Catch up TV

Series 1: 3. Spring

It’s spring, one of the warmest and sunniest on record, and the Glens burst into life. On the farms, there is lambing and calving to deal with, ground-nesting birds are beginning to breed on the moors, and training has begun for the camogie season. But then the Glens, like the rest of Northern Ireland, goes into lockdown as the Covid-19 virus hits the UK. The programme shows how the natural spring beauty of the Glens provides a sanctuary for the inhabitants. \n\nThe episode begins in early spring as snowdrops appear around Glenarm estate. Adrian the estate manager is checking a leak in the roof of the castle. He talks about the costs involved in preserving a property that’s hundreds of years old. \n\nOn the moors of Glenwherry, Glenarm estate’s gamekeeper Alex Rodgers is doing a preliminary count of the grouse. Using specially trained dogs, he combs the moor, hoping to ascertain how many breeding pairs of birds he has ahead of the season. \n\nIn Cushendall, we meet retired schoolteacher Stephen O’Hara, who runs a storytelling cafe with his wife. As customers sip their tea, Stephen regales them with mythical tales of the Glens. \n\nThe Glens go into lockdown. Glenarm Castle gardens are now closed to visitors. Cafes, pubs and caravan sites are also shut, much to the exasperation of Robert and Tiffany McKay, who were getting ready for their cafe’s first summer season.\n\nBut not all industry can stop, and on the Devlin’s farm in Glenshesk and the McBride’s farm on Fairhead, lambing and calving carry on regardless. \n\nOn Glenwherry hill, Alex the gamekeeper is used to self-isolation. The grouse and other ground nesting birds have now laid their eggs, and Alex needs to work hard to protect them from predators. \n\nAs Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease, visitors are returning to enjoy some late spring beauty, including Islandmagee-based artist Audrey Kyle, who has come to Glenariff to paint the waterfalls.\n\nUnfortunately, the future is looking bleak for Stephen O’Hara’s storytelling cafe in Cushendall. With social distancing restrictions, it’s difficult to see how his small space can be economically viable.

Source: BBC 2