The music, food and visitor attractions of County Clare will be in the national spotlight today when RTÉ’s popular Todayshow airs live from Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.
Organised in conjunction with the Tourism Department of Clare County Council and the Clare tourism industry, the outside broadcast will profile the entire county through interviews with the Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr PJ Ryan, and a host of tourism representatives, food demonstrations by local producers and live performances by some of Clare’s best-known musicians.
The show will get underway on RTÉ One from 3:30pm with panoramic views of Killaloe and the surrounding countryside.
James Whelan, with his boat the Spirit of Killaloe, will be greeting Dáithí Ó Sé from the pier in Killaloe. Dáithí will then take the TV audience on a live walking tour of Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, while also sampling butter churning and bread baking.
Nuala Mulqueeny will be telling viewers about the recent rebranding of the Aillwee Burren Experience, the Birds of Prey Centre, and the upcoming launch of Burren GEOfood taking place during the Burren Slow Food Festival, beginning Friday, 20th May.
The programme is a food lover’s dream: it will showcase an array of local produce from Carrygerry Country House, Hurst Botanicals, Wild Irish Seaweed and Sourdo’Farrell, along with the Burren GEOfood producers – Burren Gold Cheese, Burren Free Range Pork, Flaggy Shore Oysters, Burren Smokehouse Oysters, St Tola’s Goat Cheese, Beetroot Chutney by Burren Fine Wine and Food, Premium Beef, Linnalla Ice cream and Wild Kitchen Haw Ketchup and Elderflower Champagne.
Neven Maguire, Irish celebrity chef and television personality, will use some of these ingredients for his on-location cooking demonstration.
The broadcast will feature a range of live musical performances from artists including uilleann pipes and bouzouki duo Blackie O’Connell and Cyril O’Donoghue.
The show will feature breaks away to Loop Head, including overnight accommodation.
Cllr PJ Ryan, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, said: “I look forward to appearing on the show and telling Dáithí and the Today viewers all about the wonderful tourism product on offer here in Clare. The county has so much to offer domestic and international tourists, and I wish to commend the local authority for delivering high-profile national coverage for the local tourism sector.”
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council, commented: “We are delighted to partner with RTÉ again following a very successful broadcast from Ennis last summer. Bringing our national broadcaster to Clare and showing the public what is on offer ensures that we get our message out to a wider audience. This is particularly important as we head into the busy tourist season.”
Deirdre O’Shea, A/Head of Tourism for Clare County Council, commented: “One of the legacies of the pandemic for tourism in Ireland has been the significant growth in the staycation market. With many Irish people expected to holiday at home again this year, it is vitally important that we promote the abundance of visitor attractions and tourism offerings in Clare to a national audience. We want to amplify the message that Clare is very much open for business and looking forward to welcoming people from all over Ireland and further afield.”