Groundswell

It was a real honour to work with Johnny Gogan and his team on this film. We revisited the recordings of my song ‘Fractured’ ( my own response to Fracking) and found some great sounds from the masterful steel playing of Rick Nelson and the beautiful minimal guitar of ‘Lost Brother’ Mark Mc Causland. Also onboard was the amazing Tara Baoth Mooney and Zeenie Summers.

We recorded some of the music in the magical Rainbow Ballroom in Glenfarne.

Filmed in the Irish border counties and in Pennsylvania, Groundswell details the plans of oil and gas company Tamboran to establish a major gas field in Leitrim and Fermanagh in 2011. The film follows the establishment of an inspiring anti-fracking campaign in these counties which spread nationally and internationally, leading to the passing of a seminal law in the Dáil banning fracking in 2017. 

With over forty contributions from participants on both sides of the Atlantic including actor Mark Ruffalo, Sandra Steingraber, Eddie Mitchell, Dianne Little and Nuala McNulty, Groundswell is a very affirmative story about the power of community and creativity.