Walking through the centuries

SMALL PRINT:LAST SUMMER, I made six journeys around Ireland for a new TG4 series called Coisceimeanna(Footsteps). It combined a number of my big interests (walking and mountaineering, history and politics, and the Irish language) as I followed the routes of six famous journeys in Irish political, social and cultural history.

The journeys coincided with the most spectacular and rugged scenery of Counties Mayo, Donegal and Kerry. But there are also more pastoral settings in Counties Kildare and Cork.

It was the idea of director Blaithín Ní Chathain and mmost of the journeys are well known. The first was the famine walk where hundreds perished as they sought food in the achingly beautiful Delphi Valley in south Mayo; the second Mayo one was General Humbert’s 1798 march from Lacken in north Mayo through Killala and to Castlebar. In Donegal we followed the different routes that the Franciscan monk Micheál O Cléirigh and his fellow Four Masters took after their monastery in Donegal town was ransacked. It led us into BarnesMore, the Bluestacks and finally down to north Leitrim. In Cork, we followed the most recent event, the 30-mile march and retreat taken by the volunteers involved in the Kilmichael ambush during the war of independence. In Kerry, the journey was more ethereal – following the paths that were taken by the famous Dingle Peninsula poet and soldier Piaras Feirtéar.

The final journey took us into Kildare, where we followed the route taken by several hundred thousand people to hear Daniel O’Connell’s last monster rally held on a rath (fairy fort) near Moone.

The star of the series is undoubtedly the landscape. What’s amazing is that the imprint of man in many places is not as heavy as one might think. In many places, the shape of the land has hardly changed despite the passage of centuries.

– HARRY McGEE

• Coiscéimeannastarts on TG4 on Sunday at 8.15pm

Will you be watching?

SOME “80 per cent of Irish people asked about their intention to watch the royal wedding . . . said they will not be tuning in,” a survey this week by Cork company Call Management suggested. The company made much of the fact that only one out of every four surveyed would be watching , while no one indicated they would be taking time off work to view it. But, on closer scrutiny of the results, the company admitted 75 per cent of respondents said they would in fact watch the wedding in part, either after work or in highlights. This would seem a more accurate indicator of interest here, and some businesses are set to capitalise on it..

Bronagh Kelleher, director of sales and marketing at the Fitzwilliam Hotel in Dublin, says the hotel has decided to screen the wedding after requests from residents and clients. “We’re doing a cocktail reception and the 11am screening is almost sold out. We’ve added another screening in the afternoon and there’s limited availability,” she says.

The Castle Hotel in the historically republican Macroom in Cork is also in on the act, with a royal brunch on Friday for up to 100, in aid of Down Syndrome Ireland. The wedding will be shown live, and the ballroom will be decorated as a wedding venue.

“I think locals are more interested in what celebs are attending and what they are wearing, rather than the fact it is a royal event,” says Rachel Kohler from The Castle Hotel.

– BRIAN O’CONNELL