Lesser Spotted Ulster Series 11 Episode 4: Ballywalter

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Lesser Spotted Ulster Series 11 Episode 4: Ballywalter

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Details

Location

Ballyhalbert, Ballywalter

Year

2009

Date

Production 27/10/2009

Length

46min 30sec

Audio

sound

Format

Betacam SP

colour

Source

Digitised as part of the BFI Heritage 2022 project.

Courtesy

British Film Institute, ITV, UTV Archive

Rights Holder

ITV

It is illegal to download, copy, print or otherwise utilise in any other form this material, without written consent from the copyright holder.

Description

He stands at Burr Point, the most easterly point in Ireland, looking out towards Burial Island.

Joe takes a trip out of Ballyhalbert harbour in a small boat with Ernest Dunbar who tells him stories of historical shipwrecks. On the rocky seashore, Ian Wilson recounts a daring rescue of the large sailing ship, the Wild Deer, and laments the disconnect in modern life from shipping as sea trade has largely moved to larger ports on reclaimed land in the bigger cities. Back out at sea, Ernest shows Joe how he brings in catches of lobsters and prawns.

Professor Valerie Holt then shows Joe a reindeer antler and part of an antler from a great Irish deer, both of which were found on the shore and date to when the sea was much further out at the end of the last Ice Age.

Moving to Ballywalter, Joe tells of the area's involvement with the 1798 United Irishmen Rebellion and then speaks to Jim Fullerton who tells of his career in the merchant navy and captaining the Liverpool ferry. May McAdam invites Joe to her farm and talks of being in the Young Farmers' Association for 67 years.

Joe visits the graves of three Polish airmen from World War II at St Joeseph's church in Ballyoran and of five Commonwealth airmen at St Andrew's in Ballyhalbert. All were killed in accidents at the Ballyhalbert airfield. He discusses the graves with Reverend John Hemphill. Helena McCormick remembers the building of the airfield during the war and the arrival of child evacuees from Belfast. Jim Palmer walks around the derelict remains of the airfield outbuildings talking of his sadness that they have been allowed to decline.

Credits

An Ulster Television Production.
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