Lesser Spotted Ireland with Joe Mahon

Joe visits the seaside resort of Mullaghmore in County Sligo, where he finds out why it took two Scottish engineers and a British prime minister to build a harbour. He also discovers some fairy cures…

Joe Mahon travels the length and breadth of the country in order to discover some of the most overlooked, yet beautiful and interesting, nooks and crannies of the Irish countryside.

In this episode, J…

Joe Mahon visits the seaside village of Laytown in County Meath, home of the only official horse race to be held on a beach in Ireland. Here he takes a keen interest in the origin of the local place-…

Joe Mahon dons the uniform of a United Irishman sharp-shooter while rehearsing for a re-enactment in Killala, County Mayo. He takes to the waters of the beautiful bay in search of mackerel and meets …

Joe Mahon explores the beautiful territory of the MacClancys of Dartry along the banks of Lough Melvin in County Leitrim. In nearby Glenade he hears the story of a fearsome lake-monster before search…

Joe Mahon makes a return visit to Kilcar in Co. Donegal this week, where he gets a lesson in harvesting and cooking limpets from a very youthful chef, he meets a knitter whose garments have garnered …

Joe Mahon makes the first of two visits to Kilcar in Co. Donegal, where he explores a 1500-year-old church and graveyard, finds out why seaweed makes a great raw material for a cottage industry, and …

Joe Mahon finds himself in the colourful town of Loughrea in County Galway on the shores of a beautiful crystal-clear lake that bears the same name. Here he meets some truly “Baffling” characters, vi…

Joe Mahon visits the village of Tempo in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland where he discovers a secret chapel in the grounds of the local manor house and finds out about some of the manor’s notable …

Joe visits the village of Saintfield in County Down, where he learns all about its native son whose ideas gave birth to western democracy. He also tries his hand at making art out of glass paste, and…

Joe Mahon finds himself in the fishing village of Clogherhead in County Louth, the meeting point of two ancient continents that collided millions of years ago, nowadays home to a community of people …

Joe Mahon finds himself in the County Longford town that takes its name from one of Ireland’s most celebrated writers, Maria Edgeworth. He discovers some fascinating characters among her extended fam…

Joe Mahon in the beautiful seaside resort of Inishcrone in County Sligo, where he hears stories of mermaids, black boars and legendary swimmers. He gets steamed up in the famous seaweed baths and mee…

In this episode, Joe Mahon learns about some of the very colourful past owners of Lissan House in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, including the last and perhaps most remarkable one. He also discover…

Joe Mahon explores the ruins of the Benedictine abbey at Fore in County Westmeath, Ireland, including the 15th guard tower which was home to a hermit, and the 19th century mausoleum which was the vic…

Joe Mahon travels to Glenariff in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, where he traverses an almost-impossible walkway to see some breath-taking waterfalls, and learns about the history of some of the gl…

In his second visit to Greencastle, Co. Donegal, Ireland, Joe Mahon meets the last of six generations of the McDonald master boat-builders. He also learns what a complex skillset fishing vessels requ…

In this episode, Joe Mahon makes the first of two trips to the fishing port of Greencastle in County Donegal, Ireland. He finds out how the local fishermen’s co-op can deliver their catch to market e…

Joe Mahon visits Lisbellaw in Co. Fermanagh, where he discovers how Victorian mills in the area got all their power from a small stream and how woollen blankets kept the population employed for a cen…

In this episode, Joe Mahon visits the village of Ballinamallard in Co. Fermanagh, where he discovers stories about medieval curses, Methodist preachers, an outdoor swimming pool and an island with a …