Making it Down Under, Episode 6 of 6, RTÉ One, October 12th at 8.30pm
In this episode flying doctor Matthew Mulkeen is tasked with a life-or-death patient transfer. The patient has chronic lung disease and is being sedated in preparation for the journey in Matthew’s medical helicopter. Matthew must use all his expertise to keep this man alive during the short flight.
Later on Matthew reflects on his life in Australia. His skillset means he is in demand all over the world, but he misses Ireland and looks forward to a time when he’ll be able to travel ‘home’ at some time in the future
Today Kate Doyle’s Shitzu dog, Moon, is due for an operation on his face. He skin has developed folds that have become infected and he needs the canine equivalent of a face-lift to stop the infection spreading. Kate assist during the procedure and takes Moon home for recuperation, where she realises that, although Australia is where she lives for now, home is where the heart is, and Kate’s heart is in Ireland.
Alan O’Riordan is transporting a man who has had an amputation due to complications associated with Type 2 diabetes. The patient is being flown to a hospital nearer his home for a spell of recuperation. Alan and his friends visit Bondi where they reflect on what it means to be Irish so far from home.
Police officer and mum-of-seven Rosie Nolan is working with her police squad to execute a number of search warrants issued by the Brisbane Court. After a tough day she gets to spend some time with her eldest six kids and gives us an insight into what it’s like to have to deal with so many children at once.
Trainee jockey Louise Day is helping out at the first big race meeting at Caulfield Racecourse where she works. She is determined to become a licenced jockey in spite o her family’s reservations. Today she’s leading out the stable’s Big Hope for the season and many people’s money will be riding on this horse’s back. Including money belonging to her friend John, a vet, who is attending the race meeting with his girlfriend Melissa. Many of the horses running today have been treated by John and he has a special interest in checking out their form.
Biographies
Mayo born Doctor Matthew Mulkeen (38) has been based in Queensland since 2015 and is a doctor with one of the region’s rapid response ‘Lifeflight’ helicopters. His wife Marijana is from Croatia and they met in Ireland in 2006. They have one daughter, Alexandra who is 7.
Corkman Con O’Sullivan (27) has been living in Australia for the past five years and has been driving the world’s largest cattle road train since 2013. It’s a tough job that takes him thousands of kilometres every week around Western Australia. From Bantry, Con loves the outback and the open road.
Vet John Russell (30) is from Downpatrick and is a specialist equine veterinary surgeon in Melbourne. John has been here since 2011 and despite having a great job with one of Ireland’s top stud farms, decided to take the leap to Oz to further his career with Caulfield Equine Hospital. His day-to-day job sees him work on some of the best race horses in Australia.
Roscommon native, Louise Day (22), who is training to become a jockey and has found the going easier for female jockeys in Australia compared to Ireland.
Kate Doyle from Waterford always wanted to be a Veterinary nurse but found it tough to get into it in Ireland. She moved to Perth in 2011 and studied there to become a vet nurse, a job she loves. She is engaged to be married to her partner Ian. Kate and Ian first met in Perth, and although they’re both Irish, they quickly realised just how small their home nation can be. Kate’s family home is just across the road from his in Waterford. Having traveled halfway round the world to fall in love with the girl next door, Ian’s also had to find room in his heart for Kate’s menagerie of two dogs and two cats.
Waterford native Rosie Nolan (27) applied to become a Guard back in Ireland when she was 18 and was told to go and get some life experience and try again later. She arrived in Australia as a backpacker, eventually joined the Brisbane Police and never looked back. Nine years later and she has seven children and lives happily in the suburbs with her wife Natasha.