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Ronan.Keatings.Wild.Atlantic.S01E05-Derry.Londonderry
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00:03I've been lucky enough to travel the world playing music.
00:07Thank you!
00:09But there's one place that's calling me back.
00:12I mean, just look at this. It's perfect.
00:18The glorious west coast of Ireland,
00:21on the edge of the wild Atlantic Ocean.
00:25Summer holidays were here in these magical places.
00:29I haven't been back in a long time.
00:32It's 40 years since I've been out on this lake.
00:34And after the tragic death of my oldest brother, Ciarán...
00:38Dad was proud of you. He was so proud of you.
00:42I want to discover what made this place so special for him.
00:47Oh, my God!
00:50I'll be reconnecting with old friends.
00:53We were like, Wes, life? What?
00:55Better than boys.
00:58Singing some songs.
01:00And getting involved with the unique Irish culture.
01:05Look at that!
01:06And me names on the board! Get in!
01:09I was 16 when I left Ireland.
01:11There was so much of the Atlantic coast I hadn't seen.
01:15Now, I'm coming home.
01:27My next destination is just across the border from Donegal in Northern Ireland.
01:35Famous for its 17th century walls, Derry is the only fully remaining wall city on the island of Ireland.
01:42Last time I was here, I was probably 12 years of age.
01:46I came up with my brother, Ciarán.
01:49I remember crossing the border.
01:54Police checks at the border.
01:58Right in the heart of the Troubles.
02:01I'm pretty sure he didn't tell my mum and dad we came up.
02:03We had a great night.
02:05It's good to be back in Derry.
02:08While I'm here, I'll be heading beyond the walls to learn the art of sheep herding.
02:13Away!
02:15Away!
02:16Away!
02:16There he goes.
02:17I did it.
02:18There you did it.
02:18Not bad.
02:19And taking to the water in a traditional Irish Couric.
02:23Am I moving?
02:23I don't even know.
02:24You're absolutely moving.
02:25Here's me still.
02:27Away you go.
02:28But before I head out into the countryside, I want to see a bit of the city.
02:36For nearly 30 years this place was at the epicentre of some of the worst violence during the period known
02:42as the Troubles.
02:43But thankfully this is now consigned to the history books.
02:48More recently, it's become synonymous with the Irish gift for storytelling and humour.
02:54Derry Girls has been a huge hit around the world.
02:57We binged it in our house.
03:01Diona Doherty, comedian, podcaster, actress and writer, is a real Derry Girl who has offered to show me around.
03:09Hello!
03:10Diona, how are you?
03:11Good to see you.
03:12Great to see you.
03:13Welcome to Derry.
03:14It's incredible.
03:15I've never seen the city from here before and on a day like this, it's magic.
03:19What you'll find about being on the Derry walls is I think no matter what part of the walls you're
03:22on,
03:23you'll have a great view of different parts of the city, so it's a great spot to take it all
03:28in.
03:31Have you been to Derry before?
03:32Yeah, when I came here with boys home, we did a show up here in Derry back in the 90s.
03:36You did?
03:36Yeah.
03:37I think I was like seven when you said that.
03:39Oh Christ, stop the killing me.
03:39I mean, you would have been like 12.
03:41Yeah, thanks.
03:45Diona is one of a number of young comedians who are credited with Northern Ireland's stand-up resurgence in recent
03:51years.
03:52My four-year-old daughter goes to me recently,
03:54Mommy, what did you do for fun when you were growing up?
03:57I says, well, we play proper games in a place called outside.
04:04Actually, what happened is I did a maid of honour speech at a friend's wedding.
04:07Very good, right.
04:08And my husband, who's a comedian that I met at Edinburgh Fringe, was like,
04:11that was stand-up, you wrote jokes, people laughed, and I was like, maybe I should try that again.
04:14No way, it literally happened like that.
04:16Honestly, I think once you get bit by the stand-up bug, it's very hard to leave.
04:19No matter how badly it's going, you feel like you just have to, you're like,
04:23maybe I could do a better one next time.
04:29So, when I was growing up, obviously a big, big, big Boyzone fan,
04:34and my dad used to tell me when songs came on the radio that were popular songs,
04:39that he'd written them.
04:42And I used to go into school and be like, yeah, my dad wrote that one.
04:46So, I swear to God, and I used to tell people all the time,
04:50and they were like, why aren't you really rich?
04:51And I was like, we're humble.
04:51And I used to, I believed it for years.
04:55I love this.
04:56I love the one come on and be like, that's another one of mine.
04:58I love your dad.
04:59I can totally see where you get your humour from now.
05:04Look who it is.
05:05Oh, there they are.
05:06Yeah.
05:06Teenage kicks.
05:08Yeah.
05:08What an iconic picture.
05:10Derry has produced some cracking musical artists over the years.
05:14Oh, 100%.
05:14Do you know where the patrons say Derry is?
05:15Who?
05:16Nadine Coyle.
05:24Derry's Peace Bridge was opened in 2011,
05:28connecting two historically divided communities on different sides of the river.
05:33It's a stunning piece of architecture.
05:36This is the Peace Bridge?
05:37The Peace Bridge, yeah.
05:38Yeah.
05:38It's lovely, isn't it?
05:39Ah, it's gorgeous.
05:40And it's all lit up at night time, which is nice.
05:42And no tour of the walls would be complete without stopping to pay tribute to the legendary show that Diona
05:49was part of.
05:51I mean, would you look at that.
05:53There's the gals.
05:54It's amazing what Derry Girls has done, not just for Derry, but also for female comedy here in Ireland.
06:00Yeah, I think it's something that was quite underrated and unnoticed beforehand.
06:05Like, Lacey McGee created something that was so relatable around the world that it didn't matter that it was Derry
06:11or Young Girls.
06:12It was such a relatable topic and so funny.
06:16Like, it's one of the funniest shows ever.
06:17Oh, it's so brilliant.
06:18What episode were you in again?
06:19So, I'm the Wii Ukrainian.
06:21Yeah.
06:21I don't even think anyone calls me the Wii Ukrainian.
06:23I just made myself Wii.
06:24Yes.
06:25Who is this?
06:26Oh, that's just James.
06:27You are handsome.
06:30And also sexy.
06:32Derry Girls has made regional accents more accessible for everyone around the world.
06:36Because, you know, when I was growing up, we watched mostly American TV shows.
06:39Yeah.
06:39English TV shows.
06:40Even my kids watch those mostly and they all play with their toys and, like, American accents.
06:44But Derry Girls is a big hit in America.
06:46Yeah.
06:46And I just hope that there's Wii kids out there playing with their toys in Derry accents.
06:51Absolutely, you know it.
06:52That's the dream.
06:53Before I say goodbye to Diona, there's one thing I have to do.
06:58Do you mind recording a wee quick video for my Derry?
07:00I would be honoured.
07:01I mean, I've got to say thanks.
07:03Here we go.
07:03You ready?
07:03Yeah.
07:04Hey D, Ronan here.
07:05I just want to say a massive thank you for all the songs you wrote for Boyzone.
07:07You changed my life.
07:08Amazing.
07:09Yeah, you really appreciate it, don't you?
07:10I really appreciate it, D.
07:11I had no idea you wrote them, but thank you.
07:13There's nothing without you, Derry.
07:19Derry has been transformed in recent years, and whilst no one is forgetting the troubled
07:24history of this place, it's nothing like the city I visited back in the early 90s.
07:31The former British Army barracks are now beautiful public spaces with hotels and businesses.
07:37And walking along the Foil River on a summer's day, you could be forgiven for thinking you're
07:42somewhere in continental Europe.
07:46There's a joke here that Derry is Monaco without the money.
07:50There's that local humour again.
07:55Now that night I spent with my older brother Ciaran, when I sneaked into a nightclub with
07:59him, despite being underage, is a memory I had mostly forgotten.
08:03Until I came back here, and it's what this trip is all about.
08:08Since his death, I cherish those memories more than ever.
08:19Even though I grew up in Dublin, I loved getting out into the countryside.
08:24My granny and grandad, James and Annie Keating, had a farm near the border, and visiting them
08:29was always an experience.
08:33Livestock farming is still the biggest and most important rural industry here.
08:38It's estimated that there are nearly as many sheep on the island of Ireland as there are
08:44people.
08:4520 miles from the city, but still in County Derry, Benone Beach is where Shannon Conn
08:50puts her loyal sheepdogs through their paces.
08:53Hello pup. He's ready to run.
08:56Eh? Stay there now.
08:58Shannon.
08:59Hello, how are you?
09:01Good morning, how are you?
09:02At the grand old age of 23, she's got 13 years experience of competitive herding.
09:08This is Chip.
09:09This is Chip.
09:11This is Chip.
09:11Lovely Chip.
09:12So Chip's six years old.
09:13Okay.
09:14And then we have his son in here, Bandit, who is two years old.
09:17Bandit.
09:21We're in the beautiful Benone Beach.
09:22This is gorgeous.
09:23This strand.
09:24I mean, wow.
09:25One of the longest beaches in Ireland.
09:27What's that temple at the end there?
09:29So that's Muslim Temple.
09:30Okay.
09:31Very famous around here.
09:32A lot of people actually get engaged up around there.
09:34Oh right, lovely.
09:35They've made a lot of films and TV stuff up here, don't they?
09:38Yes.
09:38You ever heard of the Game of Thrones?
09:40I've heard of that.
09:40Yes.
09:41Yes.
09:41So that was filmed in Benavena Mountain.
09:43I mean, it is a remarkable setting.
09:46But we're not here just to take in the spectacular views.
09:49There's work to be done.
09:51Sheepdogs.
09:52No sheep.
09:53We're on the beach.
09:53What are we doing?
09:54So this is our fitness training.
09:56How much fitness does a sheepdog need?
09:58So these dogs are competing.
10:00So they get competing from everything from 10 minutes to half an hour.
10:03Running.
10:04Constant running.
10:05Constant running.
10:05How fast do they go?
10:06So on here, we're just running straight.
10:09He should go 20, 25 miles per hour.
10:11Oh wow.
10:11That's pretty quick.
10:12Yeah, pretty quick.
10:14We did use to have a dog that done 32.
10:16Wow, you could run them at a greyhound tracker.
10:18That's fast.
10:19Very fast.
10:20Oh my God.
10:21Very fast.
10:25Shannon was just 13 when she won BBC's One Man and His Dog.
10:30Competing against the best in the UK.
10:33Alright then, let's go.
10:35Oh, bless him.
10:37Off he goes.
10:39Off he goes.
10:39Look, he's looking for a command.
10:41Oh, he's waiting.
10:42He's very well behaved.
10:43Right.
10:44So why's he waiting?
10:45He's waiting to follow you.
10:47Yeah, yeah.
10:47Chip, he's older so he's like, you know what, I know what I'm doing.
10:50Here I go.
10:51Wow, okay.
10:52And then found out weight for me.
10:53That's experience.
10:54Experience and experience.
10:55Yeah, inexperience.
10:56Okay.
10:57Alright then.
10:58Let's jump in.
11:01Okay.
11:05Off we go.
11:07Oh, put it in gear might be a good start.
11:09Yeah, that's always a good idea.
11:14So how long have you been doing this?
11:16I don't know.
11:16Yeah.
11:17Okay, good.
11:19He's a way back up.
11:20I don't know.
11:21He's there.
11:21I don't know about that.
11:23Chip!
11:23Hello!
11:25Here he comes, here he comes.
11:27This is Brenton.
11:28He's going the wrong direction.
11:29Hey, Chip!
11:30Come here, mate!
11:32You've been lucky me to see you.
11:33You've not listened to me.
11:34No, I don't think you've been.
11:35Chip!
11:35Come on!
11:42So, you have a working farm.
11:44Yeah.
11:45You have sheep.
11:45You use the dogs.
11:46Yeah.
11:46But then, on the weekends, you've trained dogs to compete.
11:50Yes, so there could be 50 other people competing that day.
11:54Okay.
11:54And you're trying to get in the top six.
11:56Say, a competition.
11:57It's speed, agility, or, you know, the way that they listen to you.
12:02It's the way that you're listening is the most important.
12:04Right.
12:04And their ability on sheep.
12:08Shannon was the youngest sheep herder in the UK's top 15 rankings.
12:12And Ireland's first woman to compete in the International Supreme Championships.
12:17And you don't get to that level without having extremely fit dogs.
12:23So, after a leisurely drive along the beach, it's time to turn around and encourage a sprint
12:28back to the start.
12:33Wow, they're fast.
12:35Very fast.
12:36And he's catching Chip.
12:37Well, they're going 20 miles per hour now.
12:39Yeah.
12:39And they're well ahead of us.
12:45Yeah.
12:55And after that intense workout, it's time to cool off in the Atlantic.
13:00Okay.
13:00Well, here you go.
13:01I'll let you go.
13:01Here, Alex.
13:02Come on then.
13:04Good boy.
13:05They love the attention from you.
13:06They love attention.
13:08Yes, they do.
13:08You can see how fit Chip is.
13:10Yeah.
13:10He's not even panting after that huge run.
13:13Bandit's really the lighter.
13:14Bandit on the other hand, yeah.
13:17They're such good boys.
13:19They're so good.
13:20It's like an ice bath for them, right?
13:22You know, good for their joints and muscles after a long run.
13:25Proper athletes, huh?
13:26They are proper athletes.
13:32Shannon's farm is only a few minutes' drive from the beach.
13:35And she's promised to show me the art of sheep herding.
13:43I think we'll go with Chip first.
13:45He won the beach run.
13:46Yeah, he did.
13:46He deserves it.
13:47So what will he do?
13:48He'll go get them and bring them over to us.
13:50Well, hopefully.
13:51That is the plan.
13:52Yeah, so Chip will go out, gather them up.
13:55He'll listen, hopefully, to me on the way down.
13:57Bring them round.
13:58Round our feet.
13:59And he's going to drive them away.
14:01Simple.
14:07Wow, look at this.
14:08He's ready.
14:09Sheep are over there.
14:10He's there.
14:11He won't move.
14:11He'll not move, no.
14:12Not until I send him.
14:15We'd better release him.
14:16You can't do this to him.
14:17Well, there's one thing we need first.
14:18What's that?
14:21You can't handle a dog without a crook.
14:24This is a crook?
14:24Yeah.
14:25So that's my father's crook.
14:26Lachlan Conn.
14:27He'll be privileged to let you hold him.
14:28Oh, I'm privileged to hold him.
14:30This is very cool.
14:30I feel like David Beckham.
14:33Don't look like him, but I feel like him.
14:35I wasn't going to say anything.
14:37Thanks very much.
14:41Okay.
14:42Release him.
14:43Come back.
14:45Wow.
14:45That is incredible.
14:47He knows exactly where he's going.
14:49And he is just down the line of the fence.
14:51Like, you know, he could have gone as the crow flies across the field.
14:55So he's going to keep it nice and wide.
14:56So he's not going to disturb the sheep.
14:58So the sheep should come quite calmly.
15:00They should spot him now.
15:01You see them running around him.
15:01Now the sheep are moving already.
15:03So we're going to use the whistle.
15:04So I'll close your ears if I will.
15:05All right.
15:06Go on then.
15:07When he gets round to the back of him, like two o'clock.
15:10Yeah.
15:12Oh, that's impressive.
15:14That's incredible.
15:16There's a certain amount of blows there you're doing.
15:19That's his come by.
15:20Yeah.
15:20So that's the left.
15:21And we're going to go right here now.
15:24And there's different tones.
15:28All different tones.
15:29That's the stops.
15:30The harsh one.
15:31Yeah.
15:31So I'm going to tell him to slow down,
15:32because he's going a wee bit too fast with the sheep.
15:36See the half one.
15:37Oh, and he's just slowed down.
15:39That's incredible.
15:40It's like a remote control dog.
15:42Wow.
15:42It's something special to watch.
15:44It really is.
15:45It's so impressive.
15:49I've just watched the master at work.
15:51And now it's my turn to have a go.
15:54Oh, this is Bud.
15:56Hello, Bud.
15:57Sit down.
15:57How are you doing?
15:58This is Bud.
15:59He's two years old.
16:00He's a feisty one, huh?
16:01And he's red.
16:02The colour red.
16:03He's a beautiful colour.
16:04Which is very unique for dogs.
16:06Oh, he's gorgeous.
16:11So one thing you need, obviously,
16:12if you're going to work a dog,
16:13you need a whistle.
16:14Okay.
16:15So I brought you a wee present.
16:17No way.
16:18Get me a whistle.
16:19Your own whistle.
16:19I love it.
16:21I've got you green for Ireland as well.
16:23Oh, you're very kind.
16:24I've got a whistle.
16:24I've got a stick.
16:25I've got a dog.
16:30Will I try it?
16:31Uh-huh.
16:33No.
16:37We might have to do voice commands.
16:40Put it in your mouth.
16:41You put your tongue down at the hole at the bottom.
16:43Yeah.
16:44Yeah.
16:45Very good.
16:48I think I may be calling some nearby birds.
16:50So for Bud's sake, I'll stick to the voice commands.
16:54So the dog's right paw.
16:56Yeah.
16:57Is away.
16:58Away.
16:59Now, the dog's right paw.
17:00Yeah.
17:00So when that dog's facing you, you have to remember it's the dog's right paw.
17:04Is away.
17:05Okay.
17:05Dog's left paw.
17:06Come by.
17:07Away.
17:08Come by.
17:09Away.
17:09Come by.
17:10Now to stop is stand.
17:11Yeah.
17:12To walk on is walk on.
17:14Walk on.
17:16You tell him to stand.
17:17Stand.
17:18Stand.
17:19Stand.
17:20Stand.
17:20Stand.
17:20And whenever you're ready.
17:20Stand.
17:21Away.
17:23Away.
17:25Away.
17:27There he goes.
17:28I did it.
17:28Yeah, he did it.
17:29Not bad.
17:32The dog's natural things to bring them down anyway.
17:34Okay.
17:35So he's just gonna start bringing them down.
17:37He's gonna help himself.
17:48Away.
17:50Away.
17:51Away.
17:51No way.
17:51I cannot.
17:52Away.
17:52Yeah.
17:53I think it's my accent he likes.
17:55Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
17:55No, I get it.
17:56No, I was, I was being too aggressive.
17:58Stand.
17:59Stand.
18:00Stand.
18:01Away.
18:02Yeah, he's going on right later.
18:04He's listening.
18:06Stand.
18:06Stand.
18:07Stand.
18:07Yeah, he's going on right later.
18:08He's a good listener.
18:09He's very good.
18:10I'm impressed.
18:11He sets you very well.
18:12He does.
18:18That'll do.
18:20Good boy.
18:21Knee pedal.
18:21Yeah.
18:22Good boy.
18:22Super job bud.
18:24Good boy.
18:25Great job.
18:26Well done.
18:28Oh.
18:34Being out along this stunning coastline brings back so many memories.
18:37of summer holidays as a kid.
18:40Me and my brothers love to mess about on boats whenever we got the chance.
18:44We even caught a fish or two.
18:47That's why I'm so excited to come visit John Wilkinson,
18:50who's a traditional wooden boat builder.
18:55John, how are you?
18:56Right and not very well.
18:57How are you?
18:58Very good.
18:59Thanks for having me.
18:59It's a pleasure.
19:00What are you up to right there?
19:01We're in the process of steaming some ribs to make a coracle.
19:05So the coracles are these, the wee boats outside there.
19:07Oh yeah.
19:08They're used all over the world.
19:09So in Wales they call them coracles and they're a little bit smaller.
19:13In Ireland they're a bit bigger.
19:14Okay.
19:14And they're called a boing curra.
19:15The Vietnamese use them, the Indians use them.
19:17All same thing but just slightly different materials and things.
19:20Boing curra, Gaelic for river boat.
19:23Well a river boat, yeah.
19:25So Boyne River, Curra, Curra skin boat.
19:28John moved from Brisbane, Australia to Ireland's north coast in the 1990s for a different way of life.
19:35Why did you choose Ireland?
19:36When I first came here it was because I was interested in the history.
19:39But the closeness of everything.
19:41You think in Australia it's, you know, it's hours and hours of trek to get anywhere.
19:45Yeah.
19:46Two hours you're in the Morns, two hours you're in Donegal.
19:48Yeah.
19:49Fantastic coastline all along there.
19:51And the other one is the people.
19:52I just find people in, the whole way across Ireland is just fantastic.
20:00Building boats here in this little corner of the world has been John's passion.
20:04And it's really paid off.
20:06With clients ranging from the National Trust to big TV productions.
20:11And you don't just build boats for yourself and for people that come along.
20:14We've seen your boats in some interesting famous places.
20:18Absolutely so.
20:19My most famous one is the Game of Thrones canoe that Brienne of Tarth throws Jaime Lannister in.
20:26I remember that episode.
20:27Excellent.
20:28It was a big deal.
20:28That's your boat.
20:29It was.
20:29My boat.
20:31Even just being in the workshop is inspiring.
20:34I can't wait to get hands on to build a traditional curragh starting with the steamed hazel wood.
20:41So basically it comes out.
20:44Yeah.
20:45Pointy end.
20:46Yeah.
20:46Is going down there until you touch the wood.
20:48And then very, very gently you bend her over.
20:52Wow.
20:52That is genius how it bends.
20:55Okay.
20:56So I'll show you another one.
20:57Same thing.
20:58The crux is to make sure that the spike stays right down low.
21:01Yeah.
21:02And she bends over.
21:04And if you put your hand here as it's bending, it'll bend more safely.
21:08Okay.
21:08So what I'll do now is I'll go around the far side of the form.
21:11Yeah.
21:12And from here, I'll stay there.
21:14I'll give it a go.
21:15And if you want to just keep doing the others.
21:17So the history of these boats obviously goes back thousands of years.
21:21It does.
21:22Beyond record basically.
21:23Because they're natural materials, it's actually really hard to know how long they have been around.
21:27Okay.
21:28So you think if you make a boat out of skin and wood and sinew.
21:31Yeah.
21:31And you leave it out in the weather for about two years, it's gone.
21:34Yeah.
21:34So we know people were on the water, but we don't really know what they were using.
21:40Point a bit down.
21:41Looks good.
21:42Okay.
21:42Nice steady bend.
21:44That's the way.
21:45Yeah.
21:46And slide her under there.
21:47There we go.
21:48That was a success.
21:49Good one.
21:52This feels...
21:52That's going to break, I can tell you now.
21:55There we go.
21:55You can feel it, it's totally different to the other ones.
21:57So that's one of the real cruxes to learning how to do it, is you've got to feel.
22:01Yeah.
22:01As soon as you're trying to force stuff, if you're thinking through your hands, you actually
22:05avoid lots of troubles.
22:06Hey, I like to think through my hands.
22:10After the wooden rods are bent into shape, they can be taken outside for the next stage
22:15in the process.
22:16A beautiful day to build a boat.
22:18It is absolutely fantastic.
22:21The nice thing about the coracle is that they're called the people's boat.
22:27Right.
22:27Anybody can make this.
22:28If you've got access to willow and hazel and canvas, you can build a coracle.
22:36So the lashing we use here uses two different types of knot.
22:40So the first thing you do is you put in what's called a stopper knot.
22:43It's just basically twist over the top like that and through the middle.
22:47So it's the first knot any kid ever learns.
22:49Really simple knot.
22:50I remember that one.
22:51Yeah, good man.
22:52Probably helps with your shoelaces.
22:53Yeah.
22:54And all we do there is we go underneath the lashing.
22:57We go around this bit, which is called the dead end, and then we do exactly the same
23:02knot.
23:02So it's just that overhand you do to do your laces up.
23:06And then we pull the whole lot tight.
23:09And what that does is it anchors our lash.
23:12So we go over here, under there, over there, under there, over here, which takes us back
23:21to the start.
23:22Yeah.
23:22And then we pull that tight and the whole thing just slides on itself.
23:25That's a thing of beauty.
23:27That is, wow.
23:27It is.
23:28Really tight.
23:29Yeah, that's incredible.
23:31I was a boy scout, so I should be able to handle this.
23:35Okay, so we go across, over, under, over, under, and then over and under.
23:51That's it.
23:52And then hold it tight.
23:57Do you want to take on an apprenticeship?
24:00You know what?
24:01I would love nothing more.
24:02Come up here and build boats with you.
24:04Lovely.
24:04That would be the dream.
24:06The simplicity of that.
24:07I mean, it's the engineering.
24:08It's so satisfying.
24:10To make a complete boat from scratch would take about a week.
24:13But John has some older models that are already seaworthy.
24:18So, Ronan, do you think you'd be happy paddling one of these?
24:20Yeah, I'd give it a go.
24:21Good.
24:22Excellent.
24:23Water?
24:23Yep.
24:24It'll be calm.
24:25The tide's ebbing at the moment, so it's as low as it can be.
24:28Beautiful and flat.
24:28Low, suits me.
24:30No wind.
24:30Let's give it a go.
24:31Good job.
24:32Okay.
24:32And just pick them up?
24:33Absolutely.
24:34Off we go.
24:35Need a paddle though, right?
24:37We will.
24:37There's a couple in the van.
24:38Okay.
24:41This estuary where the river ban meets the Atlantic Ocean is the perfect spot to launch from.
24:46I see water.
24:48Water, absolutely.
24:49So, this bit up here is a bird sanctuary.
24:52Okay, beautiful.
24:53And lovely calm water.
24:54Generally fantastic.
24:55Calm is a good thing.
24:56Calm.
24:57Always good.
25:02Have you ever canoed or kayaked before?
25:04I have.
25:04I've kayaked.
25:05Kayaked but not canoed?
25:06No.
25:07Okay.
25:07Did you ever do the draw stroke in a kayak?
25:09Definitely not.
25:10Definitely not.
25:11Okay.
25:11I've just, you know, the standard.
25:13Standard stroke.
25:14Yeah.
25:14So you think if you did that in a canoe, in a coracle I should say, you'd be paddling out
25:17here and what would the boat do?
25:19Circle.
25:19Yeah, you'd just be, the faster you went, the faster you'd go until you, I suppose, fell
25:24in here.
25:25Okay.
25:25Okay.
25:26So, the stroke that we've got to use is designed to either pull or push the boat.
25:30Okay.
25:31Okay.
25:32So, effectively it's called, it's either called a figure of eight or a sculling draw.
25:36And figure of eight, because it's a figure of eight.
25:38Yeah.
25:39So we have our blade angled like that.
25:40Yeah.
25:41Push it this way.
25:42When we get to the end of it, we cock it the other way and bring it back that way.
25:46And that's it.
25:46That's the whole.
25:47That's it.
25:48You say that's it.
25:49Any other stroke.
25:50Yeah.
25:50And you'll be doing the wrong thing.
25:52So if you can do that, you're right.
25:53Give it a go.
25:53All right then.
25:54Let's launch these babies.
25:55Yeah.
26:02Here goes nothing.
26:03Okay.
26:03In you go.
26:09That's it.
26:09Knees down.
26:10Centre of gravity back a bit.
26:12And you're paddling out to your right hand side there.
26:15Am I moving?
26:16I don't even know.
26:17You're absolutely moving.
26:18Here's me still.
26:19Away you go.
26:20Looking good.
26:21And the current's taking you down a bit.
26:23Yeah.
26:24Keep going as it is and you'll end up the shore just over here.
26:27I hope.
26:28That's it.
26:29Goodbye, John.
26:30Keep the paddle out this way.
26:31It was great knowing you.
26:32I'll see you in New York.
26:36You want some set of arms on you.
26:38Excellent job.
26:38To keep this going.
26:40These traditional boats, in use for thousands of years, were primarily used for fishing,
26:45close along the coastline of Ireland.
26:48From where we are now, we might have launched 20 metres downstream.
26:52Yeah.
26:53We'd paddle out 10 or 15 metres.
26:55And as we go, we spool our net out.
26:57Yeah.
26:57And then we head upstream, with the net dropping behind us.
27:01And then we head back to the shore.
27:03Amazing.
27:03And that means we can pull the net in.
27:06And every fish that's in that corner circle is yours.
27:09Impressive.
27:11So they're beautiful because they're so nimble.
27:13They are.
27:14They're so nimble.
27:15It's nifty.
27:15No frontal back.
27:17No sides.
27:20I got this.
27:21You have.
27:22Next career.
27:28I mean, everything going on in the world, it's just, it's so peaceful, so calming, just
27:33being out here on the river.
27:34Absolutely.
27:34Absolutely.
27:35You know, in this boat made from all these natural materials that are of the land.
27:41Absolutely.
27:42This magical country of mine, it never disappoints.
27:46It's so beautiful.
27:48Yeah.
27:53I can't believe it's been 35 years since I was in Derry.
27:56The incredible people that I've met on this trip and the stories, the warmth, the connection.
28:04It's really deepened my love for Ireland.
28:08It's such a brilliant country.
28:11And I understand it so much more now.
28:14I'm going to make sure I spend far more time here in the future.
28:29I'll see you next time.
28:37You do a great feeling.
28:38Bye.
28:41Bye.
28:44Bye.
28:53You
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