Spotlight on the islands in Ardal O'Hanlon's new TV doc
A puffin on Skellig Michael, Star Wars film location.
The inhabited islands off the Irish coast, where farming and tourism are the main economic activities, are well used to the vagaries of the Irish weather from storms and rain to mild winters and a temperate climate.
They are far removed from sun-drenched Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, where the BBC filmed the tropical murder mystery series .
But nine of Ireland’s offshore islands are about to be linked in , a series which begins on TG4 next Wednesday, January 10, at 9.30pm.
Ardal O’Hanlon, the actor, comedian, writer, provides the link between the crime drama set in the mythical Saint-Marie, and the real-life stories of people who live and work on the islands off the coast of Ireland.
He is the narrator of the Irish language series, which focuses on the history, wildlife, and hopes of the islanders as they try to live sustainably within an extraordinary and diverse environment that is very different to the tropical backdrop of .
The versatile actor also played the hapless, Father Dougal McGuire in the classic Channel 4 sitcom, , which was set in the fictional Craggy Island off the west coast of Ireland.
, however, is real island life, which O’Hanlon explores as he travels from the Antrim coast to Cape Clear in south-west Cork.
The first episode focuses on Rathlin, famous for its countless seabirds and, unique to the island, the golden hare.
Here, Ardal learns how an astonishing archaeological find has rewritten Irish history, and he tastes some noodles made from kelp, sustainably farmed.
Ardal next heads to Arranmore, also off Donegal, where he learns how the people are encouraging new residents, while on a beautiful, small islet the threatened little tern has found a welcome sanctuary.
In the second episode, the actor continues down the west coast to the Aran islands, where he meets a practicing monk of ancient Christian heritage while, all around, a remarkable range of flora blooms, encouraged by traditional farming methods.
Heading south, he visits the abandoned Great Blasket Island, off the Kerry coast, where author Peig Sayers once lived and is now home to a thriving seal colony and two young caretakers.
On Valentia, he is shown fossilised evidence of early life emerging from the sea. Along the island’s coast, Ireland’s only vermouth producers forage for ingredients, while in the surrounding waters oyster conservationists are hard at work.
The episode ends with a visit to spectacular Skellig Michael, a UNESCO world heritage site made internationally famous in . With Luke Skywalker long gone, the island is home to numerous puffins and the world’s most dramatic ancient monastery.
In the final episode, Ardal is in the far south, off the Cork coast, where he discovers beautiful Garnish Island in Glengarriff Bay.
Warmed by the Gulf Stream, it has lush gardens and is also a breeding ground for the rare and majestic white-tailed eagle.
By kayak, he sees its thriving seal colony, before heading further south to Sherkin Island, where he’s at sea once more, being introduced to a playful pod of dolphins.
A local historian tells of the island’s piratical past, and a resident artist explains why the island has become a painters’ paradise.
A short hop takes Ardal to Cape Clear, Ireland’s southernmost island, where he’s taken on a tour in one of the island’s electric buses.
He meets the island’s resident ornithologist, who explains the huge importance of the island for migratory birds and visits a gin distillery that uses foraged kelp.
A climactic clifftop view, out across the Atlantic, marks the end to his journey.
“It was remarkable for me to witness the extraordinary diversity of our islands and to meet such a range of astonishing people.
“As an Irishman, I'd obviously heard of a lot of these places, but I was quite taken aback by visiting and seeing for myself. I was genuinely moved. We have some of the most breathtaking scenery and wonderful nature.
“There's truly nowhere like an island, and I now know there's no island like an Irish island. We need to cherish these places. And I'm especially proud of doing the whole thing in Irish. It just seemed so fitting,” he said.
is a One Tribe and Boulder Creek International production for TG4, BBC NI and SBS, with additional funding from Tourism Ireland.
It is also Ardal O’Hanlon’s first Irish-language show. His mother, Teresa, is a native Irish speaker and, in the series, he fulfils a longstanding ambition to practise and improve his Irish and promote its use to a wider public.
