Monday 22nd May, 7.00pm on RTÉ One
Nationwide travels to East Cork for the Food and Drinks Literacy Festival at Ballymaloe which is going from strength to strength. Ballymaloe LitFest is regarded as one of the best food festivals on a world circuit and the only festival of its kind in Ireland. It’s created an important hub for food and drinks enthusiasts worldwide to meet and share ideas with each other.
At the Ballymaloe LitFest there are over 50 food and drinks producers from all over the country and they’ve all got one thing in common, they’re passionate about food and drink. Nationwide reporter Maria Mullarkey goes to meet one of them, Claire Davey of America Village Apothecary, in County Galway who makes herbal bitters, syrups, tinctures and tonics for creating craft beverages and for use with food.
Wednesday 24th May, 7.00pm on RTÉ One
Tonight’s Nationwide comes from Drogheda and Anne Cassin visits entrepreneur Gavin Duffy at home with his wife Orlaith before being taken on a whistle stop tour of his home town. She then drops in on local charity Ablevision Ireland to see what the crew are up to there.
Friday 26th May, 7.00pm on RTÉ One
On tonight’s Nationwide, viewers see how the international garden designer Diarmuid Gavin has brought his Chelsea garden year home to Dublin after being on show last year. It is now at Dundrum Town Centre for all to visit. Reporter Valerie Waters met Diarmuid and his team a few days ago to see how the work was progressing to get this garden ready for its time in the sun.
Working with our hands and creating something is said to be therapeutic and relaxing and if you can make something useful in the process all the better. Near Fethard-on-Sea in County Wexford, one craftsman has discovered that teaching traditional woodworking skills not only benefits the students but also himself and the community. Reporter Helen McInerney has the story.
Carrickmacross local woman Lorraine Cotter travelled the world with Riverdance and is founder and director of the local chamber choir called Cantemus. She is also a mother of three children with autism and presenter Mary Kennedy meets Lorraine at her home who talks about her daily challenges.