Cork activist says a 'radical shift' is needed in how we live to protect the environment 

Niamh Guiry was an undergraduate UCC Microbiology student when she decided, on a whim, to the university’s Environmental Society.

This seemingly small act had a huge bearing on her future.

“It felt like such a small decision at the time, but it really impacted the direction of my life.”

Currently a UCC PhD law student with a project exploring international law and the Sustainable Development Goals, an assistant lecturer, and founder of the Nature Forum, Niamh has found her calling and has developed considerably, both personally and professionally, since she began her green journey.

The UCC Environmental Society was her catalyst for change, and through it, her academic path went in a wholly unexpected direction.

“I ed the Environmental Society, and I just got hooked and really, really enjoyed helping to run events. I learned so much from talking to people at those events and the other committee .

“Then, I was chairperson in my final year and realised I was enjoying my extracurricular environmental stuff a bit more than my actual degree. So that’s when I decided to look at different masters courses to see environmentally what was out there, and the environmental law programme in UCC really stuck out.”

Despite her clearly hectic schedule juggling the roles of both scholar and teacher at the highest academic level, she still gives her time to the groups that fuelled her interest and activism.

“I came to environmental law through these kinds of activist student groups, and I’ve kind of stuck with it as much as I can during the PhD, even though it is quite time-consuming.”

Over two years ago, she founded the Nature Forum.

This came about as a result of the Bishop Lucey Park developments.

“I seeing it on the news and being frustrated and wondering,’ What can we do about this?’ So I got in touch with Bernie (Connolly, Development Coordinator of the Cork Environmental Forum), and that’s how the forum came together.

“We did a public event asking local people to come together and tell us their concerns and come up with some ideas of where we could go next, and this is how our Nature Forum was formed.

“People who came to the event suggested some local group or some coalition that could keep an eye on local developments, environmentally speaking... We would make submissions and make sure that we’re on top of these things. So that’s where it came from.

“And then we’ve been meeting pretty much every month since then. It’s a very informal structure. There’s no kind of hierarchy within it. It’s people coming together each month who are working on environmental and biodiversity issues in Cork city, mostly. So we have some councillors, we have some Cork City biodiversity officers, people from local environmental groups like Bernie, and people from UCC.”

The Forum opened Niamh’s eyes to the importance and value of these gatherings, by bringing like-minded people together. It opened the doors to build meaningful connections and symbiotic benefits.

“One of the strengths of the forum that I didn’t foresee was that it’s actually just bringing people together... I think that’s one of the most valuable things that’s come out of the forum for the different people that are working and come to our meetings, just having that space to connect and to communicate and share information.”

She has also been active with the environmental group, Not Here, Not Anywhere.

With a wisdom that belies her youth, she realised she could not juggle everything this year, and for now, has stepped back, but with a view to continuing when time allows.

This scholar enjoys the benefits that the balance of academia and activism brings, conferring benefits in both domains and providing her with a continued ability to learn, share, and make a difference at this crucial juncture for our planet.

“Post-PhD, I’m not sure. I’m definitely open to academia, but my roots of coming to environmental law was through those environmental groups and I think I’d be open to more advocacy and policy stuff, too,” she muses. 

“But even if I did do an academic career or career path, I think I definitely have to stick with doing some kind of community engagement or environmental activism stuff as well, because I find even now, the work with the Nature Forum, the work that I did with Not Here, Not Anywhere, that the insights that you gain from those groups really feeds into my research and my understanding of environmental law, and then visa versa, the studying and the research all helps to inform the activities within those environmental groups as well.”

Niamh may have fallen into her career path on a whim, but her ion and commitment to making a difference is clearly a choice she makes every day.

Through her activism, she helps protect the natural spaces we all enjoy and is a proud advocate for Cork’s thriving green scene.

She encourages others to consider getting involved.

“We’re very lucky to have such a strong environmental movement in Cork, and I think whatever your interests are, there’s always going to be something that you can get involved in.

“People might be a bit put off getting involved because they didn’t have much environmental knowledge, but I mean, I came to the environmental group with pretty much no knowledge at all, and no-one would expect you to know everything or have all of the answers, it’s very much just about learning and coming with an open mind.”

Years ago, she was chastised for her quietness in school. Today, she is unapologetically and authentically herself, a naturally quiet person.

One of many benefits of her experiences is the realisation that it isn’t just the extroverted who can lead. Her journey is one many introverts will relate to.

“I think ing the environmental groups [I] really gained a lot of experience and confidence and for myself, like public speaking and being able to go to different places and give talks or share my opinion in meetings and all that stuff.

“I’m still quiet, and I’m never going to stop being that because it’s how I am, but realising that it’s not just one type of person that can put themselves out there and have these leadership positions or give talks and all that stuff, like, it’s very much open to anyone.

“Putting yourself out there at the beginning can be very scary, but I think it’s always very rewarding.”

Like many other environmentalists, Niamh wants to see the application of climate change solutions, and is acutely aware of how the current system has stakeholders opposed to these changes.

“When I first started in environmental groups, I think I was almost confused as to why we weren’t taking climate action because we have the solutions and I was wondering why aren’t we actually implementing them? And I think the more that I learn about, say, international law or these environmental challenges that we’re facing, I realise that there’s very complex dynamics at play in of power, in of politics, and I think there’s a lot of things that we don’t see.

“We have the solutions to the climate crisis, to biodiversity loss, and obviously, they’re not easy, but we can take action if we want to. But I think that’s maybe something to think about, is that not everybody really wants to and it really does often boil down to political will and political proactiveness and interest.”

She sees a system that is overdue a change.

“What it boils down to is this: we do need such a radical shift in our entire society and in how we live and how we work, our communities. It’s very complicated, and it’s also not going to be easy for everyone… it really is the system overall, this really unsustainable and inactive system that we have built. And when it comes to systems change, it can feel huge and almost maybe difficult to believe that these embedded systems could ever change, but I mean, we’ve made these systems, we can also recreate them.”

As a young student, Niamh had the courage to reimagine her entire future after ing her local environmental society. Today, she continues to reimagine a better future for us all.

“One of the strengths of the forum that I didn’t foresee was that it’s actually just bringing people together,” she said.

It felt like such a small decision, but it really impacted the direction of my life.