OILEÁN

Berni Ni Fhlatharta kneels at Lough Derg Image Name: Berni Ni Fhlatharta kneels at Lough Derg Description: Oiléan Copyright: © RTÉ Stills Library RTÉ. This image may be reproduced in print or electronic format for promotional purposes only. Any further use of this image must be re-negotiated separately with RTÉ. Use is subject to a fee to be agreed according to the current RTÉ Stills Library rate card.
Berni Ni Fhlatharta renounces the devil at Lough Derg Image Name: Berni Ni Fhlatharta renounces the devil at Lough Derg Description: Oiléan Copyright: © RTÉ Stills Library RTÉ. This image may be reproduced in print or electronic format for promotional purposes only. Any further use of this image must be re-negotiated separately with RTÉ. Use is subject to a fee to be agreed according to the current RTÉ Stills Library rate card.

Broadcast Details: Monday 29th September, 7.30pm

RTÉ FACTUAL: Oilean follows journalist Berni Ni Fhlatharta for three days while she looks into why Lough Derg still holds such an appeal

For generations many have ‘done’ Lough Derg, undergoing the three day ritual in bare feet to ask God for special intentions. Now, in an era of affluence where people have plenty of everything (except time) Lough Derg is a sanctuary offering a detox for the soul. It’s a kind of spiritual spa, giving the gift of hope and extending its welcome to all. Contact with the outside world is stopped for three days – no mobile phones, no television, no radio, and a diet of black tea and dry toast. Why then do people still ‘do’ Lough Derg?

We follow journalist Berni Ní Fhlatharta, a self-confessed ‘à la carte’ Catholic, for the three days, as she undergoes the austerity, sleep deprivation and fasting, to find out for herself why Lough Derg continues to attract thousands every summer from all walks of life.
After a rocky three-day journey, during which she threatens to leave the island, Berni is seduced by the magic of Lough Derg and together with her new best friends leaves the island renewed with hope and courage.

Produced & Directed by: Anne McCabe
Research: Ailbhe Nic Mhonagail