Nationwide – Monday 31st August – 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Tonight on Nationwide, Mary Kennedy visits The Dock art space in Carrick-on-Shannon which is celebrating its 10th birthday. The Dock is host to the Design House which showcases the best in County Leitrim art, crafts and design. In addition The Dock hosts regular art exhibitions and music and dance performances. Mary pops in to see the local youth theatre during their summer workshops and talks to Anna McLeod whose Water Conversations exhibition is the highlight of The Dock’s summer arts programme.
Also in the programme, RTÉ’s North West Correspondent Eileen Magnier visits Drumshambo in County Leitrim – a town which like many other small towns has struggled with the issue of unemployment. The people living there are very determined and they don’t give up with the first knock. When the main employer in the town closed down in the 1990s, the people of Drumshanbo decided they would go it alone and Eileen finds out about the story of their quite remarkable achievement.
Nationwide – Wednesday 2nd September – 7.00pm, RTÉ One
This evening’s Nationwide focuses on history and tradition in Irish business.
Public phone-boxes are almost a thing of the past but there is renewed interest in the old style wooden kiosks. There are only 15 left in use around the country and are highly sought after as an authentic pieces of street furniture. The demand has created a successful replica making business. Dublin correspondent John Kilraine visits the Irish Telephone Box Company in Dublin.
Reporter Mary Fanning visits the Newbridge Silverware factory in County Kildare who recently brought back some craftsmen and woman who between them had nearly a thousand years service. They were brought back to their workplace to to celebrate their contribution to a firm that has retained the ancient silversmith and cutlery skills and has stood the test of time.
In County Leitrim, the Duignan family business not only survived the recession but they managed to expand their customer base and they are now exporting their custom made church furniture all over the world securing much needed jobs for this small rural community. Reporter Helen McInerney calls in to see their business.
Nationwide – Friday 4th September – 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Tonight on Nationwide, Anne Cassin visits the National College of Art & Design Graduate Exhibition for their night class students and we meet the new Junior Infants at one of oldest schools in the country, Dromleigh National School in Macroom, County Cork which is celebrating its 175th anniversary.