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00:00I'm Fred Syriex and I'm French.
00:04What courage is your long day.
00:06I used to work front of house in the hospitality industry.
00:10Cheers.
00:11But now I'm front of camera bringing people together.
00:15I really love cycling.
00:18It's a great way to travel and meet people.
00:21I haven't run this much for so long.
00:25Get the taste of new cultures and fresh flavours.
00:29I know it's naughty but they're so good.
00:33Last year I toured Northern Ireland on my bike.
00:37This time I'm heading back across the Irish Sea
00:40to explore the south of this extraordinary island.
00:44It really is epic.
00:46The cycle challenges start in Wexford
00:49and finish further south in County Cork.
00:52Some tough.
00:53Are you going to cheer me on or what?
00:55Come on!
00:57Some more gentle.
00:58Time for tea.
01:00But all spectacular.
01:03It's not just about cycling.
01:05And kiss.
01:06Perfect.
01:07There will be different challenges and adventures along the way.
01:11You've all heard of the Tour de France.
01:14This is truly an incredible place.
01:16This is Tour de Fred.
01:31This time my bike tour of the south coast of Ireland takes me further into County Waterford.
01:36Cheers, Dutch.
01:37Do you think I'm a local?
01:41This is my accent.
01:43And on to my first taste of County Cork.
01:47Cheers.
01:48Sláinte.
01:49Where I'm not just welcomed by the people of the Ribble County, but by the animals too.
01:57Bonjour Maya.
01:58Hi Maya.
01:59Bonjour.
02:00Yeah, she's got a bit rusty maybe.
02:01Yeah, no, no.
02:02The French is really good.
02:03The stakes are high at road bowling.
02:04This is super serious.
02:05And my singing and language skills are put to the ultimate test.
02:18All right, off we go.
02:38My epic cycling trip around the south east of Ireland has hit the coast of County Waterford.
02:46The misty rain won't deter me from heading for the beach to meet Sean, a local artist whose
02:53works are literally here today and gone tomorrow.
02:59I'm running late and it looks like it's already started.
03:05Sean creates huge sand drawings with a garden rake on beaches all around Ireland and Britain.
03:14Hi Sean.
03:15How are you doing?
03:16How are you?
03:17Very good.
03:18Pleased to meet you.
03:19Careful not to step on your heart.
03:20Oh yeah, that's it.
03:21That's it.
03:22You know, your heart is like a metaphor for life.
03:23Because you create it and then the tide come in and then it's gone.
03:26It's like it never existed.
03:28Temporary.
03:29It's as very nature as temporary, yeah.
03:30Like it's fleeting moment, the tide comes in.
03:32But speaking of tides, that's just turned.
03:35So I'm going to be against the clock here.
03:37So if you fancy having a go, you're more than welcome.
03:39We're going to get going.
03:40Right then.
03:41OK, let's go.
03:42So I brought along a few bits and pieces here.
03:45A few of my favourite rakes.
03:46Sure.
03:47I'm going to give you a go yourself.
03:48OK.
03:49I'd like to see if you can do something based and inspired on this.
03:51I am not very arty.
03:53I'd like to tell you that now.
03:54Ah, well this is kind of more of a mindful experience really.
03:57All right.
03:58Like if you have a blank piece of paper and a pencil, sometimes it might feel a bit daunting.
04:02But this is very much walking in nature and breathing and breathing in the air and just being part of the environment.
04:07I can do that.
04:08Perfect.
04:09Right.
04:10Grab that black rake and I'm going to start with a little challenge down here for you.
04:12OK.
04:13Don't mind stepping on this.
04:14It's easy just to fix it in a second.
04:15Oh no, I don't want to destroy it.
04:18Fair play.
04:19So the challenge I have for you today, Fred, is we're going to go round and round in circles.
04:23We're going to fill in this dot, this circle.
04:25It's a bubble in my mind and it's like an air bubble full of oxygen.
04:28Right.
04:29So follow me and you'll find your own technique.
04:31I think going around in circles is a good way.
04:33So jump in.
04:34Shall I go the other way or just this way?
04:35No, no.
04:36We'll go the same direction.
04:37OK.
04:38Kind of overlap your rake about half way.
04:41As long as you don't get dizzy.
04:43A little bit.
04:44It's like I'm going round in circles now.
04:47Story of my life.
04:51It's quite mesmerising to be here doing this with just the wind and the waves as our soundtrack.
05:01I'm really impressed with the regularity of your circle here.
05:07It's really good.
05:08Well, that's all down to the drawing stick, which I might actually give you a go of the drawing stick.
05:12OK.
05:13So, you've tried the rake.
05:18Yeah.
05:19Now I'd like you to draw something.
05:21Oh.
05:22So I'm going to show you how to use this.
05:23All right.
05:24All right.
05:25It's actually a horse's lung stick.
05:26It would have had a string on the top for it.
05:28It feels a shame that Sean's masterpiece will soon be washed away by the tide.
05:33But not before I've added my own finishing touch.
05:36I hope I don't spoil it.
05:38So I'm going to give you a demonstration.
05:40Right.
05:41So your right hand will be down.
05:42And you literally see the way it's stuck down into the ground like that.
05:44So you literally just walk.
05:45Just imagine that it's not there.
05:47Behind you.
05:48It's very mindful.
05:50So literally your image is going to be created behind you.
05:54You don't need to look at the stick.
05:56Just taking the surroundings.
05:59And just spirals, bubbles.
06:01Away you go.
06:02All right.
06:03I have no idea what I'm doing.
06:06No, well, that's very good.
06:07It's random like that, yeah?
06:09Yeah, yeah, yeah.
06:10Oh, look at my circle.
06:11It's so round.
06:12Yeah, and bring it on.
06:13Look at that.
06:14Yeah, that's good.
06:15Very good.
06:16You've good balance.
06:17You're keeping your back straight.
06:18You're breathing.
06:19Keep that shoulder a little bit up.
06:21Very good.
06:22Nice.
06:23Right, let's grab those rakes.
06:24Voila.
06:25Voila.
06:26Let's go and get the rakes.
06:29That's the spirit.
06:31Let's go and get the rakes.
06:36This beach is Sean's canvas and it's easy to see how he is inspired by the shapes of the
06:41Irish landscape.
06:43My own creative efforts definitely feel more abstract, don't they?
06:51You've got an incredible place to do your art.
06:52I mean, you are right on the beach.
06:54The sea is over there.
06:55Look at this beautiful countryside.
06:57It's just incredible.
06:58How did you get the urge to do this?
07:00Well, it was a bit like an epiphany moment, Fred, because I was sitting on a cliff, on a
07:04cliff top, looking down on the sand and I was actually asking myself, how am I going
07:08to make art here?
07:09I'm from a salvage background, making things out of recycled materials and so on as an
07:13artist, but I was looking on the sand and I said, I have no materials here.
07:16Next thing, a horse was led onto the beach and led around and around in circles by its
07:21trainer on a lunge rope and it left this imprint of a circle and I just thought if a horse
07:26can do it, so can I.
07:27Well, the tide is coming in, we better finish off.
07:29And here comes the rain too, so let's go.
07:31Yes.
07:32I think we could make something out of this, Fred, I think this would be okay.
07:36I think you're very hopeful, Sean, but I'll take the compliment, thank you.
07:43It won't be long until the waves wash our sand art away, but that's the magic of it.
07:48It disappears eventually, leaving room for the imagination next time.
07:58I'm back on my bike, overlooking the beach now, cycling on a former railway track, the
08:04Waterford Greenway.
08:05It's the longest of its kind in Ireland, running for 30 miles.
08:10It's car free, the perfect eco-friendly journey.
08:15I've been so impressed by the Waterford Greenway that I've decided to make it part of my challenge.
08:20So I'm going to cycle all the way to the very end, all the way to Dungarvan.
08:26So you watch me and hopefully I'm not going to get a speeding ticket.
08:30All right, let's go.
08:31Cycling challenge, here I come.
08:34The Waterford Greenway opened in 2017 and provides a path for cycling or walking
08:39all the way from the historic Waterford City to the seaside town of Dungarvan in West County Waterford.
08:46It's nice for a change to have a flight challenge.
08:52But this allows me a bit of speed. I like that.
08:57My goal is to cycle the three miles to Dungarvan in 15 minutes.
09:03A time challenge is always a favourite of mine. Come on.
09:06I love saying hello in Irish to the locals.
09:10I don't want to say that now.
09:12Do you think I'm a local?
09:17It's my accent.
09:23Dungarvan is a bustling arbor town where I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to say Gia Ditch.
09:29Dungarvan, here I come!
09:36Dungarvan traces its roots back to the 12th century and was founded by the Normans around King John's Castle,
09:42known locally today as Dungarvan Castle.
09:49I might not be speed racing. This is Tour de Fred, not Tour de France, but I made it in a respectable time.
09:55Three miles in 15 minutes.
09:57Here I am. This is the end of my cycle challenge.
10:00I've made it. It's the end of the Greenway and I'm at the Garvin Castle.
10:05A quick stop off before heading off again. I have so much more of Waterford to explore.
10:14And there is a room full of singers waiting for me at my next stop.
10:18I'm Fred Syriax and I'm touring Ireland on my bike.
10:39My next destination is a stronghold of Irish culture here in County Waterford.
10:45I've just arrived at the village of Unrhyne.
10:49And one thing I've noticed is that all the signs are in Irish.
10:53There's nothing written in English here.
11:02I'm off to the pub for my first ever Irish language singing class.
11:07Here it is.
11:10Here it is.
11:11Here it is.
11:14You say,
11:23Here it is.
11:27and
11:33oh
11:46dear ditch how are you yeah so i don't speak irish and i can't sing
11:55hey what's going on in this county i don't see a single sign in uh in english it's all in irish
12:00i almost got lost coming here you're in the grail top this is an irish speaking area
12:05in county waterford probably all of ireland was originally irish speaking but little pockets
12:11survived i just can't say geodich so i don't know i'm going to be able to sing with you guys but uh
12:17it's all written down is it yes it is i want it six years i'll take a seat i'll take a seat
12:23no it's good that you're speaking with your hands keep going
12:26funny me three last which means we'll we'll try it out
12:31okay
12:33oh
12:42I was totally lost I was totally lost in the lyrics and I was just concentrating on the dildo
13:09dumb you were waiting for the dildo dumb the dildo dumb yeah what does it mean dildo dumb nothing
13:16it means nothing everything in ireland is it a dumb years ago when that when people couldn't afford
13:21instruments they'd uh diddly i load died um diddly i doubt oh dilly i died
13:28but this is good yeah that's what we do it's a party going
13:47allen bridge are well known in this area and around the country for their music
13:51and their love for irish song tradition and language is so infectious
13:59and what's good about this music is that it comes from here it comes from this land it comes from
14:02ireland you know it doesn't come from anywhere else it's really native from me and that's why it's so
14:07special i think yeah yeah so what is this song about then it's about a fella who came to us for two
14:14things for drink and for women our women first and didn't drink whichever but he succeeded well you
14:20know we've all been there and maybe 50 years ago the people weren't allowed to sing it because the
14:29second verse says daily fan or roll on august two row hipper thorn a lady went with me and three women
14:37from country to prairie as well so the church couldn't allow that so this song wasn't allowed to be taught
14:43in the schools until quite recently really yeah it's interesting in that way so you guys don't
14:48know when it was written or where it comes from really but you're keeping it alive and you are
14:53remembering it all the lovely irish songs a lot of them we don't know who wrote them or where they
14:59came from because people didn't write things so much everything came down you know through through the
15:04mouth or lay people couldn't read or write probably so they learned a lot of it from people before them
15:11and we're just keeping it all alive well i'm not sure this off-key frenchman is who they had in mind to
15:17preserve their music but let's have one final go
15:29and we're just getting to know how to get the power of the people down
15:40and we're just going to know how to get the power of the people that they can walk around
15:45but now I'll be my title
15:48I will do finally for the dead old arm
16:00I'll do finally for the dead old dumb
16:02but the funny funny doll down slown shirt old
16:05dumb
16:10boy that by all the singing and back on my
16:13bike crossing over into Waterford's neighboring
16:15county, Cork
16:21East Cork stretches from Yole to the outskirts of Cork City
16:25and is an important stage of Ireland's ancient East
16:29there will be many thrilling cycling challenges ahead
16:33my first encounter on the roads of County Cork
16:37is an extraordinary one
16:39with crowds of people here to watch a sporting contest
16:42with local traditions
16:44road bowling
16:46this is the semi-final of the women's competition
16:50to decide this year's Queen of the Road
16:52a contest which started 30 years ago
16:55and decides the world champion of road bowling
16:58here in County Cork every year
17:00Hi, how are you?
17:02I'm Seamus
17:04Nice to meet you Seamus
17:06Are you the organizer?
17:08One of the many
17:10How does it work? What's the rules?
17:12You get from the start line to the end line
17:14in the least number of throws
17:16So how long is it from the start line to the end line?
17:18Two kilometers
17:20Two kilometers? And how many throws you have?
17:22It depends
17:24Yeah, exactly
17:26He said if you can do it in one
17:28Great, but it might take you 19 or 20
17:3017 or 18
17:32I have no idea what he's saying
17:34Is he speaking Irish? German
17:36German? Why?
17:38Is it international competition?
17:40He's saying concentrate
17:44I've got my own advice to offer
17:46I would advise her to actually kiss
17:50the left side of the road
17:52as far as she can
17:54Yes, absolutely
17:56This tactic is perfect
18:08That wasn't such a good throw, was it?
18:10It's a miss
18:12It was your advice, I think
18:14No, no, no, it's not the advice
18:16It's the execution
18:18You took the wrong advice
18:20It's the execution
18:22They're blaming you, Freddy
18:24I'm maybe not taking this seriously enough
18:29One contestant I should be taking very seriously
18:32is 12-time All-Ireland Champion Kelly Malone
18:35from County Armour
18:39Could this be the year she wins her eighth world title?
18:49This is super serious
18:51The origins of road bowling are disputed
18:55but the rules are quite simple
18:57Competitors throw a 28-ounce iron ball
19:00along a two-kilometer stretch of road
19:02with the fewest throws deciding the winner
19:05If the ball goes off the road at any point
19:08they make a mark
19:09and the next throw is taken from behind that spot
19:12After all, these are Irish winding country roads
19:16no two courses are ever the same
19:19Have you seen this game before?
19:20Never
19:21Have you not?
19:22I'm fascinated
19:23Yeah, yeah, yeah
19:24It's brilliant
19:25I love it
19:27What a thing to witness
19:28This is so competitive
19:32German champion Anke Klopper
19:34is competing against Kelly Malone
19:36Oh, this is a throw
19:41This is a throw
19:42This is a throw
19:43This is a throw
19:45Come on Gervais
19:47This is a German ball
19:53Anke was runner-up in 2017 and 2023
19:58but maybe this will be earlier to be queen of the roads
20:01When did you start playing this game?
20:04When did you start playing this game?
20:07I was four years old
20:10Yeah, and I have a little fan club here in Ireland as well
20:14So we have a lot of people here from Germany
20:16and they supported me and I'm very happy about it
20:20And you're German champion, right?
20:21Yeah, I'm the German champion, yeah
20:23Brilliant
20:24Yeah, thanks
20:25It's brilliant
20:26Thank you, bye
20:27Cheers
20:28There are such high stakes here
20:30But not just for the competitors
20:32But for the spectators also
20:34Although some people are more invested than others
20:37Fresh the cash
20:38Oh, all right
20:39Thank you very much
20:40Fresh the cash
20:41Fresh the cash
20:42Fresh the cash
20:43Fresh the cash
20:44Fresh the cash
20:45Threw it away for everybody
20:47Threw it away
20:48Threw it away
20:49Threw it away
20:50Threw it away
20:51I have actually no clue what was going on there
20:58Whoa, what a throw
21:01This is so tense
21:03Anker and Kelly are so close to the end now
21:05And there is even more pressure with silky talk
21:08From the Netherlands watching on
21:10Who has made it to the final already
21:18Whoa
21:19What's happened here?
21:23What an amateur mistake by the Germans
21:26They stopped their own ball
21:28It's one of the dangers
21:30Eating someone in the crowd
21:32There is drama at the bowling
21:34With my ancestry, I'm 6% Irish
21:39I know where my loyalties lie
21:41This is a big throw now
21:44Kelly needs to get this right
21:46Come on Ireland
21:48Come on
21:50Come on
21:51After a closely fought contest
21:53Kelly is in touching distance
21:54Off the finishing line
21:56Next throw could win it
22:01And she's done it
22:02Kelly is in the final
22:07Congratulations Kelly
22:08That was amazing
22:09Thank you
22:10So you're in the final on Sunday?
22:11Yes
22:12Final again
22:14Seems to be a good rivalry there
22:16So
22:17Yeah
22:18Well you're making a lot of people happy
22:22Yeah
22:23Well congratulations
22:24Thank you very much
22:25I'll let you rest
22:26Thank you
22:27Bye
22:32This is a different kind of sport
22:33A sport I have never seen before
22:35And it's so serious
22:36Deadly serious
22:40Tell you what
22:41If they are looking for a French competitor next year
22:43Count me in
22:44But before that
22:45I have to get back on the road
22:46On my bike
22:47To discover more of East County Cork
23:04I'm Fred Syriacs
23:05And my cycle adventure of Ireland
23:07Is continuing in the rebel county of Cork
23:09I'm in the south east of the county
23:13In the town of Middleton
23:15Established here by a Norman Abbey
23:17In the 12th century
23:19This part of the country
23:24Became most well known however
23:26For its whiskey making
23:27With the founding of the old Middleton distillery
23:30In 1825
23:31The distillery was in operation until the 1970s
23:38When a new facility was built alongside it
23:41I'm partial to a whiskey
23:45So the opportunity to visit such a historic distillery
23:48Is so exciting
23:49I'm here to meet Tommy
23:50Hey Tommy, how are you?
23:51Fred, how are you?
23:52Welcome to Middleton
23:53Thank you very much
23:54Nice to meet you
23:55Yeah, you too
23:56Welcome to the home of Irish whiskey
23:57What a spot?
23:58There's a lot of history here
23:59So 200 years as a distillery
24:00So hence why we've got this lovely big old site
24:02Wow
24:03So what was first, Irish or Scottish whiskey?
24:05If you learn nothing else today
24:06Whiskey was invented in Ireland
24:07Yes!
24:08Yes, that's the main thing you'll learn today
24:10No, the earliest records for distilling
24:11Aqua Vitae, as it was called then
24:12Comes from Ireland
24:13So yeah, we definitely claim to the Irish whiskey
24:14Yes!
24:15Yes, that's the main thing you'll learn today
24:16No, the earliest records for distilling
24:17Aqua Vitae, as it was called then
24:18Comes from Ireland
24:19So yeah, we definitely claim to have invented it
24:20And when was this?
24:21Back in the 1300s
24:22So like 700 years ago
24:23I don't know if you know how whiskey's made
24:24There's a lot of different steps
24:25A lot of different stages
24:26We've kind of got experts at each stage
24:28Right
24:29That are going to give you like a deep dive
24:30So leave your bite there
24:31And we'll go to the micro distillery
24:32Okay, let's go
24:33Let's go see how whiskey's made
24:34And maybe taste a bit as well
24:35All right
24:36Of course
24:37Whiskey may be an old Irish craft
24:39But that doesn't mean there is a no
24:41Room for innovation
24:42So once you've perfected the recipe here
24:43You're going to make it over there
24:44A lot of the stuff we learn here
24:45Yeah, we're going here
24:46A lot of stuff we learn here
24:47Can be transferred across
24:48So yeah, so go ahead in
24:49Bonjour
24:50Hello
24:51Tommy is leaving me in the capable hands of Barry
24:52Who is the resident micro distiller here
24:53And is willing to let me in on a trade secret or two
24:57I'm like a child in a sweet shop here
24:59I'm like a little Syndrome
25:01Successful
25:22This is where the magic happens.
25:30So, Barry, tell me, what brought you here?
25:32Because you're not from Middleton, are you?
25:33No, no, I'm from California originally.
25:36I really just started off, like most people,
25:39I had a huge passion for spirits, huge passion for whiskey,
25:42and, you know, over time,
25:43that passion grew into a sizeable bottle collection.
25:46Right.
25:46And kind of needed to realise
25:47that I should probably look at either
25:49recognising this bottle collection as a problem
25:51or turn it into a career.
25:53Right.
25:53And I chose career.
25:54I'm very actively pursuing the craft
25:57and constantly trying to find ways
25:59to push the boundaries and experiment
26:01and look at tradition and look at the future
26:04and blending those concepts.
26:06Wow. So what are you working on now?
26:07Can't go into too much details of exactly what I'm doing.
26:10Why? Is it secret?
26:11Well, we like to keep things a little close to the chest
26:13until we release.
26:13Come on, you can't tell me, man.
26:15But I think double versus triple...
26:17It's secure. Nobody's going to know if you tell me.
26:18Yeah, surely there's nobody here.
26:20This would be a secret between us.
26:22Apart from Gérard, nobody will know.
26:24Gérard, just cut now.
26:25You've got to cut.
26:26He's going to tell me a trade secret.
26:30My lips are sealed, but the secrets don't end there.
26:38So this is the Spirit Safe.
26:40It's the heart of the distillery.
26:42And only the revenue and the master distiller
26:44would have a key for it.
26:45Do you have the key?
26:46I'm the only one with a key for it now.
26:47My man!
26:48Let the party start.
26:50This is the man!
26:52So this is where we make the cuts.
26:54So cuts is a fancy term,
26:56but all it really is is deciding
26:58that when the liquid flows off the still,
27:00I want to put a little bit of liquid into tank A
27:02and a little lid of liquid into tank B.
27:05Right.
27:05It's all about deciding which flavors you want to keep
27:08and allow to progress in distillation
27:10and which you want to stop
27:12and either recycle or go to waste.
27:14So this is the heart of it.
27:16This is makes or breaks your ability to be consistent,
27:19but also helps us in being innovative
27:22and finding new flavors.
27:24So who's got the recipes?
27:25And where are the recipes?
27:27The recipes are locked away.
27:29You don't get them.
27:29You have the key?
27:30Only I have the key for that too.
27:32Oh, wow.
27:33Yeah.
27:35Whiskey may be a secretive business,
27:37but the basic ingredients I happen to know.
27:40A mixture of malted and unmalted barley,
27:42which is then fermented with yeast
27:44and triple distilled in copper pot stills.
27:47The end product is good enough to drink.
27:51So right after it comes off the still,
27:52we call it new-make spirit.
27:54This is what my dad gets out after a dinner,
27:56you know, with the coffee,
27:58and you put it on the table,
27:59and everybody has a shot.
28:01There's no liquid better.
28:02Very pure.
28:03Yeah.
28:03There's a nice fruitiness to it, I think,
28:05for triple distilled.
28:06That's why they call it eau de vie,
28:08you know, aqua vita.
28:09Yeah.
28:09The eau de vie, you know,
28:10the water of life.
28:12Cheers.
28:13Cheers.
28:17Oh, wow.
28:19Something to wake up to, right?
28:20Yes.
28:20The heat is lovely, though.
28:22I mean, the flavors.
28:24Yeah, if the heat dies,
28:24and it keeps coming.
28:25You get this lovely sweetness,
28:27kind of bready,
28:28lovely caramel on the palate.
28:30Very delicate.
28:31Yeah.
28:32This is lovely.
28:33Sláinte.
28:33Cheers.
28:34Sláinte.
28:36New-make spirit is placed in oak cask
28:39to mature for a minimum of three years
28:42to become aged Irish whiskey.
28:44So I'm back with Tommy
28:45to visit the cooperage
28:47to see where the barrels are made.
28:48OK, Fred, so look,
28:51you're an expert on distillation.
28:52Now we're going to hear
28:53all about how the casks are made.
28:54We're going to meet our coopering team.
28:56OK.
28:56Hi, guys.
28:57How are you?
28:58Derek.
28:58Nice to meet you.
29:00Nice to meet you, Derek.
29:01Derek.
29:01How are you?
29:01Jer, nice to meet you.
29:02Jer Buckley.
29:03OK, well, let me take this off then.
29:06So what are you making?
29:08So what we're going to show you
29:09is the craft of coopering.
29:11Right.
29:11So the craft of coopering
29:12is making a barrel.
29:13OK.
29:14It's literally unchanged
29:15in almost 4,000 years.
29:17Only big change is metal hoops
29:18instead of timber hoops.
29:19OK.
29:20But everything is the same.
29:21It's the exact same
29:21as my dad taught me 50 years ago.
29:23So your dad taught you this job?
29:2450 years ago.
29:25Wow.
29:26In fact, five generations
29:28of Jer's family
29:30have been coopers here
29:31and he's still using
29:32his grandfather's tools today.
29:35The bulk of the cooper's work
29:36is to repair barrels these days.
29:39So it's time to do my bit
29:40by preparing a new piece of wood
29:42for a cask repair.
29:43This is tough.
29:47It's not easy.
29:48Oak is hard.
29:49Under Jer's careful supervision.
29:53There you go.
29:56We can't have any leaks
29:57of their precious whiskey.
29:59Along with my new stave,
30:01it's time to assemble the cask
30:02and, of course,
30:03like any good cooper,
30:04I must start from scratch.
30:06So just leave it far down, yeah?
30:07There you go.
30:09It's like a puzzle.
30:10I am very bad at puzzle.
30:14So what we're doing
30:15is we're putting
30:16a set of staves together.
30:19So this is how you make a barrel
30:20new, fresh,
30:21for the first time.
30:23Wide, thin, wide, thin.
30:25Because we're trying
30:25to make a circle,
30:27we can't put all the wide
30:29ones together.
30:29Right.
30:30We'd have an egg shape.
30:33So with a little bit
30:34of good instruction,
30:35we can make it into a cooper.
30:38And then the last one,
30:39we'll go in from the outside.
30:43Perfect.
30:44Yeah, I'll take over now.
30:45These casks aren't just vessels.
30:49The colour and taste of whisky
30:51comes from the wood
30:52used to make them.
30:53So to ensure the quality
30:56and the traceability
30:57of who repaired the cask,
30:58you have to mark your cask
31:00with a cooper's mark.
31:01Right.
31:01So this is my mark.
31:03Okay.
31:03It's number one,
31:04of course.
31:05We'll put the mark on the lid.
31:07Right.
31:07So we'll get you to do that.
31:08Okay.
31:10There you go.
31:10And there's your mark.
31:12Well...
31:12If it leaks...
31:13It's my fault.
31:14It's your fault.
31:15So now you have
31:15an ancient craft
31:16that you've worked on,
31:17so...
31:18I still can't do it.
31:20Come back there.
31:20You can come back
31:21and learn it again.
31:22Yeah, no, definitely.
31:23It's really interesting.
31:25I wonder if my barrel
31:27will stand the taste of time,
31:28but my work here is done.
31:32And I've been promised
31:34a taste of the end result.
31:40How old is this?
31:41This was filled in 2011,
31:44so it's 14 years old.
31:47So that's the bung.
31:48That's the bung puller.
31:50You've done this before,
31:50I can see?
31:51Once or twice, yeah, yeah.
31:53Oh, I can smell it from here.
31:54Yeah, smell the aroma.
31:55Really, really good.
31:57Thank you very much.
31:58You're very welcome.
32:00On the nose,
32:00I'd say, like, dried fruits.
32:02Fantastic.
32:03Raisins, sultanas, figs,
32:05nuttiness.
32:06Caramel.
32:07Absolutely, yeah.
32:08And then give it a taste,
32:09just let it melt into the palate.
32:10It's beautiful.
32:11Really, the pleasure
32:12is really from the nose,
32:13for me.
32:14The aroma is where
32:14you're picking up
32:15all the beautiful
32:16different kind of vanillas
32:17and nutty notes
32:19and fruits, so, yeah.
32:20What's the strength?
32:21This one, about 58%.
32:24It does feel it.
32:25So, yeah,
32:26have a little bit of water
32:27if you want to bring it down,
32:27but you'll probably find it's...
32:29It will be spoiling it.
32:30Well, look, yeah.
32:31Cheers.
32:32A small taste of whiskey
32:36teeing me up
32:37for the next part
32:38of my journey
32:39to the coastal town
32:40of Cove
32:40in County Cork.
32:41My bike and I
32:56are continuing
32:56our adventure
32:57in County Cork
32:58through the harbor
32:59town of Cove.
33:00Cove was once
33:05the most important
33:06port of emigration
33:07in Ireland.
33:09This was the last
33:09port of call
33:10for the RMS Titanic
33:11on a maiden voyage.
33:13It's a relief
33:17to be cycling downhill
33:18because I'm pedaling
33:18to catch a ferry
33:19over to nearby Spike Island.
33:30What a coastline.
33:31Look at this.
33:33And if you had any doubts,
33:35we're definitely in Ireland.
33:36The flag is flying.
33:43I'm on my way
33:45to find out
33:46about this intriguing island
33:47off the coast of Cork
33:49and its 1,300 years
33:51of history
33:51as an island prison,
33:53fortress,
33:54and monastery.
33:57This journey
33:58across the sea
33:59must have been
33:59very different
34:00for those being held there.
34:02At one point,
34:03this island
34:03was the largest prison
34:04in the world
34:05and there has never
34:06been a larger prison
34:07in Ireland
34:08or Britain since.
34:12It's an uptick
34:13hill cycle
34:13to the fort
34:14where I'm meeting Lorraine
34:15who is going to give me
34:16a potted history
34:17of the island
34:18and its defensive significance.
34:27Why was it built
34:28here in the first place?
34:29What are these guns
34:30pointing there?
34:32It was built here
34:32because we were
34:34under English rule.
34:35They were afraid
34:35of Cork Carver
34:36being targeted
34:37because it was
34:37such an important
34:38trade route.
34:39So what they done
34:40was here on the right
34:41hand side
34:41they built
34:42Fort Camden.
34:43On the left hand side
34:44they built
34:45Fort Carlisle
34:46and they built
34:47a small stone fort
34:48here, Spike Island
34:49in the 1700s.
34:50Then through
34:51the Napoleonic War
34:52they were afraid
34:53of being attacked again
34:54so they built
34:55a fort that we have here.
34:57This would have been
34:57kind of the best
34:58point of entry
34:58into Ireland
34:59if Ireland
35:00was being invaded.
35:01So they really
35:01fortified the harbour here.
35:03So anything
35:03that was going
35:04to invade Cork Harbour.
35:05Seems like you've
35:06got it all so stout.
35:07We haven't sorted.
35:08You could be the
35:08military commander
35:09of this island.
35:11There's nobody
35:12getting into this harbour
35:12without our approval.
35:14Let me tell you
35:15a secret.
35:16Napoleon had spies.
35:19Yeah, but we had
35:20moats and fortifications
35:21so it doesn't matter.
35:25No battle ever did
35:26take place in this harbour
35:27and the guns were
35:28only ever fired
35:29for ceremonial reasons.
35:31The first island prison
35:35was opened
35:36on Spike Island
35:37in the 1600s
35:38during Oliver Cromwell's
35:40invasion of Ireland.
35:42Tens of thousands
35:43of people
35:43were punished
35:44for rebelling
35:45against Cromwell's forces
35:46and before prisoners
35:48were transported
35:48to colonies
35:49all over the world
35:50some of them
35:51were held
35:52on Spike Island.
35:54So what I'm going
35:55to bring you now
35:55is the punishment block.
35:57It's the only
35:57purposeful prison
35:58on the island
35:59after one of the
36:00wardens
36:01was murdered
36:01the governor
36:02ordered the convicts
36:05to actually build
36:05the punishment block
36:07which is the most
36:08severe form of
36:09punishment we have
36:10on the island.
36:12This is an
36:13intimidating place.
36:15I can't imagine
36:16how difficult life
36:17would have been
36:18for a prisoner here.
36:20How many prisoners
36:20were there?
36:21There is nine cells
36:22down here
36:23one to a cell.
36:24So what was
36:25the maximum of time
36:26they would spend here?
36:27Oh they could spend
36:28up to three months here
36:29and if the prison warden
36:30didn't like them
36:30they were straight
36:31back in.
36:32There is an eeriness
36:34to these rooms.
36:35These are such
36:36confined spaces.
36:39So Fred
36:40this is one of our
36:41solitary confinement
36:42cells.
36:43Mm-hmm.
36:44During the 1850s
36:45when you were sent
36:47to solitary confinement
36:48you would have been
36:48sent in here.
36:49Hood over your face
36:50you would have been
36:50handcuffed.
36:51You would have been
36:52chained to the wall
36:52you're on bread and water.
36:55You're in here for 23
36:56and a half hours a day.
36:57They were deprived
36:58pretty much of all
36:59their senses.
37:00So there was no need
37:01for any torture here.
37:02This solitary confinement
37:03deprivation of sound,
37:05sight, everything.
37:07That was torture enough here.
37:09So this is the light
37:10that they would have been.
37:11Basically so it's
37:11psychological torture really.
37:13Absolutely.
37:14Yeah.
37:14The Victorian era prison
37:18here was chosen
37:19because of its proximity
37:20to Cork Arbor
37:21where enormous numbers
37:23of prisoners
37:23could be transported
37:25overseas to other countries
37:27colonised by England
37:28like Australia for example.
37:31So how long was it
37:31a prison for then?
37:33So it was a prison
37:34from 1849 to 1883.
37:36During the War of Independence
37:38in 1921
37:39they turned it into
37:40another prison again
37:41for the IRA prisoners
37:42that were here.
37:42Right.
37:43They opened it up
37:43as a prison again
37:44in 1983.
37:46And when did he shut?
37:472004.
37:48So this was
37:49a proper prison
37:5021 years ago.
37:52Until 2004.
37:54But it was
37:55too expensive to run.
37:56The buildings were so old
37:58it was too hard to heat
37:59and they shut up.
38:00What an oppressive place.
38:02I mean I can't believe
38:02that this was run
38:03as a prison
38:03until 2004.
38:0521 years ago
38:06there was prisoners here.
38:09It's important
38:10to commemorate the past
38:11no matter how somber.
38:13Spike Island
38:15really feels like
38:16the Alcatraz of Ireland.
38:19One small island
38:21with so much history.
38:23I won't forget my visit
38:25anytime soon
38:25that's for sure.
38:26And back on dry land again
38:39I'm cycling to another island
38:41in the Cork Harbour
38:42Fota Island
38:43the home of Fota Wildlife Park.
38:47Several different animal species
38:52in danger of extinction
38:54are cared for here
38:55and since opening in 1983
38:58Fota Wildlife
38:59has grown into a global force
39:01for conservation.
39:04I'm here to meet Willy
39:05who has been working here
39:06as a ranger
39:07for over 30 years.
39:09Nice to meet you.
39:12Good to meet you.
39:13Tell me what does Fota mean?
39:15Fota is Irish
39:16F-O-T-O-I-A
39:17is Irish for
39:18hot sod
39:19or warm ground.
39:20Right.
39:20We're like a microclimate here
39:22so the ground temperature
39:23is 2 or 3 degrees
39:24higher than anywhere else.
39:25So is this why
39:26you set up the wild park here?
39:27It is one of the reasons
39:29because there's lots of land here
39:30and there's an island
39:31so the good thing
39:32about being an island
39:32there is water
39:34which comes in from the harbour
39:35which naturally
39:36for some of the animals
39:37brings in fish
39:38and shrimp
39:39and all that kind of stuff
39:40for the likes of the penguins
39:41the pelican
39:42and stuff like that.
39:43Oh look there's a wallaby.
39:44Yeah.
39:46They go very fast.
39:47Yeah that's one of a number
39:49of our free range animals
39:50in the park.
39:51There's kangaroos
39:52wallabies
39:52there's maras
39:53and you just let them roam free?
39:55roam free.
39:55This is their home
39:56so we're involved in lots
39:58of breeding programmes
39:59protecting plants
40:00you know
40:01that's what we're about.
40:05I'm off to see some of this
40:06conservation in action
40:08with Willy.
40:14So Willy
40:15what are these animals called?
40:16These are called
40:17scimitar horned oryx.
40:18Okay.
40:19They're an antel
40:20from North Africa
40:20Chad, Tunisia
40:22all along that area there
40:23there was none left in the wild.
40:24All that was left
40:25was maybe
40:25up to about 1500 animals
40:27in zoos
40:28and water parks
40:29around the world
40:29and in 2007
40:31a male
40:32a three year old male
40:33from Florida
40:33went back to the wild
40:34and he was introduced
40:36to a group of animals
40:37and soared several calves
40:39you know
40:39so now in the wild
40:40at the moment
40:41there's probably
40:41just under a thousand
40:42left in the wild
40:43now they're just endangered
40:44so we can relax
40:46a small bit
40:46not totally
40:47so that is a prime example
40:49of why these
40:49water parks are so important.
40:51Are they very friendly animals
40:52or are they used to us
40:53or are they used to humans?
40:54They're inquisitive enough
40:55like I don't know
40:56is it the pink jacket
40:56or the French accent
40:57but no they're inquisitive enough
40:58you know.
41:01Sorry.
41:01I'd never seen an oryx
41:04before coming here
41:05but an animal
41:06I'm more familiar
41:07with seeing
41:08in wildlife parks
41:09is a giraffe
41:09and I'm so excited
41:12to meet Forte's
41:13tallest inhabitants.
41:16Oh wow
41:17giraffes are coming over
41:18Giraffes are coming
41:18yeah
41:19so Fred
41:21this is Kat
41:22or Katrina
41:22how are you
41:23nice to meet you
41:25she's part of the
41:25animal care team
41:26in Florida
41:26just like myself
41:27and she's going to
41:29tell you all about giraffes
41:29yeah
41:30so we have seven giraffes
41:32here
41:32and a big tradition
41:34here is
41:34any giraffe
41:35that's born in Forte
41:36we give them
41:37an Irish name
41:38okay
41:38and we feel that
41:40that little bit of
41:41Irishness
41:41travels with them
41:42kind of wherever they go
41:43we're a part of
41:44what about this one
41:45what's her name
41:45that's our little
41:46Aoife there
41:47and she's very confident
41:48little female
41:48then you have
41:49you see that female here
41:50yes
41:51that's Aoife's daughter
41:52Clodagh
41:52oh okay
41:53yeah
41:54so sometimes
41:55when they
41:55have their babies
41:56they're quite
41:57similar colours as well
41:58wow look
41:59Aoife is being fed
42:01yeah
42:01yeah
42:02could I try
42:03and feed Aoife
42:03yeah
42:04yeah
42:04let's go for it
42:05yeah
42:05we'll have to do that
42:06go for it
42:06I think it might be
42:10feeding time at the zoo
42:11you want me to hold
42:12hold on to it
42:13see the strength
42:14yeah
42:15see how they can
42:15just pull the leaf
42:16look strip
42:17mm-hmm
42:18just strip the leaves
42:19see that
42:19yeah
42:20look at these eyelashes
42:21incredible
42:22hello missus
42:24oh she's pretty
42:25this one as well
42:25she's had enough
42:26Aoife
42:27so Fred
42:28we've lots to see
42:29and lots to do
42:30Kat thanks for your help
42:31don't bother
42:32alright
42:32Sloan
42:33take care
42:34go for it
42:35go for it
42:36go for it
42:37go for it
42:39go for it
42:39go for it
42:40go for it
42:40go for it
42:41go for it
42:42go for it
42:42go for it
42:43willie has one more
42:44surprising store
42:45an Ed Ranger Aidan
42:46is here to introduce me
42:47to the biggest animal
42:49so far
42:49so these rhinos
42:52they come from
42:53kind of across
42:54Pakistan
42:54Bangladesh
42:54at one stage they would have gone all across the north indian subcontinent now their habitat is
42:59greatly reduced because of the impact that man has had on them there was how many were there
43:03back in the day there would have been over 100 000 rhinos probably about 100 years ago really
43:07200 years ago and now down to about 4 000 yeah and at one stage at their lowest they went down
43:13to less than 300 animals so they were one of the very first successful conservation programs that's
43:17really important yeah so this is maya uh she's one of her three indian rhinos and she's from france
43:22yeah so she's french she's french yeah yeah yeah i did think that she was from paris looking at her
43:27yeah she's got the elegance about you know that je ne sais quoi you can see you can see oh she heard
43:39the distinctive one horn you know okay yeah she's got a bit rusty maybe yeah no no the french is
43:47really good yeah yeah she definitely heard you wow they are so big yeah yeah yeah i can't believe
43:54the size you know it's when you see them up close and personal for the first time and you meet them
43:58in that scenario it's just it gives you a much bigger perspective of just how how important these
44:03animals are and what a loss it would be if they were to go extinct you know
44:09it's my turn to get up close and personal with a rhino
44:14so you can get a feel there for the the skin this is quite hard but then if you feel just
44:21underneath here it's actually quite soft yeah yeah so you can see the difference so like they live in
44:26the same area as tigers and they've evolved this really thick skin to kind of protect them and that
44:30skin can take a huge amount of damage you know they love being hosed down in the summer and they like
44:34to host beyond full power like you could take a pressure washer too and he would love that you know it
44:38would tear our skin off but he loves it you know so he does love contact and he loves doing the training
44:43for them it's a great way of getting their brain active because it's a positive to them we're
44:47trying to just communicate with them but for us it just lets them check the tree hooks on the feet
44:51he obviously doesn't understand why we want him to do that he just wants the food you've got to make
44:54sure he's healthy exactly yeah yeah yeah i've seen first hand the passion and care here with
45:01conserving these amazing creatures and it's such a privilege to be so close to a rhino what a beast
45:09it's about us globally working together to help preserve our natural surroundings the birds the
45:17plants the bees it's it's all about that well listen i heard you loud and clear thanks very much
45:22good luck in your travels take care man see you later
45:29my trip from waterford to cork has been quite a journey and the passionate people i've met along the
45:34way i've made it a cycle to remember sunheart for me is a metaphor for life it's beautiful but one
45:41moment it's here and the next is gone gone with the time the road bowling was totally surreal and i
45:49really loved it in fact i'm absolutely obsessed with it and i want to come back next year with my dad
45:54i want to represent france hopefully i can win
45:56my cycle challenge on the greenway to dungarvan was really a highlight for me it was so beautiful
46:07there is so much more of county court to discover i can't wait
46:26like
46:44beautiful
46:45but i think of this thing
46:46beautiful
46:49uh
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