Monday 4th March, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Tonight, Nationwide meets three women, all of whom have a love of Irish art and craft.
Serena O’Connell was a busy, hard-working GP enjoying life until she was diagnosed with a severe form of ovarian cancer two years ago. This was a considerable setback to Serena but she ended up finding joy and contentment when she took up pebble art. Anne Cassin goes to meet her to hear her emotive story.
There is a great tradition of agricultural shows in this country and one highlight of those gatherings is the ‘competition tent’ where the best of baking, knitwear, needlecraft, animal husbandry and lots more, are judged and winners declared. Nationwide goes to visit a 90-year-old woman in Cúil Aodha in Cork who has quite literally swept the boards at the agricultural show competitions.
Nationwide visits a young woman on the border of Cork and Waterford near the town of Youghal, whose passion for artwork and crafts led on her on a journey which saw her meeting crafts people all over Ireland. Today Emma Penruddock provides a shop window for Irish craft on the internet.
Wednesday 6th March, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
On Nationwide this evening, the team travels South East to the open day of Wexford & Waterford ETB’s vintage car restoration course; reporter Niall Martin meets with three women in jobs that might previously have been considered as male roles; and this being Enterprise Week, the programme features a young woman in Cavan whose new business is absolutely thriving.
In County Cavan, a young fashion design student turned her passion for colour and knitting into a successful export business selling hand-dyed artisan yarns from her company Olann, all over the world. Jess Kavanagh is still in her twenties and now employs seven people. Mary Fanning goes to meet this young entrepreneur.
Even when there’s no actual barrier to men or women doing certain jobs, there still aren’t as many women working in the manual trades. Reporter Niall Martin meets three women employed in three very different workplaces to hear how they are working in jobs that they love.
Education Training Boards all around the country run courses to assist in training for the purpose of employment. The Wexford & Waterford ETB run one such course, which attracts participants from all around the country with a waiting list to join. Nationwide goes along to their open day to see the results of the Vintage Car Restoration Course.
Friday 9th March, 7.00pm, RTÉ One
Tonight Nationwide has a trip to the Kingdom exploring the coastline on a foraging expedition. The team meet and spend some time with artist Pauleen Bewick to find out about her current projects and discover how the landscape of Kerry influences her work.
Presenter Mary Kennedy joins John and Kerryann Fitzgerald on a Seaweed Tour in beautiful Derrynane. They tell her of the historical significance and nutritional benefits of these ocean plants. Afterwards Mary gets to taste a delicious seaweed buffet made from all she helped forage along the shoreline.
Mary also visits the home of acclaimed Irish artist Pauline Bewick and catches up with her daughter, Poppy Melia, an artist very much in her own right. They show Mary their latest works and discuss what inspires them, as well as their very close bond.
Aoibheann Lambe developed a fascination with ancient markings called Rock Art, many of which are found in Kerry. These ancient motifs are found all along the Western Atlantic Seaboard and in as far flung places as Hawaii, Alaska, Brazil and Namibia. Aoibheann gives tours to help understand what they mean and who made them and Nationwide goes along to find out more.