Irish Film Institute -International Film Directory – Film Listing

Birdsong

    • Director

      Kathleen Harris

    • Credits

      Producer:
      Ross Whitaker

    • Principal Cast

      Seán Ronayne,
      Alba Novell Capdevila

  • Category

    Documentary

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.

Notes by Sunniva O'Flynn

Awards:
Best Story award, European Wildlife Film Awards, Hamburg, 2025

52 minutes, Ireland, 2024, Colour


The IFI is supported
by The Arts Council

Arts Council of Ireland