“We need to cherish these places” – That’s the message from actor and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon as he looks forward to releasing his new Irish travel series.
The Father Ted star toured to Tory and Arranmore islands off Donegal this summer as he filmed his first Irish-language show – Inis na nIontas. The series follows Ardal on a fascinating journey, unearthing the history, observing the wildlife and meeting the islanders trying to live sustainably within their extraordinary environment.
The three-part series airs on TG4 from 10th January, starting with the wonders of the north and the north west coasts.
The first episode begins on Rathlin Island, famous for its countless seabirds and, unique to the island, the golden hare. From Rathlin, Ardal travels to Tory Island off Donegal, where he learns of its musical tradition and its mystical past, and we see how farming practices are being fashioned to encourage the endangered corncrake.
Inis na nIontas – Ardal O’Hanlon on Tory Island
Next, Ardal heads to Arranmore, the largest island of the north. Here, he learns how the islanders are encouraging new residents, while on a beautiful, small islet the threatened little tern has found a welcome sanctuary.
From mighty, windswept cliffs to sub-tropical Edens, the islands of Ireland are extraordinary in their diversity and, for Ardal, the filming has been a revelatory experience.
His mother, Teresa, is a native Irish-speaker and, in this series, Ardal fulfils a longstanding ambition to practise and improve his Irish and promote its use to a wider public.
He said: “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.”
Inis na nIontas is a One Tribe and Boulder Creek International production for TG4, BBC NI and SBS, with additional funding from Tourism Ireland.
The first episode will be broadcast on TG4 on 10th January at 9.30pm.
