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NATIONWIDE – WEEK 27

Mary Kennedy and Anne Cassin RTÉ Nationwide (3) Image Name: Mary Kennedy and Anne Cassin RTÉ Nationwide (3) Description: RTÉ Nationwide Presenters Mary Kennedy and Anne Cassin

Monday 1st July, 7.00pm, RTÉ One

Nationwide is off to the races to see the style and glamour at the Irish Derby Day at the Curragh race course in Co Kildare.  We’ll see the world class facilities including the weigh room with the jockeys and presenter Mary Kennedy chats to racegoers and the track’s ambassador, Johnny Murtagh.  We also meet horse trainer Sheila Lavery and learn about the horse sculptures that are on display at the Curragh racecourse.  

Next reporter Mary Fanning goes behind the scenes with trainer, Sheila Lavery in County Meath, and they look back at the success of Lady Kaya and her heartbreaking tragic end. She hears how the resilient team is now looking to the future.

And reporter Valerie Waters meets two of the artists who created the unique model horses for the Curragh under their stARTers orders fundraising project with the money going to the Irish Injured jockeys and Sensational Kids charities.

Wednesday 3rd July, 7.00pm, RTÉ One

Nationwide meets two creative personalities in South County Dublin who thrive on keeping busy and simply refuse to retire.

Helen Dillon, Ireland’s “Queen of Gardening”, created a famous garden in Ranelagh in Dublin 6 which she tweaked and tended for 45 years. In 2017 she moved to Monkstown where she started a new garden from scratch.  Hidden behind high granite walls, Helen welcomes Mary Kennedy  to her seaside home and garden where they chat about downsizing, work, and Helen’s lifelong passion for gardening.

Joe O’Donnell wears many hats – a writer, producer/director, magician and at the age of 85 is still publishing short stories and writing for the stage.  He chats about his travels with Anu McMaster’s Theatre company in the ‘50s which took works of Shakespeare to towns and villages throughout Ireland, as well as creating ‘Bosco’ and writing and directing classic TV shows including Wanderly Wagon and Glenroe.

Friday 5th July, 7.00pm, RTÉ One

Coollattin House near the village of Shillelagh in South West Wicklow was once at the centre of one of the biggest Estates in Ireland.  Owned by Earl Fitzwilliam the 90,000 acre Estate covered a fifth of County Wicklow and had over 20,000 tenants. Many of the villages in this area were planned and built by the local landlord but in the 1800’s, before and during the Famine times, thousands of tenants left the Fitzwilliam Estate for Canada.  Now their descendants are returning to search for their ancestral roots.  This evening’s Nationwide is in South West Wicklow speaking to these returned emigrants and visiting Shillelagh and Tinahely.  The team do a  tour of Coollattin Estate and House and visit a restored Estate Cottage.  Also on the programme, an  exploration of the history of The Shillelagh Stick and how it’s made.