James Nesbitt's Ireland (2013) s01e06 Episode Script
Episode 6
'This is Ireland: a place of lush, green countryside, surrounded by beautiful blue seas.
Where the climate and landscape combine to create an intoxicating mix of tastes and smells.
' Oh, that's divine.
Thank you.
'I'm James Nesbitt and I'm on a journey around this magical island, stopping to sample some of the ingredients that set Ireland apart.
' Cheers.
'So join me, as we go on a tantalising voyage of discovery.
' We're a great, big foodie nation, us Irish.
Delicacies such as champ, colcannon and coddle go down very well with white pudding, soda bread and shellfish.
So it wouldn't be right for me to come back to my homeland without sampling a few of the national dishes.
So, if you'll excuse me 'This week, we're finding the flavours and smells that set Ireland alight.
' Oh, look at these.
Mm.
They're so big.
Mm.
'From the fresh produce of the countryside, to the delicious bounty of the coast.
And, if that means I have to get wet in the process, well, so be it.
' It's utterly beautiful.
It's so peaceful.
When you're under the water, it's just your own little world and it's very beautiful.
We should do more of this, you know.
'This is the Dingle Peninsula, where the crystal clear unpolluted water of the Atlantic Ocean are home to a rich and varied marine life.
They're also home to Ryan Coote, a man who knows these waters like the back of his hand.
He's a champion kite surfer and spear fisherman.
And, today, that's what he's gonna teach me.
' Ryan, morning.
Morning.
How are you doing? Good, good.
Another beautiful spot here, the sun is coming out.
With the spear fishing, it's not just a leisure pursuit, you actually will hunt the fish.
Yeah.
Yeah, when you're spear fishing, you're underwater, you can select what fish you want and make sure you get it and we don't shoot unless we're sure we're gonna get it right.
So you're only taking what you need.
Only taking what you wanna eat, that's it.
The sun is coming out.
We can maybe have lunch on the beach later.
Hopefully.
That's a dangerous thing to say, we'll eat what we get but, yeah, we'll hopefully get something and cook it on the beach.
'Ireland's geographical position means its waters are warmed by the North Atlantic Drift - an offshoot of the Gulf Stream - making the marine life here extremely varied.
' The prize fish that we're kind of looking for is the bass.
Yeah.
You see the way the bass is.
It's kind of got a stubbier face.
It's like - it's nearly like a dog when it looks at you.
Yeah.
It's got the spikes on the back.
Where are the fish? They're in sort of 4' of water.
Oh, really, that close? It's really shallow.
They're in amongst there.
So they just come to live off the seaweed? Yeah.
And in amongst the kelp, that's where you're gonna see them most.
So, in terms of the actual spearing, what's the technique? What do you go for? What we're looking for - I'll use my sand board here.
What a canvas, eh? We've got the eye and the gill here.
What we're looking for is to hit the fish in a nice, strong spot.
We want to try and hit it here.
You'll see fish sitting there, chilling out.
You'll go, 'That's a beautiful fish.
' Yeah, yeah.
Lunch.
Yeah.
There you go.
'I'm actually a bit worried about this.
It's not gonna be easy on a moving target.
' The fish we're looking for, the mullet and the bass, generally, you'll have shoals of them.
The calmer you are, the more chance the fish will come closer to you.
If you're panicking, going, 'Dinner! Dinner!' They're gonna go, 'He's trying to kill me!' and fly off.
If you're going, 'Beautiful, lovely fish, very nice' That sounds very sly though, that, you know, but that's life.
We're not out to take 'em out to tea, we're out to bring 'em out for tea.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
OK, well, let's give it a go.
Let's give it a go.
Yeah.
'We'll be back with Ryan later on, when I'll be trying to catch my very own, beautiful, lovely fish.
Having enjoyed the sights of the west coast, we've reached the streets of Dublin, where a revolution is taking place.
A growing number of people are searching for tastier food, made from quality Irish ingredients.
One person who's embraced this movement is artisan baker Kate Packwood.
' What's really exciting is that we're on the crest of a wave here, we're moving with a real drive towards wonderful Irish produce and it's very exciting to be part of it.
'Kate's bestsellers are her freshly-baked lavender shortbread, dark chocolate and sea salt caramel brownies, and peanut butter crunch muffins.
Kate has made it her mission to hunt out the finest organic ingredients Ireland has to offer and, today, she's visiting her friend Rosie, who runs one of her favourite farms.
' There'll be something new popping up every month that you didn't expect to see the time before.
You know, it's just a treasure trove of beautiful ingredients and that's what gets me excited.
I've got some lovely yellow raspberries over here I want to show you.
You could use 'em in some nice recipes.
Fantastic.
Oh, look at these.
Yeah, they're stunning, aren't they? They really are.
They're so big.
Mm.
And sweet and juicy.
Yeah.
'They look lovely but slow down, girls.
Save some for the cakes.
' If you want to make a beautiful finished product, you need to start with excellent raw materials.
There's no excuse not to use them, because they're on our doorstep.
The eggs are lovely and big.
They're gorgeous, Rosie.
Oh, thank you.
What are you planning to make with these today? I'm making a heap of cakes for a wedding, actually.
Just small cakes.
These will be fantastic to take.
'When she's not catering for weddings, Kate can be found at one of Dublin's emerging specialist food markets.
' People come here specifically to buy really good food, so they're buying their organic veg, their unusual olive oils, organic cakes from me, you know.
It's people who actually know what they want, and they're coming to find something really good.
They're as passionate about the produce as we are, which is brilliant for us who have stalls.
Super.
Thank you.
It's lovely to have people who love what I'm making.
It makes it all worthwhile.
There we are.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
'People are becoming more interested in what goes into their food, and the number of artisan producers like Kate is on the increase.
' If the ingredients are good enough, you don't need to get fancy.
Keep it simple and it'll be very, very beautiful.
'Clearly, there is a great demand for the taste of Ireland.
This is the Burren, in County Clare.
Its exposed rocky landscape looks like something from another planet.
Sculpted by Ice Ages over the last two million years, the Burren is actually an ecological wonder.
Known as 'the fertile rock', it's home to 70% of Ireland's flowering species.
Nestled in amongst it, is a business unique to this part of the world.
For the last 40 years, the Burren Perfumery has been inspired by the flora on its doorstep.
It was bought 12 years ago by Sadie Chowen.
' I worked here for some years, and I did different things in the business and, then, ended up running it.
When the owners needed to sell, for family reasons, I had no hesitation.
I knew that I just had to, somehow, buy it.
'Sadie now runs the business with her husband Ralph and together they create a range of products.
They attract 20,000 visitors a year who come to see how things are made take a stroll around the herb garden and enjoy a cup of tea.
The perfumery has collected and distilled a huge range of plants from the area, allowing them to create the perfect scents.
' Some people like perfumes they feel will attract other people Now, this is the Man of Aran.
The Man of Aran was designed for men, but a lot of women wear it.
And other people like perfumes they've smelled on somebody they were close to.
They have very strong emotional associations.
The top notes on that are the wild rose and the violet.
Now, this, I think, is my favourite.
'For Sadie, her quest has been to recreate the scent of the Burren.
' I love the Winter Woods.
It reflects the Burren in winter.
It reflects all the woody notes, but with that kind of delicate freshness.
'With more people wanting to find out where their cosmetics come from, Sadie and Ralph are more than willing to share their secrets.
' People have become much more informed about cosmetics.
They're more interested.
They want to know why you've used that plant oil, whether they're a preservative, whether there's a colorant You don't get to ask L'Oreal or Dior, or whoever, their chemists, how they put things together.
Whereas here, they can see it happening, they can do it themselves.
It's like baking a cake or making a mayonnaise.
It's things that you would recognise.
'This little oasis has managed to capture the essence of the Burren.
Who'd have thought the scent of Ireland could be so sweet? There's plenty more beautiful Irish smells and tastes to come so' Join me after the break.
There's a saying in Ireland: 'May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
' The truth is, the roads here are a bit windy.
The wind's so strong, you can fly some really big kites, and we're a nation renowned for our rainfall.
I wouldn't be anywhere else.
'This is the Strandhill Peninsula, where the west coast meets the ocean.
We've come to find another of Ireland's great natural products that's been tantalising people's senses for generations.
In the early 1900s, this area was a Mecca for people looking to heal their ailments by bathing in seaweed found in these Atlantic waters.
Over 100 years later, and the tradition is being revived.
Neil Walton and his dad Mick have reinvigorated this Irish ritual, with their business Voya Seaweed Baths.
Historically, farmers harvested seaweed for use as fertiliser, and believed it also had healing powers for their cuts and sores.
It's these therapeutic properties that Neil and Mick's business is built on.
' As you can see, it's goodness.
It's free.
There you are.
'From humble beginnings, the spa has grown, as people have embraced this age-old tradition.
' Seaweed is an amazing plant.
It has every vitamin and mineral that the body needs so, once you put it into a bath, your body - because the seaweed's alkaline and the sea water's alkaline - the body detoxes, then you absorb all the goodness from the plant.
'Before the seaweed makes it to the bath, it's washed in fresh water to remove sand and any unwanted creatures.
' Just to be sure, to be sure we just give it a wee swirl around there.
So, when the person comes in to have a bath, most of their bath is full of seaweed.
So that's it.
The seaweed that we freshly harvested, washed, now it's gonna go into the bath and then the person's gonna enjoy it.
'And to create the perfect seaweed bath, you have to combine the best Irish seaweed with the finest Irish seawater.
So, once a week, Neil and Mick spend an hour sucking up 15,000 gallons of luxurious Atlantic Ocean.
' All we have is a five-and-a-half horsepower pump, the suction hose is in.
This is all used for the seaweed bath.
'15,000 gallons! That's a lot of baths.
With the seaweed harvested and washed, and the water heated, they're ready for business.
' When a person comes into a bath first of all, they're going to steam the body for five to 10 minutes, to open up their pores, first of all.
From there, then, they go into the bath.
What we do, we'll steam the seaweed, so that releases all the pores of the seaweed.
That releases the alginate gel, like an aloe vera silky feeling, so the body then detoxes in the bath, and then absorbs all the goodness into their body.
So it's a concentrated version of the sea, that's the easiest way of explaining it.
'There's just one question left to answer.
How does it feel?' It's beautiful - bit gloopy - but it's like having the most luxurious shower gel put all over your skin.
And you know that there's no chemicals or anything like that in it.
You're just very relaxed.
Very, very relaxed.
It's lovely.
Yeah.
'It looks as if Neil and Mick have another satisfied customer.
Our next journey doesn't take us very far at all.
In fact, we're just nipping next door to Shells cafe and bakery, owned by surf fanatics Jane Lambeth and her South African husband and professional chef Miles.
After giving up the city life, it was the green, open spaces and world-class surf of the west coast that attracted them to Strandhill.
' We decided we're just gonna put what we love in our life, put that at the centre of what we wanna do, then try and have a career that will support that.
We have just opened our own cafe, right on the beach beside the surf.
And we're trying to get together the most perfect kind of lifestyle, great work balance and lifestyle balance.
'When they're not out riding waves together, this pair of foodies can most likely be found coming up with new recipes and dishes for the cafe.
' Irish ingredients are exciting.
You just put a new slant on them, they don't have to be traditional.
You know, you can really reinvent them quite easily and it's it can be amazing food.
'In just over two years, Shells has become an important part of the community and, as well as reinventing Irish ingredients, the couple are constantly looking for new ways to bring hungry locals in.
' We do supper clubs.
One of those would be a tapas night, or Italian night, homemade pasta.
Or a pudding night - we have two small courses, a starter, main, then like about five or six different puddings.
'Tonight's theme is all about presenting traditional Irish ingredients, with a modern twist.
' The idea is like being in your living room with your friends, but you're getting really good food and people love it.
Miles will introduce vegetables people have never seen, never eaten.
It's a nice involvement.
People are involved with their food.
'And, with 40 hungry guests on the way, the pressure's on to impress.
' For the front of house to work, it's quite a nice night to work, because it's about dressing the place, getting candles and flowers.
For the kitchen, it's a lot more pressure.
I'm always nervous before supper club.
I'll get there.
'Get a move on, Miles.
The customers are arriving.
' All right.
Showtime.
Table one, salmon and duck.
'Miles has taken a traditional Irish soda bread, which I'm a fan of, and added a modern twist by using buttermilk and Guinness - something else I'm a bit partial to.
He's cured his own salmon in sugar, salt and dill, and dressed it with an olive tapenade, made Irish by the addition of local seaweed.
I've taken something Mediterranean and made it Irish, I suppose.
'And it's all topped up with creme fraiche and baby onion sprouts.
' Three haddock, one veg.
Three salmon.
Table four, main.
Four.
'So how has tonight's meal gone down with the foodie experts of Strandhill?' We had a lovely starter and there was - Three glasses of wine.
There was pear and a lovely blue cheese of some sort.
That was really tasty, a really lovely combination.
I think we both had the duck.
Yeah.
It was shredded duck on butternut squash and an orange sauce around it, really nice, yeah.
Local produce, great time of year.
It's lovely.
Delicious.
'As 40 full and happy customers tuck into their dessert, it looks like Miles and Jane are making their dream of the perfect work-life balance a reality.
We're back on the Dingle Peninsula and, after my lessons on land, and successfully squeezing myself into a wetsuit, it's time to get into the water for a few final pointers from Ryan.
' With the flippers, not big Not big movements.
Because you don't wanna scare the fish? It's all about moving slowly.
It's not a race.
It's all about We're gonna walk into the water now and we're going to go backwards.
We're walking backwards? Walk backwards.
Explain that.
It's awkward, walking forward with flippers.
Yes.
You were joking.
I wasn't, but that's the stupidest question you've ever been asked.
That's it.
'With flippers, a snorkel and a weight belt on, I'm almost ready to dive in.
' Now So now, snorkel in the mouth and just lie there in the water.
Go for a little bit of a swim around.
'Ryan's been telling me how warm the water is but, as soon as I dive in, my suit fills up and I realise he's nothing but an enormous liar.
It's freezing.
But it doesn't seem to have stopped him.
' The water's certainly going in.
Strangely, it hasn't actually heated up yet, funnily enough.
I love the way he sort of sells it like, 'It'll be quite warm.
' It's freezing.
'The water may be cold but, with both of us in full Action Man mode, the quest for lunch is on.
And, as I try and remember everything that Ryan's taught me, whilst not spearing myself or anyone else, the enjoyment of fishing this way becomes very apparent.
With Ryan's expertise, you would've thought this would have been easy.
However, it seems that, today, our fishy friends are remaining one fin ahead of us.
' No luck, I'm afraid.
So I've left the man to it.
Ryan's out there, hunting for our lunch.
But even though I wasn't successful, it's utterly beautiful.
It's so peaceful.
So epic.
So vast.
When you're under the water, it's just your own little world and it's very beautiful.
We should do more of this, you know.
It's great.
'As Ryan carries on alone, I have nothing but faith in his hunting skills and ability.
So much so, that I've got the barbecue warmed and ready to go.
' So, any luck? Unfortunately, not today.
Oh, well.
Fish: one, Ryan: zero.
Oh, well, there's a family of sea bass out there, very happy.
I suppose it's just the way it goes.
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
Fantastic though.
Just a wonderful way to kinda spend some time.
Yeah, well, there was a couple of opportunities where I could have possibly taken a fish, but there was a 70% chance I would have missed it, or injured it, so I didn't take it.
As much as we say about you living off the land, you're also living with the land.
Yeah.
That's what it feels like.
It'd be a shame not to have something, so a vegetarian barbecue.
Excellent.
You shouldn't have.
Oh, yeah.
OK, well, if you wanna get out of that, we'll get stuck into this.
Yeah.
No worries.
'We've been on a sensory journey through the smells and tastes of Ireland.
We've hunted in the ocean, and enjoyed the bounty of the countryside.
With such a rich mix of ingredients all around us, working with this landscape has never tasted so good.
' See you next time, for a bit more exploring round Ireland.
Where the climate and landscape combine to create an intoxicating mix of tastes and smells.
' Oh, that's divine.
Thank you.
'I'm James Nesbitt and I'm on a journey around this magical island, stopping to sample some of the ingredients that set Ireland apart.
' Cheers.
'So join me, as we go on a tantalising voyage of discovery.
' We're a great, big foodie nation, us Irish.
Delicacies such as champ, colcannon and coddle go down very well with white pudding, soda bread and shellfish.
So it wouldn't be right for me to come back to my homeland without sampling a few of the national dishes.
So, if you'll excuse me 'This week, we're finding the flavours and smells that set Ireland alight.
' Oh, look at these.
Mm.
They're so big.
Mm.
'From the fresh produce of the countryside, to the delicious bounty of the coast.
And, if that means I have to get wet in the process, well, so be it.
' It's utterly beautiful.
It's so peaceful.
When you're under the water, it's just your own little world and it's very beautiful.
We should do more of this, you know.
'This is the Dingle Peninsula, where the crystal clear unpolluted water of the Atlantic Ocean are home to a rich and varied marine life.
They're also home to Ryan Coote, a man who knows these waters like the back of his hand.
He's a champion kite surfer and spear fisherman.
And, today, that's what he's gonna teach me.
' Ryan, morning.
Morning.
How are you doing? Good, good.
Another beautiful spot here, the sun is coming out.
With the spear fishing, it's not just a leisure pursuit, you actually will hunt the fish.
Yeah.
Yeah, when you're spear fishing, you're underwater, you can select what fish you want and make sure you get it and we don't shoot unless we're sure we're gonna get it right.
So you're only taking what you need.
Only taking what you wanna eat, that's it.
The sun is coming out.
We can maybe have lunch on the beach later.
Hopefully.
That's a dangerous thing to say, we'll eat what we get but, yeah, we'll hopefully get something and cook it on the beach.
'Ireland's geographical position means its waters are warmed by the North Atlantic Drift - an offshoot of the Gulf Stream - making the marine life here extremely varied.
' The prize fish that we're kind of looking for is the bass.
Yeah.
You see the way the bass is.
It's kind of got a stubbier face.
It's like - it's nearly like a dog when it looks at you.
Yeah.
It's got the spikes on the back.
Where are the fish? They're in sort of 4' of water.
Oh, really, that close? It's really shallow.
They're in amongst there.
So they just come to live off the seaweed? Yeah.
And in amongst the kelp, that's where you're gonna see them most.
So, in terms of the actual spearing, what's the technique? What do you go for? What we're looking for - I'll use my sand board here.
What a canvas, eh? We've got the eye and the gill here.
What we're looking for is to hit the fish in a nice, strong spot.
We want to try and hit it here.
You'll see fish sitting there, chilling out.
You'll go, 'That's a beautiful fish.
' Yeah, yeah.
Lunch.
Yeah.
There you go.
'I'm actually a bit worried about this.
It's not gonna be easy on a moving target.
' The fish we're looking for, the mullet and the bass, generally, you'll have shoals of them.
The calmer you are, the more chance the fish will come closer to you.
If you're panicking, going, 'Dinner! Dinner!' They're gonna go, 'He's trying to kill me!' and fly off.
If you're going, 'Beautiful, lovely fish, very nice' That sounds very sly though, that, you know, but that's life.
We're not out to take 'em out to tea, we're out to bring 'em out for tea.
Brilliant.
Brilliant.
OK, well, let's give it a go.
Let's give it a go.
Yeah.
'We'll be back with Ryan later on, when I'll be trying to catch my very own, beautiful, lovely fish.
Having enjoyed the sights of the west coast, we've reached the streets of Dublin, where a revolution is taking place.
A growing number of people are searching for tastier food, made from quality Irish ingredients.
One person who's embraced this movement is artisan baker Kate Packwood.
' What's really exciting is that we're on the crest of a wave here, we're moving with a real drive towards wonderful Irish produce and it's very exciting to be part of it.
'Kate's bestsellers are her freshly-baked lavender shortbread, dark chocolate and sea salt caramel brownies, and peanut butter crunch muffins.
Kate has made it her mission to hunt out the finest organic ingredients Ireland has to offer and, today, she's visiting her friend Rosie, who runs one of her favourite farms.
' There'll be something new popping up every month that you didn't expect to see the time before.
You know, it's just a treasure trove of beautiful ingredients and that's what gets me excited.
I've got some lovely yellow raspberries over here I want to show you.
You could use 'em in some nice recipes.
Fantastic.
Oh, look at these.
Yeah, they're stunning, aren't they? They really are.
They're so big.
Mm.
And sweet and juicy.
Yeah.
'They look lovely but slow down, girls.
Save some for the cakes.
' If you want to make a beautiful finished product, you need to start with excellent raw materials.
There's no excuse not to use them, because they're on our doorstep.
The eggs are lovely and big.
They're gorgeous, Rosie.
Oh, thank you.
What are you planning to make with these today? I'm making a heap of cakes for a wedding, actually.
Just small cakes.
These will be fantastic to take.
'When she's not catering for weddings, Kate can be found at one of Dublin's emerging specialist food markets.
' People come here specifically to buy really good food, so they're buying their organic veg, their unusual olive oils, organic cakes from me, you know.
It's people who actually know what they want, and they're coming to find something really good.
They're as passionate about the produce as we are, which is brilliant for us who have stalls.
Super.
Thank you.
It's lovely to have people who love what I'm making.
It makes it all worthwhile.
There we are.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.
'People are becoming more interested in what goes into their food, and the number of artisan producers like Kate is on the increase.
' If the ingredients are good enough, you don't need to get fancy.
Keep it simple and it'll be very, very beautiful.
'Clearly, there is a great demand for the taste of Ireland.
This is the Burren, in County Clare.
Its exposed rocky landscape looks like something from another planet.
Sculpted by Ice Ages over the last two million years, the Burren is actually an ecological wonder.
Known as 'the fertile rock', it's home to 70% of Ireland's flowering species.
Nestled in amongst it, is a business unique to this part of the world.
For the last 40 years, the Burren Perfumery has been inspired by the flora on its doorstep.
It was bought 12 years ago by Sadie Chowen.
' I worked here for some years, and I did different things in the business and, then, ended up running it.
When the owners needed to sell, for family reasons, I had no hesitation.
I knew that I just had to, somehow, buy it.
'Sadie now runs the business with her husband Ralph and together they create a range of products.
They attract 20,000 visitors a year who come to see how things are made take a stroll around the herb garden and enjoy a cup of tea.
The perfumery has collected and distilled a huge range of plants from the area, allowing them to create the perfect scents.
' Some people like perfumes they feel will attract other people Now, this is the Man of Aran.
The Man of Aran was designed for men, but a lot of women wear it.
And other people like perfumes they've smelled on somebody they were close to.
They have very strong emotional associations.
The top notes on that are the wild rose and the violet.
Now, this, I think, is my favourite.
'For Sadie, her quest has been to recreate the scent of the Burren.
' I love the Winter Woods.
It reflects the Burren in winter.
It reflects all the woody notes, but with that kind of delicate freshness.
'With more people wanting to find out where their cosmetics come from, Sadie and Ralph are more than willing to share their secrets.
' People have become much more informed about cosmetics.
They're more interested.
They want to know why you've used that plant oil, whether they're a preservative, whether there's a colorant You don't get to ask L'Oreal or Dior, or whoever, their chemists, how they put things together.
Whereas here, they can see it happening, they can do it themselves.
It's like baking a cake or making a mayonnaise.
It's things that you would recognise.
'This little oasis has managed to capture the essence of the Burren.
Who'd have thought the scent of Ireland could be so sweet? There's plenty more beautiful Irish smells and tastes to come so' Join me after the break.
There's a saying in Ireland: 'May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face.
' The truth is, the roads here are a bit windy.
The wind's so strong, you can fly some really big kites, and we're a nation renowned for our rainfall.
I wouldn't be anywhere else.
'This is the Strandhill Peninsula, where the west coast meets the ocean.
We've come to find another of Ireland's great natural products that's been tantalising people's senses for generations.
In the early 1900s, this area was a Mecca for people looking to heal their ailments by bathing in seaweed found in these Atlantic waters.
Over 100 years later, and the tradition is being revived.
Neil Walton and his dad Mick have reinvigorated this Irish ritual, with their business Voya Seaweed Baths.
Historically, farmers harvested seaweed for use as fertiliser, and believed it also had healing powers for their cuts and sores.
It's these therapeutic properties that Neil and Mick's business is built on.
' As you can see, it's goodness.
It's free.
There you are.
'From humble beginnings, the spa has grown, as people have embraced this age-old tradition.
' Seaweed is an amazing plant.
It has every vitamin and mineral that the body needs so, once you put it into a bath, your body - because the seaweed's alkaline and the sea water's alkaline - the body detoxes, then you absorb all the goodness from the plant.
'Before the seaweed makes it to the bath, it's washed in fresh water to remove sand and any unwanted creatures.
' Just to be sure, to be sure we just give it a wee swirl around there.
So, when the person comes in to have a bath, most of their bath is full of seaweed.
So that's it.
The seaweed that we freshly harvested, washed, now it's gonna go into the bath and then the person's gonna enjoy it.
'And to create the perfect seaweed bath, you have to combine the best Irish seaweed with the finest Irish seawater.
So, once a week, Neil and Mick spend an hour sucking up 15,000 gallons of luxurious Atlantic Ocean.
' All we have is a five-and-a-half horsepower pump, the suction hose is in.
This is all used for the seaweed bath.
'15,000 gallons! That's a lot of baths.
With the seaweed harvested and washed, and the water heated, they're ready for business.
' When a person comes into a bath first of all, they're going to steam the body for five to 10 minutes, to open up their pores, first of all.
From there, then, they go into the bath.
What we do, we'll steam the seaweed, so that releases all the pores of the seaweed.
That releases the alginate gel, like an aloe vera silky feeling, so the body then detoxes in the bath, and then absorbs all the goodness into their body.
So it's a concentrated version of the sea, that's the easiest way of explaining it.
'There's just one question left to answer.
How does it feel?' It's beautiful - bit gloopy - but it's like having the most luxurious shower gel put all over your skin.
And you know that there's no chemicals or anything like that in it.
You're just very relaxed.
Very, very relaxed.
It's lovely.
Yeah.
'It looks as if Neil and Mick have another satisfied customer.
Our next journey doesn't take us very far at all.
In fact, we're just nipping next door to Shells cafe and bakery, owned by surf fanatics Jane Lambeth and her South African husband and professional chef Miles.
After giving up the city life, it was the green, open spaces and world-class surf of the west coast that attracted them to Strandhill.
' We decided we're just gonna put what we love in our life, put that at the centre of what we wanna do, then try and have a career that will support that.
We have just opened our own cafe, right on the beach beside the surf.
And we're trying to get together the most perfect kind of lifestyle, great work balance and lifestyle balance.
'When they're not out riding waves together, this pair of foodies can most likely be found coming up with new recipes and dishes for the cafe.
' Irish ingredients are exciting.
You just put a new slant on them, they don't have to be traditional.
You know, you can really reinvent them quite easily and it's it can be amazing food.
'In just over two years, Shells has become an important part of the community and, as well as reinventing Irish ingredients, the couple are constantly looking for new ways to bring hungry locals in.
' We do supper clubs.
One of those would be a tapas night, or Italian night, homemade pasta.
Or a pudding night - we have two small courses, a starter, main, then like about five or six different puddings.
'Tonight's theme is all about presenting traditional Irish ingredients, with a modern twist.
' The idea is like being in your living room with your friends, but you're getting really good food and people love it.
Miles will introduce vegetables people have never seen, never eaten.
It's a nice involvement.
People are involved with their food.
'And, with 40 hungry guests on the way, the pressure's on to impress.
' For the front of house to work, it's quite a nice night to work, because it's about dressing the place, getting candles and flowers.
For the kitchen, it's a lot more pressure.
I'm always nervous before supper club.
I'll get there.
'Get a move on, Miles.
The customers are arriving.
' All right.
Showtime.
Table one, salmon and duck.
'Miles has taken a traditional Irish soda bread, which I'm a fan of, and added a modern twist by using buttermilk and Guinness - something else I'm a bit partial to.
He's cured his own salmon in sugar, salt and dill, and dressed it with an olive tapenade, made Irish by the addition of local seaweed.
I've taken something Mediterranean and made it Irish, I suppose.
'And it's all topped up with creme fraiche and baby onion sprouts.
' Three haddock, one veg.
Three salmon.
Table four, main.
Four.
'So how has tonight's meal gone down with the foodie experts of Strandhill?' We had a lovely starter and there was - Three glasses of wine.
There was pear and a lovely blue cheese of some sort.
That was really tasty, a really lovely combination.
I think we both had the duck.
Yeah.
It was shredded duck on butternut squash and an orange sauce around it, really nice, yeah.
Local produce, great time of year.
It's lovely.
Delicious.
'As 40 full and happy customers tuck into their dessert, it looks like Miles and Jane are making their dream of the perfect work-life balance a reality.
We're back on the Dingle Peninsula and, after my lessons on land, and successfully squeezing myself into a wetsuit, it's time to get into the water for a few final pointers from Ryan.
' With the flippers, not big Not big movements.
Because you don't wanna scare the fish? It's all about moving slowly.
It's not a race.
It's all about We're gonna walk into the water now and we're going to go backwards.
We're walking backwards? Walk backwards.
Explain that.
It's awkward, walking forward with flippers.
Yes.
You were joking.
I wasn't, but that's the stupidest question you've ever been asked.
That's it.
'With flippers, a snorkel and a weight belt on, I'm almost ready to dive in.
' Now So now, snorkel in the mouth and just lie there in the water.
Go for a little bit of a swim around.
'Ryan's been telling me how warm the water is but, as soon as I dive in, my suit fills up and I realise he's nothing but an enormous liar.
It's freezing.
But it doesn't seem to have stopped him.
' The water's certainly going in.
Strangely, it hasn't actually heated up yet, funnily enough.
I love the way he sort of sells it like, 'It'll be quite warm.
' It's freezing.
'The water may be cold but, with both of us in full Action Man mode, the quest for lunch is on.
And, as I try and remember everything that Ryan's taught me, whilst not spearing myself or anyone else, the enjoyment of fishing this way becomes very apparent.
With Ryan's expertise, you would've thought this would have been easy.
However, it seems that, today, our fishy friends are remaining one fin ahead of us.
' No luck, I'm afraid.
So I've left the man to it.
Ryan's out there, hunting for our lunch.
But even though I wasn't successful, it's utterly beautiful.
It's so peaceful.
So epic.
So vast.
When you're under the water, it's just your own little world and it's very beautiful.
We should do more of this, you know.
It's great.
'As Ryan carries on alone, I have nothing but faith in his hunting skills and ability.
So much so, that I've got the barbecue warmed and ready to go.
' So, any luck? Unfortunately, not today.
Oh, well.
Fish: one, Ryan: zero.
Oh, well, there's a family of sea bass out there, very happy.
I suppose it's just the way it goes.
Sometimes you get lucky, sometimes you don't.
Fantastic though.
Just a wonderful way to kinda spend some time.
Yeah, well, there was a couple of opportunities where I could have possibly taken a fish, but there was a 70% chance I would have missed it, or injured it, so I didn't take it.
As much as we say about you living off the land, you're also living with the land.
Yeah.
That's what it feels like.
It'd be a shame not to have something, so a vegetarian barbecue.
Excellent.
You shouldn't have.
Oh, yeah.
OK, well, if you wanna get out of that, we'll get stuck into this.
Yeah.
No worries.
'We've been on a sensory journey through the smells and tastes of Ireland.
We've hunted in the ocean, and enjoyed the bounty of the countryside.
With such a rich mix of ingredients all around us, working with this landscape has never tasted so good.
' See you next time, for a bit more exploring round Ireland.