#No.17Divided by Gold, Rooted in Place: Emma Conway on Family, Land and Belonging

In this conversation, Marella speaks with Emma Conway, founder of Sperrin Soul Forest School — a mother, educator, and member of an extended  local family whose differing views on the goldmine mirror the wider divisions playing out across this rural community While parts of Emma’s family have engaged with Dalradian, others, including Emma herself, have spoken out against the mine.  It’s a story that runs deep — of love and loyalty, of belonging and belief — and of what it means to keep connection alive when the land beneath you becomes contested. Together, they talk about  how extractive projects fracture communities, and why Emma continues to plant hope — quite literally — in the living soil of these hills and bogs This episode invites us to listen for the smaller quieter acts of resistance: nurturing children’s wonder, teaching care for the more-than-human world, and remembering that healing the land begins with how we treat one another. For the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we grow from — together we hold the line. #dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining  #DividedByGold #RootedInTheSperrins #StoriesFromTheHills  📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story  LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW  Sperrin Soul Forest School  [email protected] linktr.ee/sperrinsoul instagram sperrinsoul_forestschool  https://irishforestschoolassociation.ie/   SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media)  https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins    LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES  http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/ Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction.   https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169 Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block. This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this   LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine )     https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about   https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc