Popular show to showcase Mayo to US and Canadian audiences
The US TV travel show ‘Ireland with Michael’ is set to showcase Mayo as a holiday destination to audiences of 155 million people across the USA and Canada this month.
Michael Londra, the Emmy nominated, Irish singer-producer is originally from Wexford town and is now a resident of the US. Michael hosts the travel show which airs across the PBS network in the US and Canada.
In each episode, he takes viewers on an intriguing journey to the popular and some of the lesser-known Irish destinations to learn about Irish history, meets local artisans, experience small-town pubs and food, and enjoy unique musical and cultural experiences. He combines glorious video footage of Ireland’s storied landscapes, destinations, exciting cultural experiences, and performances from Irish stars.
In summer 2021 the host and crew travelled to Mayo to film a full episode in the county.
Mayo is the birthplace of Michael’s grandfather and this episode is close to his heart, he begins with a drive out to Achill Island to follow the life of Grainuaile. From there it’s on to Westport House the site of the pirate queen’s former castle. Michael interviews the house historian, in both a dayroom and the dungeons, and talks about gentry’s life in the West of Ireland.
Grainuaile’s life story leads across the wild coast of Achill, showing spectacular Irish scenery (the Bronx is the next parish, clear across the Atlantic). He discusses peat harvesting on this boggy isle, tales of maritime legends, and to hear the slow airs of Joanie Madden.
Local band Billow Wood entertain in Belleek Castle in Ballina and Michael stops at the North Mayo genealogy centre at Enniscoe outside the town of Ballina to learn about his ancestry from a local genealogist and ex-archaeologist.
Michael sings a song that was popular in Ireland during the time his Great Grandfather lived in Mayo. The episode finishes on the Mayo and Galway border in the village of Cong,. Michael learns how the movie ‘The Quiet Man’ affected the village and revisits some of the iconic scenes and moments from the film.
In another episode of the season Michael explores the splendor on the shores of Lough Corrib at Ashford Castle, he gets an insider view on what it’s like to a stay at the 5-star resort, including stories from staff on the stars they have met over the years. Michael performs a duet of the song Maggie with tenor Glenn Murphy.
Speaking of the new series release Michael says: “We are delighted to release Season 2 of ‘Ireland with Michael’, the show has been such a huge hit in Season 1 with a viewership of 75% of all U.S. households.
"It is an honour to highlight our greatest asset. Be they singers, dancers, poets, artisans or storytellers, our creators share their Ireland, in every episode of the show. I'm so proud of the country and the people in it, it is a joy to be able to share that around the world.
Pre-pandemic North America has been the fastest-growing vacation market for Irish tourism, accounting for 33% of foreign earnings, I am very glad to be able to support the Irish arts, tourism and hospitality sectors and I very much hope that the show assists the international tourism recovery for Ireland post-pandemic.”
Aer Lingus, Tourism Ireland and CIE Tours sponsor the ‘Ireland with Michael’ series. Upcoming for 2023 is a new ‘Ireland with Michael’ series 3, which will be released in January 2023, and filming of these episodes will commence in March 2022. At present, the crew are scouting locations and ideas across the country, so if think that you or your town should be featured in series three send your idea and contact details to INFO@IRELANDWITHMICHAEL.COM
The ‘Ireland with Michael’ series is aired across PBS stations and can also be viewed internationally online via www.irelandwithmichael.com