"World's Most Scenic River Journeys" River Suir, Ireland

1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:07,720 Escape with us on a magical voyage through 2 00:00:07,720 --> 00:00:12,200 the verdant heart of Ireland, along the River Shore. 3 00:00:13,020 --> 00:00:15,980 From the tranquil peace of the upper reaches... 4 00:00:16,720 --> 00:00:19,260 You feel like you have the whole world to breathe in. 5 00:00:20,380 --> 00:00:21,680 It's all yours to experience. 6 00:00:22,700 --> 00:00:25,240 ...to its broad tidal estuary. 7 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:30,460 We'll discover a world where myth and legend 8 00:00:30,460 --> 00:00:33,740 go hand in hand with high-tech sporting 9 00:00:33,740 --> 00:00:38,800 pursuits as we travel along it and in it. 10 00:00:39,260 --> 00:00:41,620 If I had a choice of anywhere in the world, I'd swim here. 11 00:00:41,660 --> 00:00:43,260 There's just something special about it. 12 00:00:43,780 --> 00:00:45,940 We'll meet the people who live, work and 13 00:00:45,940 --> 00:00:47,220 play along this river. 14 00:00:47,620 --> 00:00:49,260 People travel all over the world to see 15 00:00:49,260 --> 00:00:50,480 it and fish on it. 16 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:53,460 Who all share a deep connection with these 17 00:00:53,460 --> 00:00:57,380 majestic waters which were once their salvation. 18 00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:02,850 Duff River gave us forward for all our life. 19 00:01:03,330 --> 00:01:05,170 You wouldn't know anything to happen to Duff River. 20 00:01:06,070 --> 00:01:07,970 It protected us to the very, very last. 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:12,940 This is one of the most scenic river 22 00:01:12,940 --> 00:01:14,440 journeys in the world. 23 00:01:15,420 --> 00:01:17,200 Ireland's River Shore. 24 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:25,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 25 00:01:37,710 --> 00:01:40,970 We'll begin our journey at the summit of 26 00:01:40,970 --> 00:01:44,290 the Devil's Bit Mountain, above the lush rolling 27 00:01:44,290 --> 00:01:46,690 landscape of County Tipperary. 28 00:01:49,200 --> 00:01:52,240 The River Shore rises here and flows almost 29 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,440 120 miles towards the Celtic Sea, part of 30 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:58,120 the wild Atlantic Ocean. 31 00:01:59,510 --> 00:02:02,420 It is a land surrounded by myth and 32 00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:05,620 legend where, according to local folklore, the Devil 33 00:02:05,620 --> 00:02:09,000 bit a chunk out of the very top of the mountain. 34 00:02:09,860 --> 00:02:13,300 Just below this rocky outcrop, we're starting our 35 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:18,020 adventure on horseback with Maura Bergen and Christy O'Brien. 36 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,560 And it's here we get our first glimpse of the waters. 37 00:02:24,140 --> 00:02:25,900 So we've just ridden through the River Shore 38 00:02:25,900 --> 00:02:29,560 and two of the tributaries flow into each 39 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:30,700 other just up the road. 40 00:02:34,070 --> 00:02:35,890 So it starts off just as a little 41 00:02:35,890 --> 00:02:39,010 trickle and then it gathers speed on the 42 00:02:39,010 --> 00:02:42,930 way down the mountain and lots of tributaries join it. 43 00:02:44,030 --> 00:02:46,450 And as it flows down the mountain, obviously 44 00:02:46,450 --> 00:02:50,550 the power gets very strong and the volume of water increases. 45 00:02:53,730 --> 00:02:56,610 From this shallow stream, we will follow the 46 00:02:56,610 --> 00:02:59,850 river as it flows through Ireland's emerald landscape 47 00:02:59,850 --> 00:03:02,990 in the stunning southeast corner of the country. 48 00:03:05,490 --> 00:03:07,650 We take in the remote upper reaches of 49 00:03:07,650 --> 00:03:10,770 the river, before passing the town of Cahir 50 00:03:10,770 --> 00:03:13,110 with its imposing Norman Castle. 51 00:03:15,430 --> 00:03:17,770 We'll catch the last hurrah of the trout 52 00:03:17,770 --> 00:03:21,470 fishing season, we'll ride racing skulls through the 53 00:03:21,470 --> 00:03:26,250 historic town of Clonmel, and cool off with 54 00:03:26,250 --> 00:03:28,630 a refreshing dip in Carrick on Shore. 55 00:03:29,330 --> 00:03:31,570 We visit the town of Waterford to discover 56 00:03:31,570 --> 00:03:35,830 its fine crystal, before setting sail towards the 57 00:03:35,830 --> 00:03:39,190 sea, where we'll explore the world's oldest working 58 00:03:39,190 --> 00:03:43,110 lighthouse on the often perilous Hook Peninsula. 59 00:03:48,970 --> 00:03:51,690 Leaving the Devil's Bit Mountain, we are now 60 00:03:51,690 --> 00:03:54,610 25 miles from the source where the small 61 00:03:54,610 --> 00:03:57,810 tributaries have become a river in its own right. 62 00:03:58,750 --> 00:04:01,970 Here, we meet kayakers Will Nugent and his 63 00:04:01,970 --> 00:04:05,910 mate Shane West on a wild open stretch of river. 64 00:04:08,150 --> 00:04:09,470 For as long back as I can remember 65 00:04:09,470 --> 00:04:11,190 when I was a kid, we'd spend all 66 00:04:11,190 --> 00:04:12,010 our summers in the river. 67 00:04:12,810 --> 00:04:15,029 It's always been a place for me to 68 00:04:15,029 --> 00:04:17,310 go and sort my head out, and just 69 00:04:17,310 --> 00:04:20,430 come here and sit in solitude, listen to the river. 70 00:04:24,370 --> 00:04:27,870 Will runs a local kayaking school after falling 71 00:04:27,870 --> 00:04:30,550 in love with the sport five and a half years ago. 72 00:04:35,990 --> 00:04:37,270 And as soon as I sat into a 73 00:04:37,270 --> 00:04:39,650 kayak, I said man this is what I should be doing. 74 00:04:41,090 --> 00:04:43,830 And being on the water offers Will a 75 00:04:43,830 --> 00:04:45,870 chance to connect with the past. 76 00:04:47,170 --> 00:04:49,690 All along the river, you'll find little pockets 77 00:04:49,690 --> 00:04:51,990 hidden away that are almost untouched. 78 00:04:54,330 --> 00:04:56,730 As we come across the medieval bridge in 79 00:04:56,730 --> 00:04:59,110 the village of Golden, we start to see 80 00:04:59,110 --> 00:05:02,590 a hint of the ancient history so intertwined 81 00:05:02,590 --> 00:05:03,210 with the river. 82 00:05:05,810 --> 00:05:07,170 It's like travelling back in time. 83 00:05:07,930 --> 00:05:10,350 It really is like a living history book. 84 00:05:11,130 --> 00:05:12,530 And you can read the landscape. 85 00:05:14,820 --> 00:05:17,720 It's a constant reminder that there was a 86 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:19,040 world before I was born. 87 00:05:20,860 --> 00:05:23,720 Ireland's roots were turned on their head around 88 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:27,780 800 years ago when the Normans arrived on these shores. 89 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:38,160 On the banks is evidence of their power 90 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:41,240 in the form of the stunning Athessal Abbey. 91 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:47,520 They were invited here by an exiled Irish 92 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,900 king who asked Henry II, King of England 93 00:05:50,900 --> 00:05:53,460 and France, for help to get his hands 94 00:05:53,460 --> 00:05:54,500 back on the crown. 95 00:05:58,550 --> 00:06:01,050 But instead the knights took over most of 96 00:06:01,050 --> 00:06:06,350 Ireland, ultimately leading to 700 years of direct 97 00:06:06,350 --> 00:06:08,590 English and later British rule. 98 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:16,200 You can feel that the spirits of the 99 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:18,060 people who've gone before you are still around you. 100 00:06:18,840 --> 00:06:20,920 And it's a way of reconnecting with all that. 101 00:06:25,140 --> 00:06:26,700 Out here you feel like you have the 102 00:06:26,700 --> 00:06:27,860 whole world to breathe in. 103 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:30,960 There's no claustrophobia. 104 00:06:33,100 --> 00:06:34,660 It's all yours, the experience. 105 00:06:35,640 --> 00:06:36,980 The only thing is you can't take it home with you. 106 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:38,120 You have to leave it here. 107 00:06:41,590 --> 00:06:45,390 Before long we approach the historic town of Cahir. 108 00:06:46,110 --> 00:06:48,210 Well, fancy meeting you guys here. 109 00:06:49,370 --> 00:06:50,710 Good afternoon. 110 00:06:51,950 --> 00:06:53,410 All ready for a paddle? 111 00:06:53,730 --> 00:06:56,790 And this peace and tranquillity is shattered. 112 00:07:01,150 --> 00:07:05,940 Will is passing on his passion for the 113 00:07:05,940 --> 00:07:07,780 river to a new generation. 114 00:07:08,360 --> 00:07:09,200 Okay, gather round. 115 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,240 Will's 20-strong paddling club meets just upstream 116 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:14,100 from the town. 117 00:07:15,020 --> 00:07:15,860 Come right in, guys. 118 00:07:15,860 --> 00:07:17,560 So the plan is we're going to go 119 00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:18,480 down and shoot the weir. 120 00:07:18,980 --> 00:07:20,120 We'll pack in the usual spot. 121 00:07:20,180 --> 00:07:23,060 We'll go down, river left, single pile. 122 00:07:28,450 --> 00:07:29,530 Come on, guys, come on. 123 00:07:29,610 --> 00:07:30,270 Get in position. 124 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,500 Under his expert tutelage, they've all made it 125 00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:43,920 safely down the fast-flowing weir. 126 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:47,360 Shane, take your position. 127 00:07:50,140 --> 00:07:52,420 Here we leave Will and his young paddlers 128 00:07:52,420 --> 00:07:54,920 as the current carries them under the town's 129 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,760 bridge, which sits in the shadow of another 130 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:02,040 Norman stronghold, Cahir Castle. 131 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,600 It's one of the largest in Ireland, strategically 132 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,920 positioned and surrounded on all sides by the 133 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:18,940 swirling shore. 134 00:08:24,290 --> 00:08:27,450 This was the seat of the powerful Butler 135 00:08:27,450 --> 00:08:31,830 family, the local lords of Cahir, whose dynasty 136 00:08:31,830 --> 00:08:34,049 lasted 600 years. 137 00:08:39,429 --> 00:08:43,560 And just downstream, we find another Butler residence. 138 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,140 This is the delightful Swiss cottage built in 139 00:08:49,140 --> 00:08:51,900 the Romantic period of the early 19th century. 140 00:08:58,350 --> 00:09:01,650 Karen Sheehan looks after the cottage and it's 141 00:09:01,650 --> 00:09:03,630 somewhere she's always cherished. 142 00:09:04,490 --> 00:09:05,930 I grew up here. 143 00:09:06,290 --> 00:09:07,970 We used to always come for walks down 144 00:09:07,970 --> 00:09:09,530 by the river when I was a child. 145 00:09:10,010 --> 00:09:12,390 The Swiss cottage always held a big fascination for us. 146 00:09:12,470 --> 00:09:13,270 It's so unusual. 147 00:09:13,750 --> 00:09:15,170 I've always loved it. 148 00:09:15,950 --> 00:09:18,650 This is a stunning example of a cottage 149 00:09:18,650 --> 00:09:21,330 ornée, or ornamental cottage. 150 00:09:22,090 --> 00:09:24,470 They were the epitome of style for the 151 00:09:24,470 --> 00:09:27,230 gentry and designed to blend with nature. 152 00:09:27,930 --> 00:09:29,510 Well, the cottage ornée had to be situated 153 00:09:29,510 --> 00:09:30,810 in a particular area. 154 00:09:31,230 --> 00:09:33,610 On a height, in a wooded area, it 155 00:09:33,610 --> 00:09:35,670 had to have beautiful wild views and be 156 00:09:35,670 --> 00:09:36,830 quite close to the river. 157 00:09:37,070 --> 00:09:39,630 So this was the perfect location for the 158 00:09:39,630 --> 00:09:41,550 Swiss cottage, right beside the river shore. 159 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:47,940 This bucolic blueprint became fashionable after Queen Marie 160 00:09:47,940 --> 00:09:51,080 Antoinette of France created an ornamental village and 161 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:54,700 play farm in the grounds of her palace in Versailles. 162 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:58,280 You're supposed to get the impression the cottage 163 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:00,040 just grew up from the ground, like it's 164 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:00,760 meant to be here. 165 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:02,460 And that's why it has the tree trunks 166 00:10:02,460 --> 00:10:04,900 running along the veranda to make it look 167 00:10:04,900 --> 00:10:06,220 like the roots of the house. 168 00:10:08,660 --> 00:10:11,620 Despite the intricate detail to create a homely, 169 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:15,060 welcoming, rustic feel, this cottage was never designed 170 00:10:15,060 --> 00:10:17,540 to be lived in, with the wealthy butlers 171 00:10:17,540 --> 00:10:19,580 often just visiting for the day. 172 00:10:21,060 --> 00:10:23,360 Because it was a fashionable style of cottage 173 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,160 to own at the time, they built it 174 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:26,540 mainly for entertaining purposes. 175 00:10:26,900 --> 00:10:29,900 They would come out here hunting, shooting, fishing. 176 00:10:30,240 --> 00:10:31,920 A lot of garden parties were held out 177 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:33,960 here in the summer months to entertain the 178 00:10:33,960 --> 00:10:35,060 butlers and their friends. 179 00:10:36,740 --> 00:10:40,000 And this love of the great outdoors still 180 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:44,040 attracts visitors today, many coming for another of 181 00:10:44,040 --> 00:10:48,080 the river's great draws, the wild brown trout. 182 00:10:50,580 --> 00:10:52,140 This could be our last fish of the 183 00:10:52,140 --> 00:10:53,500 season, some fish isn't it? 184 00:11:07,960 --> 00:11:10,820 We're in the southeast of Ireland, making our 185 00:11:10,820 --> 00:11:12,900 way along the river shore. 186 00:11:14,020 --> 00:11:18,060 Our next stop, just below Rochetown, is a 187 00:11:18,060 --> 00:11:21,620 truly picturesque spot, offering some of the best 188 00:11:21,620 --> 00:11:23,980 wild brown trout angling in Europe. 189 00:11:24,680 --> 00:11:28,060 But for Andrew Ryan, today is bittersweet. 190 00:11:30,860 --> 00:11:32,200 It's the last day of our fishing season, 191 00:11:32,380 --> 00:11:33,860 so we're sort of getting this our last 192 00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:35,300 hurrah, hoping to get a few trout today. 193 00:11:36,100 --> 00:11:39,360 Champion angler Andrew has been fishing these fast 194 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,820 -flowing waters for its prized fish, brown trout, 195 00:11:43,220 --> 00:11:44,240 since his teens. 196 00:11:44,860 --> 00:11:47,900 And he's joined by his trusty sidekick, Riley. 197 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:50,540 Riley loves going fishing. 198 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:54,000 She's a Labrador, so she's, you know, I 199 00:11:54,000 --> 00:11:56,960 think probably the perfect life for a Labrador 200 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:58,660 to be owned by a fisherman. 201 00:11:59,380 --> 00:12:01,260 Now the only thing is, if we are 202 00:12:01,260 --> 00:12:03,680 lucky enough to hook a fish, she goes absolutely crazy. 203 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:04,460 She's very jealous. 204 00:12:24,070 --> 00:12:26,630 Chestwaders are an essential part of an angler's 205 00:12:26,630 --> 00:12:32,060 kit on the shore, as the best place 206 00:12:32,060 --> 00:12:34,260 to fish is in the central channel. 207 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,940 What we're always looking for is fast, streamy 208 00:12:40,940 --> 00:12:43,040 water with current in it, so that the 209 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,800 water's more oxygenated and just fish much prefer it. 210 00:12:47,180 --> 00:12:49,300 Also, it has prolific fly life in it, 211 00:12:49,360 --> 00:12:51,600 so the insect life in it is good. 212 00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:55,780 But this can make the trout somewhat selective, 213 00:12:56,580 --> 00:12:59,040 often refusing a fly from a fishing rod, 214 00:12:59,320 --> 00:13:01,680 so a great deal of skill is needed. 215 00:13:03,300 --> 00:13:05,500 And, of course, some patience. 216 00:13:08,060 --> 00:13:11,180 Developed in the 15th century, fly fishing became 217 00:13:11,180 --> 00:13:13,280 popular in the 19th century. 218 00:13:15,700 --> 00:13:19,960 The line is cast upstream, the feathered hook 219 00:13:19,960 --> 00:13:23,140 landing on the surface to mimic an insect 220 00:13:23,140 --> 00:13:24,500 and attract a bite. 221 00:13:33,190 --> 00:13:34,250 That's a big fish. 222 00:13:34,990 --> 00:13:39,070 And today we're in luck, and it looks like a beauty. 223 00:13:51,910 --> 00:13:53,510 Hey Riley, look, another fish. 224 00:13:54,630 --> 00:13:56,910 It's probably about three pounds, three and a half. 225 00:13:59,270 --> 00:14:00,970 This could be our last fish of the season, Kevin. 226 00:14:01,730 --> 00:14:02,850 What a way to finish it up, though. 227 00:14:02,930 --> 00:14:03,670 Some fish, isn't it? 228 00:14:04,910 --> 00:14:05,710 Let's leave him go. 229 00:14:06,710 --> 00:14:07,270 That's it. 230 00:14:07,990 --> 00:14:08,570 See you next year. 231 00:14:09,030 --> 00:14:11,670 As with all trout caught here, it's released, 232 00:14:12,190 --> 00:14:14,290 allowing the season to finish on a high 233 00:14:14,290 --> 00:14:16,330 for both man and fish. 234 00:14:27,900 --> 00:14:30,440 As the dawn breaks on a beautiful autumn 235 00:14:30,440 --> 00:14:33,680 morning, we arrive in the town of Clonmel, 236 00:14:33,680 --> 00:14:39,020 where a rowing club has been gathering here since 1869. 237 00:14:42,340 --> 00:14:45,800 It's practice day on a stunning four-mile 238 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:51,060 stretch of river, on single- to quad 239 00:14:51,060 --> 00:14:57,480 -racing skulls, which cut cleanly through the fast 240 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:58,260 -flowing water. 241 00:14:59,920 --> 00:15:03,400 The club welcomes all ages, from young competitive 242 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:06,040 rowers to others who just relish getting out 243 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,320 on the water for a morning jaunt, including 244 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:13,780 the club's president, Bronwyn Kelly, originally from Maine 245 00:15:13,780 --> 00:15:14,780 in the USA. 246 00:15:15,300 --> 00:15:17,460 I grew up on a lake, so I 247 00:15:17,460 --> 00:15:19,080 really missed the connection with the water by 248 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,280 living in an inland town, and until I 249 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:23,060 discovered the rowing club, I did miss that. 250 00:15:26,020 --> 00:15:28,120 It's a wonderful sport to take up as 251 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:31,640 you're getting older, because my knees are shot, 252 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,320 and rowing has really given me a new 253 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:35,940 lease of life in terms of being active and sporty. 254 00:15:37,960 --> 00:15:40,700 The weather may be lovely today, but the 255 00:15:40,700 --> 00:15:43,520 conditions on the shore are challenging, and the 256 00:15:43,520 --> 00:15:46,720 river is running very fast after a night of rain. 257 00:15:48,460 --> 00:15:51,220 Sophia is the cox of a quad skull. 258 00:15:53,280 --> 00:15:56,340 My job is to steer the boat in 259 00:15:56,340 --> 00:15:58,440 the direction that we want to go, and 260 00:15:58,440 --> 00:15:59,740 to keep on the right side of the 261 00:15:59,740 --> 00:16:01,840 river so we don't crash into other boats. 262 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,820 It was kind of difficult today, but I managed it. 263 00:16:09,340 --> 00:16:15,880 But these unpredictable waters are a great training 264 00:16:15,880 --> 00:16:18,840 ground for competition rowers like Danica. 265 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,760 Well, you see today now, it's very fast, 266 00:16:22,980 --> 00:16:25,920 the conditions are very changeable, so you get 267 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:27,640 lots of different experiences on it. 268 00:16:27,640 --> 00:16:31,640 You've got a good clear stretch here, so 269 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:33,180 you can have a clear run at 2 270 00:16:33,180 --> 00:16:33,680 ,000 metres. 271 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,240 And the river's ebb and flow has contributed 272 00:16:38,240 --> 00:16:39,720 to the club's success. 273 00:16:40,580 --> 00:16:42,620 Tom Fennessy is one of the trainers. 274 00:16:43,380 --> 00:16:47,240 It's an excellent rowing course, and we've won 275 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,580 numerous Irish championships, and it's gone from strength 276 00:16:51,580 --> 00:16:55,740 to strength in the last 40 years or so. 277 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:59,500 Leaving the rowers on their high-tech racing 278 00:16:59,500 --> 00:17:03,780 skulls, just 100 metres downstream, we come across 279 00:17:03,780 --> 00:17:05,180 a rather different club. 280 00:17:14,420 --> 00:17:17,420 In the centre of town, we find the 281 00:17:17,420 --> 00:17:19,819 Clonmel Workingmen's Boat Club. 282 00:17:26,260 --> 00:17:29,860 Here, music and boat-building skills have been 283 00:17:29,860 --> 00:17:33,960 passed from generation to generation for almost 150 284 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:34,360 years. 285 00:17:48,150 --> 00:17:51,530 Part boat club, part social club, it was 286 00:17:51,530 --> 00:17:54,630 founded by the town's workingmen like Shea Hurley, 287 00:17:55,050 --> 00:17:57,870 who felt they too should be allowed to enjoy the river. 288 00:17:59,170 --> 00:18:01,750 They could see what were, if you like, 289 00:18:01,790 --> 00:18:06,210 professional types using the river for, you know, 290 00:18:06,630 --> 00:18:08,170 boating, for rowing. 291 00:18:09,090 --> 00:18:11,910 Before the club was established, there was little 292 00:18:11,910 --> 00:18:14,410 opportunity for the everyday town folk to use 293 00:18:14,410 --> 00:18:15,990 the river for leisure activities. 294 00:18:17,290 --> 00:18:19,710 And I suppose they said to themselves, I 295 00:18:19,710 --> 00:18:21,130 mean, we could do this, like, you know. 296 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:27,380 But first, they had to build their own 297 00:18:27,380 --> 00:18:30,860 boats, so techniques were learned and honed, and 298 00:18:30,860 --> 00:18:34,780 in pride and place is one of the club's original craft. 299 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:38,560 This is one of the first boats that 300 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:39,580 was built here in the club. 301 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:44,360 It's made out of timber, clinker-built, and 302 00:18:44,360 --> 00:18:46,300 ribs, which are steamed. 303 00:18:47,940 --> 00:18:50,900 Clinker construction dates back to the Vikings, who 304 00:18:50,900 --> 00:18:55,000 first used wooden strips bent and overlapped to 305 00:18:55,000 --> 00:18:57,900 make the hull, then held together with rivets. 306 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:00,960 As you can see, the amount of rivets 307 00:19:00,960 --> 00:19:03,940 that has gone into this, I wouldn't like 308 00:19:03,940 --> 00:19:06,240 to count them, because I'd be there for 309 00:19:06,240 --> 00:19:07,160 a week and a half, I'd say. 310 00:19:07,940 --> 00:19:10,580 This is the last of the original boats left. 311 00:19:21,730 --> 00:19:25,050 Alongside boat-building, an eclectic mix of entertainment 312 00:19:25,050 --> 00:19:26,190 is also enjoyed. 313 00:19:29,420 --> 00:19:32,860 Dez Dillon is an artist deeply inspired by 314 00:19:32,860 --> 00:19:34,040 the river's wildlife. 315 00:19:35,220 --> 00:19:37,640 Just watching my life around the river shore, 316 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:39,940 I just came up with the idea of, 317 00:19:40,320 --> 00:19:42,560 could the frog become a free-form old 318 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:44,900 -style Little Chanos dancer, like a little old man? 319 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:54,140 And I just thought some of the lower 320 00:19:54,140 --> 00:19:55,900 notes and the tunes then could be almost 321 00:19:55,900 --> 00:19:57,400 like the croak of the frog, you know. 322 00:19:57,580 --> 00:19:59,140 I just thought that idea of it, taking 323 00:19:59,140 --> 00:20:00,560 in the idea of the dance and the 324 00:20:00,560 --> 00:20:01,840 idea of the croaking of the frogs. 325 00:20:06,940 --> 00:20:11,760 As the river starts to broaden, we're about 326 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,740 to discover how it sustained the people working 327 00:20:14,740 --> 00:20:15,980 and living along it. 328 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:19,480 Nobody died in this part of the country, 329 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:20,880 because they had the fishing. 330 00:20:32,100 --> 00:20:35,620 We are now about halfway through our drift 331 00:20:35,620 --> 00:20:36,960 down the river shore. 332 00:20:37,620 --> 00:20:41,560 We've arrived at Carrick Onshore, where we reach 333 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:43,160 the river's tidal limit. 334 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:47,940 Ahead of us lie wide waters, and as 335 00:20:47,940 --> 00:20:50,900 the tide takes us downstream, we'll visit the 336 00:20:50,900 --> 00:20:55,060 great port city of Waterford, before sailing on 337 00:20:55,060 --> 00:20:58,600 to the ocean, where we'll find the world's 338 00:20:58,600 --> 00:21:00,480 oldest working lighthouse. 339 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:08,580 But first, we're meeting open-water swimmers Donald 340 00:21:08,580 --> 00:21:11,840 Buckley and Connor Power, for a refreshing dip. 341 00:21:12,500 --> 00:21:15,260 It's a calm, crisp morning, with the water 342 00:21:15,260 --> 00:21:18,220 temperature a chilly 12 degrees centigrade. 343 00:21:26,980 --> 00:21:29,540 But you do feel that nervous anticipation that 344 00:21:29,540 --> 00:21:31,060 this is going to hurt a little bit 345 00:21:31,060 --> 00:21:32,600 when I get in, when you get to this time of year. 346 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:34,860 But you do it anyway, it's like anything, 347 00:21:35,460 --> 00:21:38,160 it's a challenge to yourself and you push through it. 348 00:21:40,960 --> 00:21:42,840 Connor grew up swimming here as a boy, 349 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:44,180 and has never stopped. 350 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:46,820 I just love it. 351 00:21:47,220 --> 00:21:48,500 If I had a half an hour to 352 00:21:48,500 --> 00:21:50,380 swim, and I had a choice of anywhere 353 00:21:50,380 --> 00:21:53,480 in the world, there's just something special about it. 354 00:21:54,980 --> 00:21:57,920 Donald is an internationally renowned long-distance swimmer 355 00:21:57,920 --> 00:21:59,860 who has swum the English Channel more than 356 00:21:59,860 --> 00:22:01,660 once, but you don't need to go that 357 00:22:01,660 --> 00:22:02,980 far to feel the benefits. 358 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:05,820 You can swim for five minutes for your 359 00:22:05,820 --> 00:22:08,000 entire life, and when you get out and 360 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:09,840 the warm blood flows back into your body, 361 00:22:10,180 --> 00:22:11,820 you will feel as good after 50 years 362 00:22:11,820 --> 00:22:13,080 of doing it after five minutes as you 363 00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:14,140 did the first day. 364 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,160 But the optimum time is probably up to 365 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:18,860 about 20 minutes that you get that real 366 00:22:18,860 --> 00:22:20,280 immune-boosting effect. 367 00:22:21,900 --> 00:22:27,060 You just do what your body has evolved to do. 368 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:41,980 Donald and Connor are making their way downstream 369 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,080 through the historic town. 370 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,020 The first landmark they pass is the old 371 00:22:47,020 --> 00:22:50,180 bridge which dates back to 1447. 372 00:22:54,230 --> 00:22:57,210 The swimmer's journey continues through the glassy waters. 373 00:22:57,890 --> 00:23:00,370 This stretch between the old and new bridges 374 00:23:00,370 --> 00:23:02,270 is known as the pool. 375 00:23:25,400 --> 00:23:27,960 As they round the bend, we get a 376 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,640 glimpse of an Elizabethan gem, the magnificent Ormond 377 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:35,740 Castle, built by the Earl of Ormond in 378 00:23:35,740 --> 00:23:40,140 1565 in honour of his distant cousin, Queen 379 00:23:40,140 --> 00:23:41,720 Elizabeth I of England. 380 00:23:52,340 --> 00:23:55,080 It's here we leave Donald and Connor as 381 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:59,520 they continue to power on downstream as we jump ashore. 382 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:19,820 Below Carrick, the river widens with glistening mudflats 383 00:24:19,820 --> 00:24:22,840 revealing themselves along the banks at low tide. 384 00:24:24,260 --> 00:24:27,500 Here, we find the relics of a salmon 385 00:24:27,500 --> 00:24:31,020 fishing industry that was once an essential source 386 00:24:31,020 --> 00:24:31,560 of food. 387 00:24:42,490 --> 00:24:46,030 For fisherman Peter Walsh, it's a reminder of 388 00:24:46,030 --> 00:24:48,850 a way of life, which was the salvation 389 00:24:48,850 --> 00:24:51,030 for the people along the river. 390 00:24:51,770 --> 00:24:55,450 The river here, the river shore, sustained people 391 00:24:55,450 --> 00:24:56,610 during the famine years. 392 00:24:56,610 --> 00:25:00,970 1840s, there were people dying of starvation. 393 00:25:03,000 --> 00:25:07,480 The Irish famine occurred between 1845 and 1849 394 00:25:07,900 --> 00:25:10,260 when the potato crop, the staple food for 395 00:25:10,260 --> 00:25:13,300 almost everyone, failed for successive years. 396 00:25:13,940 --> 00:25:16,840 It was a desperate time and it's estimated 397 00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:19,340 a million people lost their lives with a 398 00:25:19,340 --> 00:25:23,040 further two million emigrating, many across the Atlantic 399 00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:24,380 to North America. 400 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:29,020 Nobody died in this part of the country 401 00:25:29,020 --> 00:25:30,460 because they had the fishing. 402 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:37,000 And fish, fish and potatoes was the staple 403 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,520 food at that particular time. 404 00:25:41,350 --> 00:25:44,330 Locals would have relied on fisheries like this 405 00:25:44,330 --> 00:25:48,630 where a unique method called snap-net fishing was used. 406 00:25:51,290 --> 00:25:54,190 Wide nets were held between two flat-bottomed 407 00:25:54,190 --> 00:25:58,300 boats called cots, specifically designed for this stretch 408 00:25:58,300 --> 00:25:58,680 of river. 409 00:26:06,060 --> 00:26:07,500 The cots, yeah. 410 00:26:07,980 --> 00:26:10,680 Well, this is a traditional snap-net cot 411 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:14,820 now, built by the fishermen themselves. 412 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:19,880 Now, this particular cot, you have the keel 413 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,180 up the middle of the boat there and 414 00:26:22,180 --> 00:26:24,160 it enables it to slide out the mud. 415 00:26:24,620 --> 00:26:26,560 Well, they'll go out very, very easy. 416 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,040 But Peter fears this boat-building knowledge will 417 00:26:31,040 --> 00:26:34,340 be lost, as controls on salmon fishing on 418 00:26:34,340 --> 00:26:37,960 the shore has meant this industry is now no more. 419 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:43,740 It would be a tragedy if this particular 420 00:26:43,740 --> 00:26:47,040 method of fishing and building cots is gone 421 00:26:47,040 --> 00:26:51,220 because I build cots myself, but, like, I 422 00:26:51,220 --> 00:26:52,940 mean, I'm not a young man any more 423 00:26:52,940 --> 00:26:55,700 and if I'm not there to train somebody 424 00:26:55,700 --> 00:26:57,640 quick, well, the whole skill is gone. 425 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,020 So, that would be a tragedy. 426 00:27:01,020 --> 00:27:03,760 Peter's deep passion for the river and keeping 427 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:05,820 its history alive is clear. 428 00:27:07,580 --> 00:27:09,900 The river, I'm afraid, means everything to me, 429 00:27:10,060 --> 00:27:10,600 everything. 430 00:27:13,070 --> 00:27:15,490 The river is sacred and if you had 431 00:27:15,490 --> 00:27:18,890 something that was giving you food for all 432 00:27:18,890 --> 00:27:21,730 your life, as that river gave us food 433 00:27:21,730 --> 00:27:24,030 for all our life, you wouldn't like anything 434 00:27:24,030 --> 00:27:25,030 to happen to that river. 435 00:27:25,770 --> 00:27:27,830 You're protected to the very, very last. 436 00:27:56,510 --> 00:27:58,810 But it wasn't just fishing boats which would 437 00:27:58,810 --> 00:28:01,270 have navigated this wide tidal stretch. 438 00:28:04,020 --> 00:28:07,720 In the past, cargo boats called lighters plied 439 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,180 their trade on the shore and like the 440 00:28:10,180 --> 00:28:12,960 cots were adapted for these shallow waters. 441 00:28:13,920 --> 00:28:17,080 We're retracing their route towards the city of 442 00:28:17,080 --> 00:28:20,480 Waterford with local historian Andrew Docherty. 443 00:28:21,680 --> 00:28:24,880 I live beside the river and it's the 444 00:28:24,880 --> 00:28:26,920 first thing I see in the morning when 445 00:28:26,920 --> 00:28:29,720 I get up and every morning I take 446 00:28:29,720 --> 00:28:31,660 photographs and I share them on social media 447 00:28:31,660 --> 00:28:34,600 so people think I'm mad. 448 00:28:40,180 --> 00:28:42,880 Today we have the river to ourselves but 449 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:46,880 200 years ago it would have been teeming with trade. 450 00:28:49,510 --> 00:28:51,890 The lighter men would have pole driven their 451 00:28:51,890 --> 00:28:54,270 flat bottom boats up and down the river. 452 00:28:54,670 --> 00:28:58,110 They would have worked with the tide heading 453 00:28:58,110 --> 00:29:01,190 to Waterford with cargo from Carrick or from 454 00:29:01,190 --> 00:29:04,430 and from many of the other villages that 455 00:29:04,430 --> 00:29:05,550 are along the river here. 456 00:29:07,840 --> 00:29:11,200 Once in Waterford cargo such as flour and 457 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:15,480 butter were loaded onto ships for export before 458 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:17,680 a return journey back up the river with 459 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:19,180 imports like coal. 460 00:29:20,500 --> 00:29:23,080 But with no engine the lighters relied on 461 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:24,620 the tides for propulsion. 462 00:29:25,580 --> 00:29:28,000 A remarkable feat as they were capable of 463 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,700 carrying a hefty 45 tons of cargo in one go. 464 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:36,120 It was a job which took great skill. 465 00:29:37,220 --> 00:29:40,320 That knowledge was acquired really because it was 466 00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:41,580 a family job. 467 00:29:42,260 --> 00:29:44,320 Young men would start out with their fathers 468 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:47,340 and their grandfathers working in these boats and 469 00:29:47,340 --> 00:29:50,620 they would acquire a very deep connection with 470 00:29:50,620 --> 00:29:53,280 the river as part of that work. 471 00:29:54,860 --> 00:29:56,180 And that's just the reality of it. 472 00:30:00,170 --> 00:30:03,090 Stepping forward in time we soon find evidence 473 00:30:03,090 --> 00:30:08,960 that the commercial waterways of the past have 474 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,660 succumbed to the modern roadways of today. 475 00:30:17,940 --> 00:30:21,600 The iconic Waterford Bridge has the longest span 476 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:25,660 in Ireland measuring 465 meters and is now 477 00:30:25,660 --> 00:30:27,580 the major link for goods to be carried 478 00:30:27,580 --> 00:30:30,020 from here to the rest of the country. 479 00:30:34,330 --> 00:30:39,870 As we leave Andrew we arrive at our destination. 480 00:30:40,990 --> 00:30:44,210 The historic port city of Waterford. 481 00:30:48,210 --> 00:30:50,590 By the end of the 18th century an 482 00:30:50,590 --> 00:30:53,890 export synonymous with the town was cut glass. 483 00:30:55,430 --> 00:30:59,410 A factory opened here in 1783 and its 484 00:30:59,410 --> 00:31:02,330 early success was down to a stroke of good fortune. 485 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:07,780 At the time English glassmakers were hit by 486 00:31:07,780 --> 00:31:10,700 heavy duties to help pay for Britain's involvement 487 00:31:10,700 --> 00:31:12,660 in the American War of Independence. 488 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:16,660 As a result glassmaking in Ireland free of 489 00:31:16,660 --> 00:31:18,420 these taxes flourished. 490 00:31:19,140 --> 00:31:24,420 Today Waterford Crystal is still renowned across the globe. 491 00:31:30,760 --> 00:31:32,940 Here in the factory in the centre of 492 00:31:32,940 --> 00:31:37,120 town glowing balls of molten glass are transformed 493 00:31:37,120 --> 00:31:42,320 into majestic shapes at heats of 1400 degrees centigrade. 494 00:31:46,600 --> 00:31:51,040 Once cooled each piece is individually inspected before 495 00:31:51,040 --> 00:31:53,280 being sent on to the marking department. 496 00:31:54,380 --> 00:31:58,900 Here a temporary geometric grid of horizontal and 497 00:31:58,900 --> 00:32:04,330 vertical guidelines is drawn on to assist the 498 00:32:04,330 --> 00:32:06,570 master cutter to create the pattern. 499 00:32:07,790 --> 00:32:11,830 Using diamond tipped wheels these complex designs are 500 00:32:11,830 --> 00:32:13,370 then cut into the crystal. 501 00:32:14,950 --> 00:32:18,690 Tom Power has been with the company for 50 years. 502 00:32:19,530 --> 00:32:21,149 I do it all by hand. 503 00:32:22,170 --> 00:32:23,710 Like I can't, I have a ring around 504 00:32:23,710 --> 00:32:26,830 here to try and see where it is. 505 00:32:27,790 --> 00:32:30,170 So you're kind of judging looking through here 506 00:32:30,170 --> 00:32:32,850 where it goes. 507 00:32:33,790 --> 00:32:34,910 It's all down to experience. 508 00:32:36,950 --> 00:32:40,070 It takes 10 years to reach Tom's level 509 00:32:40,070 --> 00:32:43,270 of expertise and the craftsmen rely on their 510 00:32:43,270 --> 00:32:46,250 skill and dexterity to cut patterns without damaging 511 00:32:46,250 --> 00:32:47,930 the integrity of the piece. 512 00:32:49,310 --> 00:32:51,530 It's like hand coordination. 513 00:32:53,110 --> 00:32:55,010 So if your hands are not going with 514 00:32:55,010 --> 00:32:57,390 your eyes you're in a bit of trouble. 515 00:33:01,570 --> 00:33:04,790 Leaving the master cutters to their intricate designs 516 00:33:05,570 --> 00:33:07,570 we're about to set off on a cutter 517 00:33:07,570 --> 00:33:10,310 of a different kind one of the sailing 518 00:33:10,310 --> 00:33:15,210 variety as we edge ever closer to the ocean. 519 00:33:26,250 --> 00:33:29,290 Before we leave the fine city of Waterford 520 00:33:29,290 --> 00:33:31,490 there's just time to pick up a local 521 00:33:31,490 --> 00:33:34,250 delicacy, the Bla Roll. 522 00:33:35,750 --> 00:33:39,030 Here at Hickey's Bakery 7,000 of these 523 00:33:39,030 --> 00:33:41,630 bread buns are made by hand every day. 524 00:33:42,250 --> 00:33:44,990 They have a distinct soft doughy centre and 525 00:33:44,990 --> 00:33:49,370 flowery crust and in 2013 they were awarded 526 00:33:49,370 --> 00:33:54,330 Protected Geographical Indication status which means they can 527 00:33:54,330 --> 00:33:57,710 only be made by specialist bakers here in Waterford. 528 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,580 We're meeting Andrew and Maura Wilkes as they 529 00:34:06,580 --> 00:34:08,820 gather provisions for our next trip. 530 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:09,620 Hello. 531 00:34:09,860 --> 00:34:10,100 Hello. 532 00:34:10,860 --> 00:34:12,040 Could we have six blasts please? 533 00:34:12,140 --> 00:34:12,560 Sure can. 534 00:34:16,180 --> 00:34:16,820 Now. 535 00:34:16,980 --> 00:34:18,360 Lovely, thank you very much. 536 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:20,060 Thank you. Enjoy. We will. 537 00:34:31,290 --> 00:34:35,130 With lunch sorted we're setting out today aboard 538 00:34:35,130 --> 00:34:37,870 our next ride, the Annabelle J. 539 00:34:43,940 --> 00:34:47,440 A 55 foot replica Bristol Channel pilot cutter 540 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:50,880 based on an 1890s design. 541 00:34:54,340 --> 00:34:56,240 It's a sort of snapshot in history really, 542 00:34:56,380 --> 00:34:59,180 a snapshot of that sailing technology and that 543 00:34:59,180 --> 00:35:00,660 was very much used in this area in 544 00:35:00,660 --> 00:35:06,220 Waterford and there's quite an affinity that we 545 00:35:06,220 --> 00:35:09,400 feel with this boat in this particular place. 546 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:17,500 The boats were originally designed to go from 547 00:35:17,500 --> 00:35:21,220 ports to guide big ships into ports so 548 00:35:21,220 --> 00:35:23,660 Waterford had them very similar to this. 549 00:35:24,440 --> 00:35:27,260 Pilot cutters like the Annabelle J would race 550 00:35:27,260 --> 00:35:29,600 out to the ships coming into Waterford harbour 551 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:33,300 to land a pilot on board to bring the ship safely in. 552 00:35:33,700 --> 00:35:36,800 So it was often the fastest boat that 553 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:39,220 got the business and they charged good money 554 00:35:39,220 --> 00:35:42,380 for it so there was an incentive to 555 00:35:42,380 --> 00:35:44,340 build fast boats for the day. 556 00:35:49,700 --> 00:35:52,140 But there's no need for speed today. 557 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,660 We're in a fortunate position where we can 558 00:35:55,660 --> 00:35:58,360 relax, allowing time for Maura to make some 559 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:00,540 lunch with our local blah rolls. 560 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:04,200 But it's not just the rolls which Waterford 561 00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,760 can take credit for, the bacon rasher was 562 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:07,800 invented here too. 563 00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:12,000 Local man Henry Denny pioneered a process which 564 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:14,980 used salt rather than brine to cure the 565 00:36:14,980 --> 00:36:17,780 meat which allowed bacon to be cut into 566 00:36:17,780 --> 00:36:21,380 thin slices rather than chunks, giving us this 567 00:36:21,380 --> 00:36:22,740 culinary classic. 568 00:36:29,900 --> 00:36:34,440 I think I'd better leave. 569 00:36:42,279 --> 00:36:45,720 Very important part of Waterford culture. 570 00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:49,320 So this is just fantastic. 571 00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:51,140 Thank you Maura. 572 00:37:02,920 --> 00:37:03,640 Thank you. 573 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:06,440 As we pass the narrows at Passage East, 574 00:37:06,860 --> 00:37:09,800 we're jumping ship to take the ferry. 575 00:37:25,450 --> 00:37:27,510 This is a modern roll-on roll-off 576 00:37:27,510 --> 00:37:30,030 service which makes its 15-minute journey from 577 00:37:30,030 --> 00:37:34,910 Ballyhack to Passage East and offers a crucial 578 00:37:34,910 --> 00:37:36,130 link across the river. 579 00:37:37,550 --> 00:37:39,910 Jason Roach is the operations manager. 580 00:37:39,910 --> 00:37:44,330 We carry somewhere in the region of 581 00:37:44,330 --> 00:37:45,450 350000 cars per year. 582 00:37:47,890 --> 00:37:49,810 We save a massive long journey by road. 583 00:37:51,130 --> 00:37:52,730 We save up to an hour by taking our ferry. 584 00:37:55,070 --> 00:37:58,190 For Jason, it's a job that runs in the family. 585 00:38:00,830 --> 00:38:02,890 My great-granduncle, his name was Patsy Barne, 586 00:38:02,950 --> 00:38:04,570 he used to run a little motorboat over 587 00:38:04,570 --> 00:38:06,090 and back the river here, which I'm obviously 588 00:38:06,090 --> 00:38:07,370 only catered for foot passengers. 589 00:38:08,450 --> 00:38:10,250 The fare used to correlate to the price 590 00:38:10,250 --> 00:38:11,530 of the bottle of Guinness, so as the 591 00:38:11,530 --> 00:38:13,230 bottle of Guinness became more expensive, so did 592 00:38:13,230 --> 00:38:13,890 the fare for the ferry. 593 00:38:15,290 --> 00:38:18,050 The modern-day ferry is driven by Jason's 594 00:38:18,050 --> 00:38:21,850 dad Paddy, and it's grown to a 40 595 00:38:21,850 --> 00:38:24,330 -metre vessel carrying 23 cars. 596 00:38:27,350 --> 00:38:30,890 We have four engines and four controls, one 597 00:38:30,890 --> 00:38:31,530 for each engine. 598 00:38:32,310 --> 00:38:35,710 Yeah, they're 360 degrees, turning all the way 599 00:38:35,710 --> 00:38:38,430 around, so it's a good system, very handy, 600 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:40,570 very manoeuvrable, yes. 601 00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:45,940 Could probably take you about six months to 602 00:38:45,940 --> 00:38:48,380 get used to it, but once you get used to it, it's good. 603 00:38:59,140 --> 00:39:03,220 As we leave the ferry, our journey is almost at an end. 604 00:39:11,140 --> 00:39:14,060 From here, the river broadens as it flows 605 00:39:14,060 --> 00:39:15,360 out towards the Atlantic. 606 00:39:28,630 --> 00:39:32,490 Right at the southern tip, we find the 607 00:39:32,490 --> 00:39:35,110 magnificent Hook Lighthouse. 608 00:39:36,750 --> 00:39:39,950 Dating back to Norman times, it's the world's 609 00:39:39,950 --> 00:39:41,950 oldest still in operation. 610 00:39:46,420 --> 00:39:50,100 Today, it's looked after by Lorraine Waters. 611 00:39:52,260 --> 00:39:54,960 We started as a lighthouse 800 years ago, 612 00:39:55,160 --> 00:39:56,640 we are still a lighthouse now. 613 00:39:57,280 --> 00:39:59,400 And so if you're heading up to Waterford, 614 00:39:59,680 --> 00:40:01,680 well, you know now, you've seen Hook Lighthouse, 615 00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:04,080 you keep to the left of that, you 616 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:05,340 are now heading up the estuary. 617 00:40:07,340 --> 00:40:10,180 That is what makes the lighthouses all around 618 00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:14,300 the world so incredibly important, even in modern day. 619 00:40:18,240 --> 00:40:20,960 And keeping ships safe from the rocks is, 620 00:40:21,140 --> 00:40:22,900 of course, the light itself. 621 00:40:24,640 --> 00:40:28,460 It's custom-made to distinguish Hook from other 622 00:40:28,460 --> 00:40:29,960 lighthouses along the coast. 623 00:40:31,260 --> 00:40:34,260 Robbie O'Reilly ensures it keeps turning. 624 00:40:35,380 --> 00:40:38,160 So every lighthouse has its own particular flash, 625 00:40:38,260 --> 00:40:40,540 and air flash is one flash every three seconds. 626 00:40:41,020 --> 00:40:42,300 And that's how, years ago, they were able 627 00:40:42,300 --> 00:40:44,780 to distinguish one light from another when they 628 00:40:44,780 --> 00:40:45,300 were at sea. 629 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:50,880 Illuminated by six 30-watt LED lights, it's 630 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:53,500 magnified to reach a range of 20 nautical 631 00:40:53,500 --> 00:40:57,140 miles and is entirely automatic. 632 00:40:59,960 --> 00:41:03,120 But there's still remnants of a past when 633 00:41:03,120 --> 00:41:04,800 the lighthouse was manned. 634 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,920 They would have to wind the light themselves. 635 00:41:08,460 --> 00:41:11,080 So you put this on like this, yeah? 636 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,120 And you crank, yeah? 637 00:41:16,540 --> 00:41:19,000 And at the end of this wire, there's a weight. 638 00:41:19,660 --> 00:41:21,040 As I was turning that there, I was 639 00:41:21,040 --> 00:41:22,300 pulling the weight up, yeah? 640 00:41:23,460 --> 00:41:25,060 And once you get the weight to the 641 00:41:25,060 --> 00:41:27,180 top, you would let this off. 642 00:41:28,420 --> 00:41:31,120 This would be attached to your light itself and would spin. 643 00:41:32,280 --> 00:41:33,760 And that would do the job for you. 644 00:41:33,860 --> 00:41:36,280 Every 25 minutes, they would repeat that process, 645 00:41:36,360 --> 00:41:37,240 every 25 minutes. 646 00:41:38,260 --> 00:41:40,360 It's a massive piece of technology for them days. 647 00:41:41,860 --> 00:41:45,500 This is the only working one in Orleans. 648 00:41:45,940 --> 00:41:48,700 The beauty of this wonderful piece of engineering 649 00:41:48,700 --> 00:41:51,580 is rivalled only by the magnificent views from 650 00:41:51,580 --> 00:41:53,980 the top looking out over the peninsula and 651 00:41:53,980 --> 00:41:54,900 the wild Atlantic. 652 00:41:55,420 --> 00:41:57,700 But the winds remind us of the perils 653 00:41:57,700 --> 00:41:59,400 of this exposed location. 654 00:42:00,140 --> 00:42:01,500 It is absolutely bracing. 655 00:42:02,160 --> 00:42:03,940 I suppose it's the reason why we're here. 656 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:05,100 It's why we have our lighthouse. 657 00:42:05,320 --> 00:42:08,340 Imagine this wind behind shoving your boats on to rock. 658 00:42:09,280 --> 00:42:11,840 Imagine the tragedies that wouldn't be averted without 659 00:42:11,840 --> 00:42:12,940 this incredible lighthouse. 660 00:42:15,220 --> 00:42:16,960 I'll only be here maybe for 10 or 661 00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:19,500 20 years and the lighthouse will still be here. 662 00:42:20,440 --> 00:42:21,440 I'll just be a memory. 663 00:42:22,060 --> 00:42:23,200 I'm hoping she'll remember me. 664 00:42:28,600 --> 00:42:31,320 As we say goodbye to this wind-swept 665 00:42:31,320 --> 00:42:34,740 peninsula, our adventure comes to an end. 666 00:42:38,270 --> 00:42:40,770 It's a fitting way to leave this river 667 00:42:40,770 --> 00:42:43,750 so rich in beauty and history. 668 00:42:45,970 --> 00:42:48,410 As we go, we look back on an 669 00:42:48,410 --> 00:42:52,270 incredible journey, starting at the source high in 670 00:42:52,270 --> 00:42:53,650 the hills of Tipperary. 671 00:42:56,890 --> 00:43:02,430 We've passed untouched emerald landscapes, seen stunning architecture, 672 00:43:03,870 --> 00:43:07,110 but above all, we've seen a deep affection 673 00:43:07,110 --> 00:43:07,890 for the river. 674 00:43:10,290 --> 00:43:15,370 And perhaps as well, a glimpse of the Irish soul. 675 00:43:24,960 --> 00:43:27,300 World's Most Scenic River Journeys is back new 676 00:43:27,300 --> 00:43:28,780 next Friday at 7. 677 00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:31,860 Revealing the real story hour by hour. 678 00:43:32,120 --> 00:43:34,260 Don't miss our brand new three-part documentary, 679 00:43:34,400 --> 00:43:38,220 Dunkirk Mission Impossible, tomorrow at 9.30. And 680 00:43:38,220 --> 00:43:41,360 tonight, Susan Kelman's back on home soil, exploring 681 00:43:41,360 --> 00:43:43,560 the Scottish Glens on a grand day out. 682 00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:44,360 New next. 682 00:43:45,305 --> 00:44:45,897 Do you want subtitles for any video? -=[ ai.OpenSubtitles.com ]=-