Mayo islands feature in stunning new TV series
A SPECTACULAR series featuring the wonders of the wildlife on Ireland's Atlantic islands has begun on RTÉ.
A Mayo production company, Crossing the Line, is behind the production, and islands off the county's coast are showcased.
The first in a three-part series of Ireland’s Wild Islands was screened last Sunday on RTÉ 1 at 6.30 p.m. It continues for the next two Sundays and you can also watch it on the RTÉ Player and on catch up on RTÉ 1.
Three years in the making, the series features Ireland’s Atlantic islands and their wildlife wonders - from breaching basking sharks off our northernmost island, Inishtrahull, to white tailed eagles fighting gales off the Cork coast to raise their young on Garnish Island, to humpback whales bubble netting off the Blasket islands, and the clash of grey seal bulls fighting for supremacy on Mayo’s Inishkea islands.
Shot in cinema quality 4K, the series is hosted by Corkman Eoin Warner sailing a stunning 140-year-old Galway hooker out into the Atlantic to showcase the extraordinary wild magic of Ireland’s western islands.
Episode one features Achill Island and the story of the Irish stoat - one of the few predators found on Ireland’s western isles. This first stage of his island odyssey ended at Keem Bay - recently discovered by Hollywood and the site of the most successful basking shark fishery on the planet.
Episode two next Sunday sees Eoin continue his journey south from Mayo to Clare - featuring the extraordinary battles of breeding grey seals on the Inishkea islands, a wondrous native woodland on Clare Island, and as he sails through Connemara’s waters he finds deserted islands home to skylarks and on the Aran Islands, there's Ireland’s only native reptile.
Based in Westport, Crossing the Line is a leading international documentary production company making highly crafted films featuring powerful stories on subjects from wildlife to science to sport and history. Highlights include their recent RTS Award winning film for RTÉ - ‘A Note for Nature’ and the multi-award winning film ‘The Farthest’ on the Voyager space mission which enjoyed tremendous international success, winning an Emmy in the process.
‘Wild Ireland – The Edge of World’ took home the UK’s most prestigious documentary prize - a Grierson Award - among many other accolades.
In recent years, the company has received five Emmy nominations for their work and accomplished a remarkable triple winning best wildlife film in the world for three years running at the ‘Oscars’ of the genre – the Jackson Wild Film Festival, USA, and the Wildscreen Film Festival, UK. Big fans of Gaelic sports, the company recently produced ‘The Game - The Story of Hurling’ and the life story of Christy Ring for RTÉ.