Entertainment

Ardal O’Hanlon goes back to his roots for first ever Irish language show

COMEDIAN Ardal O’Hanlon has returned to his roots to present a new series entirely in Irish.

The Monaghan native, who has been London-based for decades, is a well-known face on British TV screens, appearing in the likes of Father Ted, Death in Paradise and Derry Girls over the years.

But next month the star will be seen presenting his first ever Irish language show.

Ardal O'Hanlon is presenting his first ever Irish television show

In Inis na nIontas O’Hanlon explores the natural wildlife found on the islands off the coast of Ireland.

And, with his mother Teresa a native Irish speaker, the TG4 project sees the presenter fulfil his long-held ambition to practice and improve his own Irish.

The Monaghan-born actor and comedian meets a range of islanders throughout the series

It also allows the actor to delve into the lives of the people who live on these islands.

“It was remarkable for me to witness the extraordinary diversity of our islands and to meet such a range of astonishing people,” O’Hanlon said of the programme.

The comedian explores the wildlife on Ireland's islands

“As an Irishman, I'd obviously heard of a lot of these places, but I was quite taken aback by visiting and seeing for myself,” he added.

“I was genuinely moved. We have some of the most breathtaking scenery and wonderful nature.”

The new three-part series starts next month

The three-part series begins on Rathlin Island, which is famous for its vast amounts of seabirds and also the golden hare, which is unique to the island.

From Rathlin, O’Hanlon travels to the remote Tory Island off Donegal, where he learns of its musical tradition and its mystical past, before heading to Arranmore, the largest island of the North.

Tory Island in Donegal is featured in the series

In the second episode, O’Hanlon continues down the west coast of Ireland to the Aran islands in Galway, before heading south to visit the abandoned Great Blasket Island in Kerry - former home to Irish author Peig Sayers, which now boasts a thriving seal colony and two young caretakers as its residents.

The final episode finds O’Hanlon exploring the islands off the coast of county Cork.

O'Hanlon visits the beautiful Garnish Ireland in Co. Cork

First he discovers the beautiful Garnish Island, before heading further south to Sherkin Island and then taking a short hop to Cape Clear, Ireland’s southernmost island.

And if the actor wasn’t a fan of islands before he started filming the series, he certainly is now.

“There's truly nowhere like an island, and I now know there's no island like an Irish island,” he said.

“We need to cherish these places,” he added, “and I'm especially proud of doing the whole thing in Irish. It just seemed so fitting.”

Inis na nIontas airs on TG4 on January 10 at 9.30pm

See More: Ardal O'Hanlon, TG4