FFN Festival Speakers | 2026
About Donald
Dairy Farmer • BRIDE Project • FFN Ambassador
Donal Sheehan and his wife Ita are dairy farmers from the Bride Valley in Co. Cork. While operating a productive dairy system, Donal is deeply committed to making the farm more environmentally sustainable. Across the farm he has introduced a range of biodiversity measures including ponds, pollinator strips and wild bird cover, while reducing herbicide use and managing hedgerows to support wildlife.
The BRIDE Project & Pollinator Support
A beekeeper himself, Donal is particularly mindful of creating a farm landscape that benefits pollinators and other species. He is also a driving force behind the BRIDE Project (Biodiversity Regeneration in a Dairying Environment), an innovative farmer-led initiative that rewards farmers for measurable improvements in biodiversity across the River Bride catchment.
Community Engagement & Climate Action
Passionate about farmer involvement and education, Donal actively engages with local communities and schools, demonstrating how dairy farming can play a positive role in protecting nature, water quality and climate.
As a Farming for Nature Ambassador, Donal champions soil health, biological farming, and biodiversity, highlighting the link between good farming and good food.
See Donald at the Festival
Join Donal at the Farming for Nature Festival and hear his perspective on the connection between food, farming and biodiversity.
