About the programme
Local adventurer Michael McGarrigle’s travels take him closer to home
in a new series for BBC Northern Ireland, Around Ireland in 80 Days, beginning
on Wednesday, May 13 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.45pm.
After 1080 days travelling around the world, his mission this time is
to bring the rest of Ireland to Northern Ireland. Around Ireland in 80
Days begins on Wednesday, May 13 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.45pm
Once again, the series is presenter-led and presenter-shot, bringing Michael’s
unique take on the world to viewers as in Around the World in 1080 Days
the audience will feel they are on the road with Michael.
As he makes his way from county to county Michael unearths people, places
and attitudes in a film filled with good humour.
Michael sums his journey up in one sentence: “Six thousand three hundred
miles, over 2,000 puffins, 80 days, 43 beds, five old things - two pairs
of trousers, two pairs of socks and one pair of hiking boots, all worn
out, 3.5kg of body fat, two Garda’ cautions at Dublin airport and Portlaoise
prison and an unconfirmed partridge in a pear tree due to consumption
of an unspecified number of pints.”
The adventurer starts his journey on the border between Newry and Dundalk,
making his way eventually to the island’s most northerly county, Donegal.
There is no script, no game plan other than to travel places most of us
here in Northern Ireland have never been and to meet people Michael has
never met before.
In the first programme Michael heads due south from Dundalk Bay to Mellifont
Abbey and then makes his way over land to counties Monaghan, Cavan and
Leitrim. In Monaghan he pays a visit to the Tyrone Guthrie Centre at Annamakerrig
before heading off to Cavan for some riding lessons. He has to visit Ballyjamesduff
for obvious reasons. Then it’s on to Leitrim, to find out way it’s Ireland’s
least densely populated county. Michael finishes his time in Leitrim on
a 48 kilometre hike from Manorhamilton to Drumshambo. Who knows what or
who he’ll meet in the Leitrim Hills?
The second programme sees Michael in Roscommon visiting Ballaghaderreen
and Derreenavoggy for no other reason than their spelling. In Derreenavoggy
he goes mining in the only county in Connacht without a shoreline. From
Roscommon it’s on to Longford, then Mullingar, the county capital of Westmeath.
Passing through Kinnegad, on the border between Westmeath and Meath, Michael
makes his way to the ancient capital of Ireland – Navan, and is accompanied
by a local guide on a trip to the royal sites of Tara and New Grange.
He cannot leave Meath without a visit by boat up the Boyne Valley. From
Meath it’s onward through the landlocked counties of Offaly and Kildare
on Michael’circuitous route to county Dublin.
Programme three sees Michael in County Dublin where he finds a third of
the population of the island living cheek by jowl in satellite towns around
the capital city, and a new middle class accent emerging along the DART
line. This is the heartland of the Celtic Tiger, which Michael may find
hard to take. In any event he’ll bite his lower lip because he wants a
go on the Luas, Dublin’s new light rail system. After a visit to Dublin’s
financial centre and Templebar area, Michael’s off to the Wicklow Hills,
Glendalough and a forced march along the Wicklow Way. Michael’s next stop
is county Wexford, known by many Northerners only for the port of Rosslare.
Michael’s taken on a guided tour of Wexford town in programme four before
a night at the races in Enniscorthy. From Enniscorthy it’s north to Carlow,
Michael’s 14th county. By now it’s day 41. He overnights in Castle Durrow,
County Laois, then it’s onwards to Kilkenny, Ireland’s smallest city and,
until the 12th century, the capital of the country. Nowadays it’s better
known as the home to the St. Francis Abbey Brewery and the country’s top
hurling academy – St. Kieran’s College. From Kilkenny it’s off to Tipp
where the first action of the Irish Civil War took place in 1921. It’s
a county with a split personality. It has two county capitals – Nenagh
to the north and Clonmel to the south. Are they separated by mere miles
or mentalities? Michael intends probing.
By programme five viewers next find Michael in the Comeragh Mountains
of County Waterford on his way to Lismore Castle for an encounter with
its owner, the Duke of Devonshire. Michael’s now in “the Decies” with
its own gaeltacht, two mountain ranges, rivers, lakes, 30 beaches and
a history dating back to megalithic times. Now on his 19th county Michael
pulls in to Cobh, County Cork, the spot from which the last 123 passengers
were ferried to the Belfast-born and ill-fated Titanic. From Cobh it’s
on to Cork city, Mallow, Macroom, Bantry and Mizen Head. Here Michael
does a U-turn and heads north to the Kingdom of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula
from where he travels by boat to the monastic site of Skellig Michael.
Then it’s on to the Ring of Kerry. Next stop the River Shannon on the
County Limerick side. It’s day 65. Today he will travel from Foynes to
Glin Castle where he will meet the Knight of Glin and his wife Madam Fitzgerald.
These people know a thing or two about the rebellious Irish.
The sixth and final programme in Michael’s Irish odyssey finds him in
Limerick city. He makes his way to Kilrush which is coming down with musicians.
Then he’s off to the county market town of Ennis. Its O’Connell Street
is ranked one of the 60 best public spaces in the world alongside Las
Ramblas, Spain and Covent Garden, London. From Ennis it’s along the Atlantic
coast road to Galway, county number 23, on his way to the Aran Islands.
From Aran Michael heads to the Lakes of Connemara. From Lough Corrib it’s
onward to County Mayo and an ascent of Croagh Patrick – not for religious
reasons, just for the view. From the summit he can see Clare Island on
the edge of Clew Bay, his next destination. From Clare Island Michael
travels along the coast to Killala Bay on the border between Mayo and
Sligo on his way to Lough Gill. This is Yeats’ country and Michael’s stay
will be in 18th century Georgian accommodation. From Sligo town it’s on
to Mullaghmore towards the last county of the grand tour – County Donegal.
Michael’s journey will take him around the coast from Ballyshannon to
Lough Swilly with a stop-over in Glencolmcille. On day 80 he will cross
the unmarked border between County Donegal and County Derry and so ends
Michael’s whirlwind tour of the Republic. What does he make of the experience?
The series was written and produced by Michael McGowan and presented
and filmed by Michael McGarrigle. Around Ireland in 80 Days is an Imagine
Media Production for BBC Northern Ireland and begins on Wednesday, May
13 on BBC One Northern Ireland at 10.45pm.