Creedon’s Shannon
RTÉ One
Series Overview:
John Creedon travels the full length of the mighty River Shannon, Ireland’s longest river, running over 360km and flowing through 12 counties in this new three part RTÉ One series, Creedon’s Shannon.
This epic voyage will take him on a journey as the river swells and narrows into a chain of lakes, Lough Allen, Lough Ree and Lough Derg before bursting into the Atlantic at the Shannon estuary.
The river has shaped and transformed the landscape but it has also influenced us as a people and John is setting out to explore how we have put our stamp on the river through trade, infrastructure, culture and how the the river has shaped our way of life.
Cruiser, barge, yacht and gandalow will be just some of the means of transport John will use to travel this journey travelling down river and through Locks.
Episode One of Three:
John begins his journey on a mission – trying to locate the true source of the Shannon, while legend and current literature mark the source as the Shannon Pot in Co. Cavan, John meets with hyrdro-geologists performing a dye tracing experiment to find the true source of the river.
With pick axe in hand John is put to work as he visits the Arigna Mines on the shores of Lough Allen, with former miner Maurice Cullen, and learns of what life was really like underground.
Acclaimed wildlife enthusiast Colin Stafford- Johnson and John listen for the natural sounds of the river Shannon’s symphony of birdsong and Pat McManus and his team of divers from the Athlone Sub Aqua club investigate an unknown ship lost to time on the lake bed of Lough Ree for many years.
Producer/ Directors are Marie Toft/ Mary Martin
Executive Producer – Janet Frawley
Commissioning Editor – Colm Crowley