Around Ireland in 80 Days

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?