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(wind blowing)
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(upbeat music)
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- [Narrator] Our journey
begins at Mizen Head
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in the southwest corner of Ireland.
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We then follow the rugged coastline
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past towers and lighthouses
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before turning inland to
the famous Blarney Castle,
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where kissing a stone
is said to bring luck.
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To the south is Cork,
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the second largest city in the republic,
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which sits at the head of one
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of the world's largest natural harbors.
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Inland, and across the
Knockmealdown Mountains,
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are a remarkable group
of medieval buildings
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and abbey on the Rock of Cashel.
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We then head southeast down
the River Suir to Waterford,
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once the home of crystal glass making.
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Along the coast is Wexford
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where we turn north towards
the Wicklow Mountains
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and our final destination
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at one of Ireland's most
beautiful estates, Powerscourt.
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(waves crashing)
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Ireland is famous for
its changeable weather.
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And on the west coast,
sea mists can roll in
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very quickly making
navigation treacherous.
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High seas pound the rocks,
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and ships rounding the coast
need to keep a wide berth,
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which is why on the
southwest tip of Ireland
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is Mizen Head signal and weather station.
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It sits on the end of a narrow peninsula
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where the tides and currents
around the coastline
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meet the mighty Atlantic Ocean,
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which can create mountainous seas.
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Out at sea and out of sight
today is the Fastnet Lighthouse.
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The first tower was built in the 1850s
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as a result of an American liner
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hitting the rocks with
the loss of 92 lives.
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In the early 1900s, it was
decided to replace the tower
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and also build a fog signal
station here at Mizen Head.
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It actually sits on a small
island called Cloghane.
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In really bad fog, the
keeper would also fire
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an explosive charge at
three minute intervals.
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In the 1970s, the fog signal
station was discontinued
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when sonar and satellite
navigation became widely available.
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So today, Mizen Head is
a visitor attraction,
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with a museum and a dramatic walk
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across the arched bridge
to the weather station.
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Visitors come and marvel
at the spectacular sight
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of the rocks and pounding seas
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in almost any weather condition.
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(gentle music)
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As we fly east, the mist begins to clear
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and the sun slowly breaks through
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to reveal a beautiful coastline.
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And on the cliffs are old castles
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which defended the coast
from potential invaders.
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In fine weather and blue seas,
the Carbery Hundred Isles
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stand out in Long Island
Bay and Roaring Water Bay.
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The Isles are now home to
a number of holiday houses
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and have also become a
popular place for scuba diving
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due to the number of wrecks in the area
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including a World War Two German U-Boat.
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At the end of Roaring
Water Bay is Kilcoe Castle,
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built around 1450 on a two acre island.
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It proved difficult to capture
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and so was in fact the very
last castle in the area
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to fall to the English in 1603.
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In the 1990s, it was bought and restored
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at great cost by the actor Jeremy Irons.
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Like many castles of this date,
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it would have quite probably
been rendered and then painted.
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Ireland is a land of myths and legends
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and across the country are
a number of prehistory sites
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going back thousands of years.
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Close to the coast is the
Dromberg Stone Circle.
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In a nine meter diameter,
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17 closely-spaced stones
once completed a circle.
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Today 13 survive.
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The most westerly stone is
known as a long recumbent.
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To one side of the circle
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are the ruins of two pre-historic huts,
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which once had timber roofs.
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The site was excavated
and restored in 1958,
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and during this period,
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a pot was found in the
center of the circle,
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containing the remains of a young person
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wrapped in a thick cloth.
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Carbon dating suggests that the site
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was still active around 900 BC.
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The weather in Ireland is
dominated by the Atlantic.
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Here towards the west of the country,
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warm wet air streams in from the sea,
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and it's quite possible that it will rain
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two days out of three at
certain times of the year.
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All this rainfall creates lush green grass
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and gives Ireland its
depiction as the Emerald Isle,
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and it also gives rise to
some wonderful rainbows.
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One of the most visited sites in Ireland
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is Blarney Castle built
in the 15th century.
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But its attraction lies
not in the fortress itself,
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but in one of its stones,
the Stone of Eloquence,
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built into the battlements of the castle.
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It's said that if you kiss it,
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you will never be lost for words again
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and have the gift of eloquence.
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Needless to say, millions have people
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have kissed the Blarney
Stone over the years
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and they have come from around the world.
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However, the act of kissing the stone
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requires lying down on your back,
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with someone holding your legs,
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and then hanging upside
down over a sheer drop
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in order to reach it.
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Today there are iron railings
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to protect anyone attempting it,
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but in the past there was a
real risk to life and limb.
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Indeed, in a Sherlock Holmes story,
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a man falls to his death
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because it's discovered
that his boots were greased
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and therefore slipped through the hands
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of the person holding him.
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On the banks of the River Lee is Cork,
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the principal city in the
county of the same name,
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with a population of
roughly 120,000 people.
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It was founded back in the 6th century
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as a monastic settlement by St. Finbar,
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the first bishop of Cork,
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and only became urbanized
in the 10th century
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when the Vikings arrived
and founded a port,
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which became an important part
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of their global trading network,
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along with Dublin to the
north, which they also founded.
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As a seafaring people,
the Vikings understood
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the importance of building
harbors in the best places,
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and at Cork it was ideal,
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as it was inland enough to be sheltered
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from the sea, and also an attack,
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yet close enough to one
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of the greatest natural
harbors in the world.
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On the east side of the
city is the container port
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and on the opposite bank is
a small 17th century castle,
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which was not built for defense
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but as a surprise gift from
a wife, Anastasia Archdeacon,
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to her returning soldier husband, John,
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after years of fighting on the continent.
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Legend has it that when
he saw the new castle,
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he fired a cannon ball at it
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thinking it must have
been built by an enemy.
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The castle overlooks the River Lee
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where it opens up into Lough Mahon,
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one of the most important
bird habitats in the harbor.
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And on the far side at Passage West,
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the lough narrows and for about two miles
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becomes the River Lee again.
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In 1993, a new ferry service
began across the river
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linking Cork to the harbor town of Cobh.
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The two ferries can carry
27 cars and 200 passengers.
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(gentle music)
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Most of the shipyards along
the river have now gone,
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but a few still remain
to carry on a tradition
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of ship building that
has lasted for centuries.
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At this point, the River Lee opens out
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to Lower Cork Harbor,
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which is a vast natural deep water harbor.
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It is claimed to be the
world's second largest
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after Sydney in Australia.
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The main town around the harbor is Cobh,
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which used to be known as Queenstown
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before the Republic of
Ireland was founded in 1919.
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This is place of poignant memories,
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where hundreds of thousands
of poor and hungry people
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left for the United States in the 1840s,
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especially during the Irish famine years.
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They left from this quay
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hoping to build a new
life across the ocean.
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Many succeeded, but many also died at sea
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in the terrible conditions.
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And it was also from this quay
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that the Titanic left
to cross the Atlantic
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on her fateful maiden voyage in 1912.
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For two hundred years,
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these old pastel colored houses
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have seen great changes
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from the age of sail to the age of steam
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and on to the great liners of the 1930s.
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And today, the deep water quay
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welcomes a new generation of ships
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whose passengers will be sure to enjoy
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a bit of Irish hospitality.
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(woman vocalizing)
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Ships of all types entering
or leaving a large harbor
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have to make use, under maritime law,
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of an experienced pilot.
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It is their local knowledge of the harbor
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that the captain of a ship
will listen to very carefully.
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Stopping distance for a
large modern container ship
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can be measured in miles
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and a slight error of judgment
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can cause millions of dollars in damage.
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The pilot boat will pull
alongside a moving ship
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and the pilot will climb aboard.
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After the ship has passed the
last buoy going out to sea,
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he will go back to his own boat
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and be taken back to land, or perhaps,
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to another ship waiting
to come into the harbor.
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A harbor of this importance
needed to be defended
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and the British, who prior
to 1919 occupied Ireland,
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built forts on some of the islands
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like here on Spike Island
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as well as at the narrow harbor entrance.
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On the west side is Fort Camden,
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which was begun in the 1780s
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and enlarged during the 1860s.
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And opposite is Fort Carlisle,
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which was also enlarged in the 1860s.
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Both these forts were eventually presented
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to the new Irish government in 1938.
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The two forts overlook Crosshaven,
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a small village just inside the harbor.
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It's famous for being the present home
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of the Royal Cork Yacht Club,
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which was established back in 1720,
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and is the oldest yacht club in the world.
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At the harbor entrance
lies Roche's Point Light.
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In 1928 the transatlantic liner, Celtic,
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was swept onto the rocks
beside the lighthouse.
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During the salvage,
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her cargo of grain and
fruit went overboard.
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Thousands of apples
floated into Cork harbor
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and up the creeks and rivers,
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with many being sold as Celtic Apples
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for a penny a piece.
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Heading northeast across
lush green countryside,
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we pass one of the finest
buildings in Ireland,
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Lismore Castle.
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It can be privately rented
for special occasions
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and can accommodate up to 27 guests.
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A spectacular dinner can be
held for many more people
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in the great hall of a castle
that dates back to 1170.
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You cannot travel very far in Ireland
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without coming across some
sort of religious building,
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whether a church, cathedral, or monastery,
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and many of them will be dedicated
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to the country's patron
saint, St. Patrick.
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Religion has played an important part
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in the history of Ireland.
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(men vocalizing)
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At Cloncoulty, in the
county of South Tipperary
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is one of the most
historic sites in Ireland
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and a major Christian
center, the Rock of Cashel.
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This unique complex of buildings
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is one of the most remarkable collections
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of Celtic art and medieval architecture
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to be found anywhere in Europe.
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Very little remains from the time
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before the Norman invasion
in the 11th century
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and the oldest recognizable building
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is the round tower, which dates from 1100.
259
00:14:47,010 --> 00:14:51,310
Cormac's Chapel, named after
King Cormac MacCartaigh,
260
00:14:51,310 --> 00:14:53,720
was built in 1127
261
00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,240
and is now dwarfed by the cathedral,
262
00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:58,490
which was started a hundred years later.
263
00:14:59,550 --> 00:15:02,740
On the left is the Hall
of the Vicars Choral,
264
00:15:02,740 --> 00:15:06,690
which is where lay members
and sometime clergy lived.
265
00:15:06,690 --> 00:15:09,970
They were appointed to
chant during services.
266
00:15:11,710 --> 00:15:16,000
In 1647, Parliamentary
Protestant forces from England
267
00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:18,120
sacked the whole site
268
00:15:18,120 --> 00:15:21,690
and massacred not only the
troops who were guarding it
269
00:15:21,690 --> 00:15:24,310
but also the Roman Catholic clergy.
270
00:15:25,500 --> 00:15:27,590
The wonderful treasures inside
271
00:15:27,590 --> 00:15:30,560
were either looted or smashed to pieces.
272
00:15:31,730 --> 00:15:33,260
During the 18th century,
273
00:15:33,260 --> 00:15:35,920
the main roof of the cathedral was removed
274
00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,690
and the whole site left as a ruin.
275
00:15:39,860 --> 00:15:43,760
Today, the Rock of Cashel is
a major tourist attraction.
276
00:15:46,140 --> 00:15:48,620
To the southeast is the River Suir,
277
00:15:48,620 --> 00:15:51,120
which runs down to the
Atlantic at Waterford.
278
00:15:51,970 --> 00:15:54,590
This is one of the major
fishing rivers in Ireland
279
00:15:54,590 --> 00:15:59,590
and holds the record for a
salmon taken on a fly in 1874.
280
00:15:59,930 --> 00:16:03,360
It weighed 26 kilograms.
281
00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,340
Today, the salmon stocks have declined
282
00:16:06,340 --> 00:16:09,040
but the river holds a plentiful
supply of brown trout.
283
00:16:11,615 --> 00:16:14,365
(medieval music)
284
00:16:16,180 --> 00:16:18,600
This is Curraghmore House.
285
00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:22,580
The old original castle is
encased inside the main building,
286
00:16:22,580 --> 00:16:25,050
which was constructed in the 19th century.
287
00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:28,420
The impressive approach is flanked
288
00:16:28,420 --> 00:16:30,160
by 18th century buildings.
289
00:16:31,080 --> 00:16:34,220
The house is home to the
eighth Marquis of Waterford
290
00:16:34,220 --> 00:16:38,080
whose Norman ancestors arrived
in Ireland in about 1170.
291
00:16:39,510 --> 00:16:42,800
The large formal gardens
that surround Curraghmore,
292
00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:44,580
as well as the woodland walks,
293
00:16:44,580 --> 00:16:46,260
are open to the public
294
00:16:46,260 --> 00:16:49,050
and the house is
available for group tours.
295
00:16:53,600 --> 00:16:56,190
Waterford is the oldest city in Ireland,
296
00:16:56,190 --> 00:17:00,030
founded as a settlement by
the Vikings back in 853.
297
00:17:01,030 --> 00:17:03,550
The city has seen its fair share of terror
298
00:17:03,550 --> 00:17:05,980
when the protestant English
besieged and took it
299
00:17:05,980 --> 00:17:09,720
in 1650 after Waterford remained Catholic
300
00:17:09,720 --> 00:17:11,800
and had declared independence.
301
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,900
On the waterfront is Reginald's Tower
302
00:17:17,900 --> 00:17:19,710
which was built by the Vikings
303
00:17:19,710 --> 00:17:22,920
and is the oldest urban
building in Ireland.
304
00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,590
However, it is for glass
that the city is most famous:
305
00:17:26,590 --> 00:17:28,420
Waterford Crystal.
306
00:17:28,420 --> 00:17:31,170
It was first produced in 1783.
307
00:17:31,170 --> 00:17:34,490
Over the years, the company
changed hands several times
308
00:17:34,490 --> 00:17:36,820
until finally the new corporation,
309
00:17:36,820 --> 00:17:39,440
which by now had factories
around the world,
310
00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,910
closed the operation in Waterford in 2009.
311
00:17:44,210 --> 00:17:47,890
So after 200 years of fine glass making,
312
00:17:47,890 --> 00:17:49,910
there is now just a museum.
313
00:17:53,020 --> 00:17:55,200
Just outside the city, the River Suir
314
00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:59,160
divides around Little
Island and Waterford Castle.
315
00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:03,250
With a history going
back to the 11th century,
316
00:18:03,250 --> 00:18:07,520
it was largely rebuilt in the
19th around the old tower,
317
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:10,250
which sits in the middle of the building.
318
00:18:10,250 --> 00:18:13,310
Today, this private
island with its own ferry
319
00:18:13,310 --> 00:18:15,430
is a luxury hotel and golf course.
320
00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,120
At Ballyhack, there is a ferry service
321
00:18:22,120 --> 00:18:25,450
across the river mouth to Passage East.
322
00:18:25,450 --> 00:18:27,940
With no bridge downstream from Waterford,
323
00:18:27,940 --> 00:18:31,540
this has been an important
crossing point for centuries,
324
00:18:31,540 --> 00:18:35,350
and the present ferry
operates 120 crossings a day.
325
00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,380
Duncannon Fort was built in 1588
326
00:18:41,380 --> 00:18:44,870
in the expectation of an
attack by the Spanish Armada.
327
00:18:46,110 --> 00:18:49,250
Its strategic position, at
the mouth of the River Suir,
328
00:18:49,250 --> 00:18:51,930
meant that it was upgraded
over the centuries,
329
00:18:51,930 --> 00:18:53,930
right up to Irish Independence
330
00:18:53,930 --> 00:18:56,980
when it was set on fire
and then lay in ruins
331
00:18:56,980 --> 00:18:59,020
until it was brought back to life
332
00:18:59,020 --> 00:19:00,560
during the second World War.
333
00:19:01,890 --> 00:19:04,070
Today it's open to the public
334
00:19:04,070 --> 00:19:06,320
and managed by the local council.
335
00:19:10,010 --> 00:19:12,870
The River Suir empties into the Celtic Sea
336
00:19:12,870 --> 00:19:15,160
where we head east along the coast
337
00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:16,770
into the county of Wexford.
338
00:19:27,210 --> 00:19:28,490
The town of Wexford
339
00:19:28,490 --> 00:19:30,860
is on the south-eastern tip of Ireland
340
00:19:30,860 --> 00:19:33,560
and built on the west
side of the River Slaney.
341
00:19:36,550 --> 00:19:39,930
This is another town
founded by the Vikings
342
00:19:39,930 --> 00:19:44,500
and named Veisafjordr,
inlet of the mud flats.
343
00:19:44,500 --> 00:19:48,110
Wexford's position had
made it an ideal sea port
344
00:19:48,110 --> 00:19:50,740
until the constant dredging
of the shifting sands
345
00:19:50,740 --> 00:19:53,890
in the 20th century made it uneconomic.
346
00:19:54,730 --> 00:19:58,280
However, the town rebuilt
the long harbor quay
347
00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:01,140
and turned itself into a cultural center
348
00:20:01,140 --> 00:20:03,980
with particular focus on opera.
349
00:20:03,980 --> 00:20:07,880
In 1951, the Wexford Opera Festival began
350
00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:10,790
and has become such a
success over the years
351
00:20:10,790 --> 00:20:13,880
that a new opera house was built in 2008.
352
00:20:15,330 --> 00:20:19,130
The shifting sands may make
it difficult for navigation,
353
00:20:19,130 --> 00:20:21,910
but it does make the
entrance into Wexford Harbor
354
00:20:21,910 --> 00:20:23,990
a beautiful stretch of coastline.
355
00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:28,230
(heartfelt music)
356
00:20:30,102 --> 00:20:31,802
Our journey now heads north
357
00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,700
and into the Wicklow Mountains.
358
00:20:34,780 --> 00:20:37,380
This range forms the largest continuous
359
00:20:37,380 --> 00:20:39,640
upland area in Ireland
360
00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:42,280
and several river systems
have their source here,
361
00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,550
including the Liffey, which
flows north to Dublin.
362
00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,720
For centuries, the
mountains had been a place
363
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,490
for rebels to hide out
364
00:20:50,490 --> 00:20:52,750
until the Wicklow Military Road was built
365
00:20:52,750 --> 00:20:54,260
in the 19th century
366
00:20:54,260 --> 00:20:56,750
and the mountains began
to attract tourists.
367
00:21:00,872 --> 00:21:03,292
(vocalizing)
368
00:21:06,150 --> 00:21:08,170
In the valley of the two lakes
369
00:21:08,170 --> 00:21:11,420
is an ancient monastery, Glendalough.
370
00:21:11,420 --> 00:21:13,760
In fact, it is more of a monastic city
371
00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:16,620
with a number of surviving
religious buildings,
372
00:21:16,620 --> 00:21:19,240
including several early churches,
373
00:21:19,240 --> 00:21:22,610
a high round tower, lay buildings,
374
00:21:22,610 --> 00:21:25,590
and various sites
associated with St. Kevin,
375
00:21:25,590 --> 00:21:27,530
who founded the original monastery.
376
00:21:28,660 --> 00:21:32,270
He was a hermit monk who
died around the year 618.
377
00:21:41,080 --> 00:21:44,400
In its heyday, Glendalough
also had guest houses,
378
00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:47,850
monastic cells, workshops, an infirmary,
379
00:21:47,850 --> 00:21:49,640
and farm buildings.
380
00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,570
But by the 13th century, it was in decline
381
00:21:52,570 --> 00:21:55,010
and English forces put paid to it in 1398
382
00:21:56,010 --> 00:21:58,990
leaving it in ruins except
for the round tower.
383
00:22:00,050 --> 00:22:04,480
This was used as a grain store
as well as a place of safety.
384
00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:08,210
But even in this state, the
site exerts a powerful presence
385
00:22:08,210 --> 00:22:10,490
on all who visit this beautiful valley.
386
00:22:22,700 --> 00:22:24,640
One of the reasons that
the Wicklow Mountains
387
00:22:24,640 --> 00:22:27,010
look the way they do is partly due
388
00:22:27,010 --> 00:22:29,450
to the local Cheviot breed of sheep
389
00:22:29,450 --> 00:22:31,480
which roam across the landscape,
390
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,810
eating the grass and other vegetation,
391
00:22:33,810 --> 00:22:35,790
keeping it all neat and trim.
392
00:22:37,420 --> 00:22:40,890
Today, the Wicklow Mountains
have become a National Park,
393
00:22:40,890 --> 00:22:44,440
which was established by
the government in 1991
394
00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:47,830
and is roughly 200 square
kilometers in size.
395
00:22:53,990 --> 00:22:56,880
This is Great Sugar Loaf Mountain,
396
00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,960
or simply known locally as Sugar Loaf.
397
00:23:00,950 --> 00:23:04,170
It's often mistaken for an old volcano,
398
00:23:04,170 --> 00:23:06,640
but it is in fact a sedimentary deposit
399
00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:09,600
of Cambrian quartzite from the deep sea
400
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,840
pushed up over millions of years.
401
00:23:12,840 --> 00:23:14,730
The rest of the Wicklow Mountains
402
00:23:14,730 --> 00:23:16,570
are made of Devonian granite.
403
00:23:17,900 --> 00:23:20,870
The mountain is only 501 meters high,
404
00:23:20,870 --> 00:23:24,820
but due to its isolated position
and steep sloping sides,
405
00:23:24,820 --> 00:23:27,720
it appears much taller
than it actually is.
406
00:23:33,750 --> 00:23:36,770
Behind Great Sugar Loaf
Mountain to the north
407
00:23:36,770 --> 00:23:39,610
is one of Ireland's greatest stately homes
408
00:23:39,610 --> 00:23:41,230
and our final location.
409
00:23:42,270 --> 00:23:44,870
The house has been rebuilt several times,
410
00:23:44,870 --> 00:23:46,880
as has the magnificent garden,
411
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,120
which stands in the shadow of Sugar Loaf.
412
00:23:50,738 --> 00:23:53,098
It also a house that nearly died
413
00:23:53,100 --> 00:23:56,710
when it was gutted by fire in the 1970s,
414
00:23:56,710 --> 00:23:59,650
but it survived and was rebuilt.
415
00:23:59,650 --> 00:24:01,070
This is Powerscourt.
416
00:24:02,174 --> 00:24:04,924
(majestic music)
417
00:24:15,490 --> 00:24:18,670
The house we see today was
built in the 18th century
418
00:24:18,670 --> 00:24:21,670
but substantially altered
a hundred years later.
419
00:24:22,870 --> 00:24:25,930
The fire in 1974 took the roof off
420
00:24:25,930 --> 00:24:29,030
and gutted all the principal rooms,
421
00:24:29,030 --> 00:24:33,180
but the real glory of
Powerscourt was left undamaged,
422
00:24:33,180 --> 00:24:34,010
the garden.
423
00:24:42,150 --> 00:24:44,800
This 19th century Italianate design
424
00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:48,020
has a series of steps leading
down from the terrace,
425
00:24:48,020 --> 00:24:50,990
with formal parterres on either side,
426
00:24:50,990 --> 00:24:54,640
and continues down past
great curving earth terraces,
427
00:24:54,640 --> 00:24:57,170
sculpted out of the hill.
428
00:24:57,170 --> 00:24:59,510
The steps end at a small lake.
429
00:25:02,050 --> 00:25:04,380
To the sides of the main formal garden
430
00:25:04,380 --> 00:25:07,160
are a series of smaller more informal ones
431
00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:12,160
including the Tower
Valley, a Japanese garden,
432
00:25:12,400 --> 00:25:14,900
and the walled garden, with glass houses,
433
00:25:14,900 --> 00:25:16,110
close to the house.
434
00:25:17,340 --> 00:25:20,200
The inspiration for the
design at Powerscourt
435
00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,040
came from palace gardens across Europe,
436
00:25:23,040 --> 00:25:25,300
including Versailles in France.
437
00:25:26,260 --> 00:25:29,820
The result is one of
Ireland's greatest gardens
438
00:25:29,820 --> 00:25:32,770
and a perfect place to end this journey.
439
00:25:37,658 --> 00:25:40,408
(majestic music)
440
00:26:00,989 --> 00:26:03,569
(logo booming)
33025
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