Ireland’s Tracks and Trails

Ireland’s Tracks and Trails Discover Ireland’s breathtaking landscape on the most spectacular tracks and trails in the country

16/06/2026

The Deserted Village on the Cooley Peninsula in County Louth sits high on the slopes of Mount Barnavave, looking out over Carlingford Lough. The wider settlement of seven or eight houses is thought to be connected to the Famine. But when archaeologist Paul Gosling took a closer look at one of the best preserved houses here, the story was quite different.

Two rooms. A dividing wall. Fireplaces in each gable. The doorway between the rooms deliberately blocked. And a roof that wasn’t lost to time or neglect; it was removed on purpose after the Second World War to avoid paying tax.

“This is why you have such a perfect ruin.”

History is rarely as simple as the story we tell about it. Filmed on location for Tracks & Trails, County Louth.

19/05/2026

You could tell nationalist households in Northern Ireland by which direction their TV antenna was pointing.

During the Troubles, the Clermont Mast on the Louth/Armagh border became politically controversial. When RTÉ built it, its signal reached deep into Northern Ireland, seen by some as a deliberate attempt to push southern culture and republican ideals across the border. Many nationalist households pointed their antennas south to catch it.

A television mast. A political statement. A border story that most people have never heard.

Anton Savage tells Doireann this remarkable piece of Irish history while standing at the Clermont Mast in County Louth where British Army outposts once lined the hills and helicopters filled the sky. Today there’s nothing but the natural landscape.

“It’s something we shouldn’t take for granted.”

Did you see the full Louth episode? You can watch it now on the RTE Player or if you’re outside of Ireland watch it on our YouTube channel, link in bio.

08/05/2026

She spent 16 years of her life painting a room that almost no one would ever see.
Sister Concepta Lynch painted every inch of the Oratory of the Sacred Heart in Dún Laoghaire by hand, using nothing but domestic house paint over sixteen years.

Celtic birds, beasts and intricate designs cover every surface, alongside stained glass windows by Harry Clarke.

Sister Lynch died in 1939 and a protective structure was built around the oratory to preserve her life’s work forever.

It is one of Ireland’s great hidden works of art as very few people know it’s there.

Tonight in the Series finale of Tracks and Trails, Doireann visits this extraordinary place before joining Professor Luke O’Neill and Maia Dunphy for the rest of the episode.

Watch it in full tonight on at 8:30pm; also available on . If you’re outside of Ireland you can catch it on YouTube, link in bio.

07/05/2026

Walking the Dublin Mountains Way on a sunny day ☀️

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council DLR Tourism

06/05/2026

Ireland’s holy wells. Miracle cure or ancient science?

For centuries, people across Ireland believed that holy wells had the power to heal. From skin ailments to stomach complaints, the sick and suffering would travel great distances to drink or bathe in their waters, hoping for a cure. But was there anything actually in it?

Doireann heads to St Begnet’s Church on Dalkey Island with Ireland’s favourite immunologist Luke O’Neill to find out, and the answer is fascinating.

Don’t miss the FINAL episode of Tracks & Trails this Friday, 8th May at 8:30pm on , and on our YouTube channel for those outside Ireland.

01/05/2026

“A song is never finished. It’s abandoned.” 🎵

Walking the canals of his native Kildare with Doireann Ní Ghlacáin, musician Jack L reflects on the nature of creativity, songwriting and knowing when something is ready.

“It’s like being a good chef. You have to know when not to overcook something.”

And on overthinking? “It can be a big problem when it comes to creativity.” Even the Beatles recorded whole albums in a single day and those songs have stood the test of time.

Sometimes the first take is the best take.

Episode 4 of Tracks & Trails airs tonight, Friday 1st May on RTÉ One at 8:30pm. Also on the RTÉ Player and on our YouTube channel for viewers outside Ireland.

30/04/2026

Oh, Danny Boy 🎶

Listen to the beautiful voice of Celine Byrne on the River Barrow in County Kildare. Full episode will air tomorrow, Friday 1st May, at 8:30pm on RTÉ One. You can catch it on the RTÉ Player and if you’re outside of Ireland see it on our YouTube channel.

Kildare Sports Partnership Kildare County Council Waterways Ireland

28/04/2026

“You can take the woman out of the bog. But you can’t take the bog out of the woman.”

From a boat in Kuşadasi̇ last week to a barge on the Barrow Blueway in Kildare this week, soprano Celine Byrne is just as happy.

“Equal parts bog and opera” and we wouldn’t have her any other way. Celine has a wonderful way of reminding us us that no matter where life takes you, home has a way of pulling you back.

Episode 4 of Tracks & Trails airs this Friday 1st May on RTÉ One at 8:30pm. Also on the RTÉ Player and on our YouTube channel for viewers outside Ireland, link in bio.

22/04/2026

📍The city that built the Titanic

Standing on Cave Hill above Belfast city, Doireann Ní Ghlacáin and broadcaster Holly Hamilton take in a breathtaking view and reflect on the history of a city that’s population exploded in a single century.

The iconic Harland & Wolff cranes. The shipyards that built the Titanic. The thousands who flooded into Belfast to work, to build, to shape one of the great industrial cities of the world.

“There’s so much history here, and it is such a thriving, bustling city now.”

Episode 3 of Tracks & Trails airs this Friday 24th April on RTÉ One at 8:30pm and on the RTÉ Player. Viewers outside Ireland can watch on our YouTube channel, link in bio.

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