Somhairle Mathers in The Glens Of Antrim
Ar An Sliabh is back for a second series, capturing the stories of those who live and work in remote mountainous areas across the island of Ireland.
Set in some of our most stunning countryside, this BBC Gaeilge series focuses on three different mountain regions - The Glens of Antrim, Errigal in County Donegal and Mount Brandon in County Kerry.
Starting on Monday 8 January on BBC Two Northern Ireland at 10pm and on BBC iPlayer, Ar An Sliabh was made for BBC Gaeilge and RTÉ by Strident Media with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish Language Broadcast Fund.
In this six-part series we meet Louise, Domhnall and their young family who live in Dunlewey at the foot of Errigal. Domhnall is living with Parkinson’s Disease and shares his health challenges, as we see him travel to Letterkenny and Dublin for treatment.
Deirdre Goodlad,Deirdre Goodlad pictured at the Rathlin Sound Maritime Festival features in episode six
Ar An Sliabh shows the regional pride and strong community spirit that draws people together and Josephine and Beulah are two local women who are passionate about Errigal and its importance to Ireland.
Josephine is the officer for ‘Cairde na hEaragaile’ and in the series we see the fruits of the group’s labour as a new path opens, making the mountain accessible to many. Beulah and her family returned to Donegal when she secured the manager’s job at the Dunlewey Centre. It’s no small undertaking - the centre has been closed since the pandemic and it’s Beulah’s job to get it thriving again.
In the Glens of Antrim, School Principal Brídín shares her experience around the importance of well-being and maintaining a good work-life balance. Brídín's a busy woman and she and husband Andrew plan for the future as they set up a glamping site in the Glens.
Historically, The Glens of Antrim have strong links with the Irish language and Deirdre is the Irish Language Development Officer tasked with encouraging the use of the language as she travels around the area working with young people.
In her down-time Deirdre is a keen sea-swimmer but is sadly all too aware of the potential dangers of coastal waters.
Where there are mountains in Ireland, there are usually sheep, and on the slopes of Mount Brandon in County Kerry we meet farmer John Joe. Arts and culture have strong roots in the area and local woman Bríd is key in the community’s amateur dramatic society while jewellery designer Brian draws inspiration from his surroundings to create beautiful works of art.
Ar An Sliabh starts on Monday 8 January at 10pm on BBC Two Northern Ireland with all episodes in the series available on BBC iPlayer.