ABHAINN: An Fheoir – The Nore
The majestic River Nore rises in the shadow of the Devil’s Bit Mountain in north Tipperary. On his first voyage along this beautiful river, Pádraig O’Driscoll meets the people of the Nore as it meanders through counties Laois and Kilkenny before joining sister rivers The Suir and The Barrow to reach the sea. Discovering art, hurling, cricket, ancient monks brewing beer and even string quartets playing on the banks, it’s a river journey not to be missed.
The Nore begins the 140km journey as a tiny stream. Passing through Clonakenny, the first village on its lengthy course, it flows through County Laois and the picturesque Castletown where the De La Salle Brothers are running their annual spiritual retreat for secondary school students.
When dinner is over and the washing-up done, we leave the students and head for the Fly-Fishing & Shooting Museum in Attanagh where Walter Phelan has assembled a collection of artefacts that reflect the pursuits of Ireland’s nobility in days gone by. Among the more gruesome objects on display are the man-traps the landlords set to catch poachers on their land.
On we go to Kilkenny, a proud and bustling city which began life as an ecclesiastical centre in the 6th Century. Kilkenny is one of the finest Irish examples of a medieval town, but the traces of industry from later centuries also remain. At their height – over 3,000 people were employed in the old mills on the riverbank. Almost half of all the blankets for the British Army during the First World War were manufactured in Kilkenny.
Jerpoint Abbey which was built in the 12th century is the next stop. The carvings in the medieval cloisters of the Cistercian ruins evoke the life and work of the monks who lived and prayed there.
The River Nore flows on through Bennettsbridge, Thomastown and Inistioge, all of which provided famous hurlers for the all-conquering Cats. Everywhere you go in Kilkenny, they joke that you should check your change in case you’ve been given an All-Ireland medal by mistake!
Presenter / Reporter Pádraig O’Driscoll
Producer / Director Seán Ó Méalóid
RTÉ One, Monday 13 October 2014 at 7.30pm