Episode 1
Presented by actor Lochlann Ó Mearáin, the series explores the history, architecture, landscape, and above all the people behind these extraordinary bridges, and the pivotal role they have played in historic events and in modern-day society.
From road to railway bridges, viaducts to footbridges, these man-made structures have long been an integral part of our country’s infrastructure. But beyond their primary function, how much do we really know about these structures?
From iconic bridges to lesser-known bridges, this series sets out to tell the remarkable story of Ireland through its bridges by looking at what role they played in our country’s history, how these structures impacted society, how they revolutionised the country’s infrastructure, and what hidden secrets they hold.
Travelling the length and breath of the country, Lochlann explores century-old stone bridges to modern contemporary designs, from natural geological formations to great engineering feats, to reveal their hidden history and impact, far greater than just bricks and mortar.
Lochlann rediscovers the remarkable tales behind our bridges through a wealth of fascinating human stories told by historians, experts and local people. We learn about their design and construction, why they were built and by whom, we learn about the obstacles and hazards that were faced during construction and how they were overcome. We discover how these structures were and still are treasured by society, and how they are an integral link to bridging communities together.
In this breath-taking visual journey through some of Ireland’s most beautiful landscapes, Lochlann will be exploring some of Dublin’s lesser-known bridges; in Clare he will marvel at the natural formation at the Bridges of Ross; In Cork he ventures to the rugged coastline of Mizen Head while in Drogheda he visits a Victorian engineering masterpiece. He walks across Ireland’s longest rope bridge in Kells Bay and explores one of Europe’s first examples of a suspension rope bridge in Birr Castle. In the walled city of Derry he visits a structure that bridged communities together, he listens to a unique musical performance at Bellacorrick Musical Bridge in Mayo and travels to Connemara to visit the iconic Quiet Man Bridge.
Droichid na hÉireann explores the rich architectural and historical heritage of Ireland’s most fascinating and visually spectacular bridges
The six-part series is produced by New Departures Media for RTÉ and supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
Biography:
Lochlann Ó Mearáin is an actor and presenter originally from Dublin now living in Westport, Co.Mayo. Familiar to Irish viewers as the face of the Bord Bia TV advertisement campaign, Lochlann is a fluent Irish speaker and has worked extensively as an actor and voiceover artist, appearing on screen and stage in Ireland and the UK. Some of his most recent credits include ’Smother’, ‘Finding Joy’, ‘Can’t Cope, Won’t Cope, Vikings and Ros na Rún.