Clonakilty’s flax growers on RTÉ 1 on Monday (July 20th) at 7pm, and on RTÉ Player.