Ornithologist Seán Ronayne from Cobh, Co. Cork is on a mission to record the sound of every bird species in Ireland – that’s nearly 200 birds. Often joined by his partner Alba, he travels to some of the country’s most beautiful and remote locations to capture its most elusive species and soundscapes: the busy seabird colony of Skellig Michael; a native woodland free from road noise in the Burren; the corncrake stronghold of Tory Island; a solitary nest in the Donegal uplands. Along the way we get to know Seán, whose hypersensitivity to sound has proven both a struggle and a strength. At once inspiring and cautionary, Seán’s journey illustrates the beauty and importance of sound, and what listening can tell us about the state of our natural world.

The 18:30 screening will be followed by a Q&A with director Kathleen Harris and the documentary’s subjects, Seán Ronayne and Alba Novell Capdevila, hosted by ecologist and broadcaster Anja Murray.

The 20:30 screening will be preceded by an introductory conversation with Kathleen Harris and Seán Ronayne.

Notes by Sunniva O’Flynn