James Nesbitt's Ireland (2013) s01e04 Episode Script

1 A thousand miles of stunning coastline winds its way around a rugged emerald-green landscape steeped in history culture and characters.
I'm James Nesbitt and I'm treating you to a guided tour around some of the most stunning sights sounds and tastes that have made this country famous the world over.
This is an island I'm proud to call home.
Join me on a thrilling adventure through this rich Irish landscape.
Welcome to the Emerald Isle and the seaside town of Dingle.
It's a tourist Mecca but despite this, it's still a charming, timeless beauty spot that's been the town of choice for fishermen, foodies and film directors for decades.
It's pure Hollywood but there's only one superstar here, as you'll discover.
This week on our journey through Ireland's rich tapestry, we take time to linger on the unique things that make this country like no other place on earth.
This will be a journey of sensational shellfish, dutiful dolphins There he is.
And magical matchmaking.
It's great.
Some lovely girls here today, so there is.
For my first brush with the truly unique, I'm heading down the stunning southwest coastline to the tiny harbour town of Dingle.
It's so far west that the locals are fond of saying that the next parish over is Boston, USA.
Fishing and farming have long been the major industries of this town.
But with its picture-postcard harbour and dramatic scenery, tourism has become an increasingly important business for the residents.
And one family in particular is managing to make a living out of both.
Dingle town itself is that little bit out of the way.
It's a close-knit community so everybody looks after each other.
It's a very, very safe town.
Jimmy comes from a long line of Flannerys who have made Dingle their home for generations.
Every Flannery in Dingle is related.
In the 1903 census, there's only one Flannery left in Dingle.
And out of that, there was five brothers.
Then out of that, there's over 300 of us now in Dingle.
Over the years, the sea has remained an important source of income for the ever-expanding Flannery clan and these days, it's no different.
When I left school, there was nothing else but fishing.
I left school at 15 and went to the fishery college in Donegal to be a deckhand on a fishing boat.
Son Colm has followed in his father's footsteps.
And both will take every opportunity to work the sea around them, often heading out early in the morning in the hope of a catch.
The sea is definitely in my blood, there is no doubt about it.
Born and bred and grown up around it.
They do tell me stories of a baby seat being bolted to the back of one of the wheelhouses and me doing trips with Dad when I was very, very small.
At the moment, we're rigged up here for mackerel.
This is normally what we do from here on in at this time of the year.
We head out in the morning and see if there's something doing.
We'll stick with it a few hours.
They ain't biting today.
When the fishing is less than lucrative, though, Jimmy and son Colm are lucky enough to be able to turn to Dingle's million-plus tourists and in particular, one of its more unusual attractions.
Fungie is a wild bottlenose dolphin that in 1983 decided to make his home here in Dingle and has been here ever since.
I'm keen to find out more about this town's star attraction so head down to Dingle Harbour to meet up with Jimmy.
Jimmy.
Thank you.
Good to see you.
Welcome aboard.
Jimmy has been running trips into Dingle harbour for the past 23 years.
His boat always packed with eager tourists, hoping to catch a glimpse of the friendly Fungie.
Do you still enjoy doing this? Oh, without a doubt, you know? I couldn't think of a better job, really.
There are days, of course, when it starts to rain, and Fungie's a bit awkward but most of the time, it's Where would you get it? No, I know.
It's so beautiful.
And sure enough, it's not too long before the man himself makes an appearance.
There he is.
He's big.
Amazingly, Fungie has remained a resident in the harbour for almost 30 years.
What do you think attracts him to here? The experts will tell you, you know, we've had them out over the years, different times, and they've studied and had a look and seen what our set-up is, you know.
The only reason that they can come to that he stays here all the time is cos he likes it.
And over the years, have you built a relationship with him? Definitely, you know? Some people think I'm mad.
You talk to him, do you? I do, yeah.
What do you say to him? I tell him all my problems and things.
I'll get worried when he starts talking back to me! Dolphin spotting from the safety and warmth of the boat is one thing but I know what you folks really want to see.
And later in the programme, I will deliver.
Heading away from Dingle, further up this beautiful west coast of Ireland, brings us to another unique one-off.
This time, it's a man of mystery, a man who has made it his mission to bring love to the hearts of many.
Meet Willie Daly, Ireland's real-life Cupid Like I've never loved before and the last in the line of traditional Irish matchmakers.
Willie has matched thousands of couples and there have been, he claims, hundreds of marriages.
Good girl, Marian.
Thanks, so.
Bye.
They want to meet a wife.
They want to have a partner.
They want to find love.
They want to be happy and they just want to have someone to share their life with.
Along with his gift for matchmaking, Willie has an apparently magical book that has been passed down the generations.
In it are stored the thousands of successful matches made over the years.
Now, this is a lucky book.
It's 160 years old.
It's full of names of people who joined with the matchmaking.
If you touch the book, you're going to be in love and married inside of six months if you're single.
If you're already married and you touch it with both your hands, you're going to renew your honeymoon period by a lot more than the first one and find love again.
And this actually works.
Really, Willie? Well, I'm no Harry Potter but if Willie says it's magic, then I'm willing to go along with it.
And Willie's son certainly thinks he's magic.
As a dad, he's fantastic.
I absolutely love the man.
Anyone from Ireland will know Willie Daly, you know? Daddy is very open with everyone.
Our kitchen - you can come over to our kitchen in the morning, you get up and there can be five or six people there, drinking tea or coffee.
Daddy loves people and loves being with people and near people.
He's absolutely He loves it, like.
I'm going to play a little tune now on this.
It's a honeymoon tune.
And the name of the tune is "Mary, cut your toenails, you're tearing all the sheets".
That's the name of the tune.
It goes like this.
People write, drop in or phone Willie at his 63-acre farm in County Clare, all wanting to meet that special person.
And Willie's apparent success seems to prove there's someone for everybody.
I was talking to that girl, Mike, and I was telling her about you.
Yes, she's fairly stout.
She's not thin.
I know you told me you don't want a thin woman.
You'd have your hands full with her, definitely.
For a traditional fellow like Willie, matchmaking is never simple and with a trick or two up his sleeve, he makes sure that love is never far off.
He's married his love of horses with his knack for romance and devised "The Love Trail".
The Love Trail is, I suppose, a simplified version, or another little angle to matchmaking.
People just ride, with a view to falling in love, and riding as well.
And, in typical Willie style, even the horses come with that little something extra.
This is Brad Pitt.
He's a lovely horse.
Very popular with good looking girls.
And this is Pamela Anderson.
Now, I know all this magical book and matchmaking stuff may seem a little far fetched, but in fact it seems Willie's skills are in hot demand.
Today Willie is taking half a dozen eligible singles for a ride.
If you gather round, we'll just get everyone to leave either one or two hands on the book.
The scene is set for romance.
With a simple song and a few encouraging words, Willie begins to work his matchmaking ways on his lovelorn pupils.
Doesn't she look lovely? Wouldn't anyone fall in love with that? OK, OK.
That's a good start.
Rory, this is Theresa.
You met over in the thing but I've known Rory for a long, long time.
I've just met Kevin, there, and he seems like a sound fella.
So you never know, we might have a little dance tonight, see what the craic is.
Some lovely girls here today so really, its Yeah, it's enjoyable.
He's got one of those rare gifts.
He's got a few marriages out of it so we've been to a few weddings.
So, with the potential of love in the air, the posse head to the hills.
Only time will tell if Willie and his mysterious book have once again worked their magic.
I think it's fair to say that there is no-one else quite like Willie Daly.
Maybe if there was, there'd be a little more love going round.
So join me after the break for more natural beauty that will take your breath away.
It's easy to be bewitched by Ireland's splendour.
Lush, green, beautiful, with dramatic coastlines like this, the cliffs of Moher, which enjoy a gentle buffering from the Atlantic Ocean.
These are the tourist trails worth exploring.
The cliffs are 214 metres high at their tallest point and range for eight kilometres.
One million visitors come here every year to enjoy the view.
One million and one.
It's a good job I've got a head for heights.
Ireland's west coast is a dramatic landscape but it's also, in my opinion, home to a truly unique food experience.
Lying in the pristine waters of Galway Bay, lies an underwater goldmine.
Oysters.
People either love 'em or they hate 'em.
I love them and apparently there is nowhere better to try these little beauties than here.
This pretty little cottage has been the centre of a family-run business for the past 250 years.
Spanning an amazing seven generations, the building was once a family home, then bar, and now the hugely popular Moran's Oyster Cottage.
For the past 50 years, the restaurant has played host to locals, tourists and a wealth of famous faces, serving up seafood of every description.
Oh, wow! But in particular, it's the oysters that people flock here to taste.
Michael is of the seventh generation in the Moran family.
Someone said, "If you want one meal before you die, what would it be?" And I would say, "Oh, it's a dozen oysters" you know, "of the native Galway oysters on a plate.
Nothing on them, you know.
No lemon, nothing.
Maybe just a nice glass of Chablis.
" For Michael and the restaurant, today is a big day in the oyster calendar as he's heading to a long-awaited harvest.
Today is our first day of the new season.
And the R is in the month again and the 1st September, you know, there's a great excitement.
These oysters are the best in the world.
The Galway Flats.
They take five to six years to grow.
I'm excited.
I haven't seen these oysters since April and we've got to wake them up from the beds again.
Available from September to April, the Galway Flat oyster is grown in the environmentally protected waters of Galway Bay, Flushed twice daily by the Atlantic.
But what makes this particular oyster bed truly unique is that the salt water from the Atlantic is mixed with the fresh waters feeding in from the Clarenbridge and Kilcolgan Rivers, giving this little shellfish a very special flavour.
Ireland.
Great place for these oysters.
It's to our the area, the location of the oyster, and that's what gives it its flavour.
I think it all goes down to how green Ireland is, the environment.
It just is a pristine place for food.
Fresh from the sea, Michael, for your customers.
That's a beautiful, beautiful oyster.
Nice and deep.
There should be good flesh on it.
I'm going to open this one, I think.
It doesn't get much fresher than this.
No, indeed.
All right? There's nothing compares to that, in the whole world.
Very good.
I could live out here! Yeah? We'll get you a job.
With the precious cargo harvested, it's back to the restaurant.
Best way to do it is to tip that oyster into your mouth like that and chew the oyster.
Get that oyster round your tongue, different flavours, start to enjoy it It's just It's indescribable.
The oysters are a hit and the customers are slurping them down.
But if you aren't a fan of raw oysters like these lot, head chef Tom has a tasty alternative.
So it's just some garlic butter, some breadcrumbs, some fine breadcrumbs, some herbs, we use chives and parsley, a tiny splash of pernod.
Not much, just a little bit.
And you just get that onto the heat again.
Nice and moist without being too moist.
A little bit of stuffing on top.
You put as little or as much as you want to.
And then under the grill.
With the oysters grilling away, a whole host of treats are flying out the door.
Just eight minutes later, and the oysters are ready.
Even the most squeamish of eaters couldn't say no to these.
People who don't like them raw always order these.
We always say, listen, try one.
We'll cook one for you if you want to try it.
Looks delicious.
Nice wedge of lemon.
A little bit of chives for colour.
And that is your grilled oysters.
It is a great way to try them.
This season's Galway Flat is as tasty as ever.
Leaving the happy diners behind us, we head back to the picturesque shores of Dingle.
Where it is time to get my kit off.
Yes, you heard me correctly.
Hold onto your teacups.
He'd better still be there.
For your eyes only and in the name of human-dolphin relations, I am going to brave the depths of Dingle Bay to try and have a swim with Fungie.
The main reason I did this job was because I knew I'd look sensational in a wet suit.
I was wrong.
Colm, Jimmy's son was saying it is only the first five minutes that are really bad in the water, when you think you are going to die.
Five minutes actually is a reasonably short amount of time to think you are going to die.
It was nice meeting you anyway! With thoughts of my impending doom put to one side, it is time to meet Fungie.
Well, that's my plan.
I think he may have other ideas.
Come on, Fungie! Just a quick cuddle.
Jimmy! We need to try to keep you closer to the boat.
It is pointless trying to follow him, you know.
We'll try and get him back to you.
Even though I could see him through the clear water, Fungie was keeping his distance.
Ah, well, that's a wild dolphin for you.
I wasn't too far from him.
I don't think he's that keen on my work, frankly but it is astonishing just to be so close to him, knowing that he's round there.
The water is not anywhere near as cold as I thought it was.
It is so beautiful to look down and see the sunlight reflected and then you look up and it is just glorious around here.
And you can see why he has lived here for so long.
It is very peaceful, very beautiful.
James Bond.
James Nesbitt.
Before I went in, I thought, inside I was really a bit scared with the notion of him coming towards me but it was fantastic.
You see him glide towards you and you feel completely safe, you know? And it is so beautiful, you know, just to be in such a gorgeous place, so isolated, with lovely people and a big dolphin, is very special indeed.
I would recommend it.
Bottlenose dolphins like Fungie can live to be anywhere up to 50 years old.
So let's hope this one stays around for many more years to come.
Ah, well, back to the shores of Dingle for a nice cup of tea - or perhaps something a wee bit stronger.
Whether it's a dolphin that considers itself a local, or a man whose magic book is keeping hearts all aflutter, Ireland is truly a land of the unique.
See you next time for more stories from the most magical place on earth.