Joe Mahon's tranquil
wanderings through the nine counties of Ulster entertained UTV viewers for
several decades. Through townlands, villages and small towns, Joe took the road
less travelled to shine a spotlight on places unfamiliar. In so doing he opened
up a treasure trove of old stories, traditions and crafts in danger of slipping
out of memory.
With beautiful camerawork
capturing the lush landscapes of the north of Ireland, from rugged Donegal to
the majestic glens of Antrim to the verdant woodlands of south Down, and with
the series' lilting and gentle music, Lesser Spotted Ulster formed a soothing
mainstay of the UTV schedules until being replaced with the ongoing Mahon's
Way.
In this edition he visits Glenravel in Co Antrim – the “Tenth Glen” – to chat with locals about the area's history and traditions. This includes visiting the village of Newtowncrommelin to meet Mary Preston who recites her poetry, William James McBurney who farms from an old schoolhouse, and go potholing in the old iron mines with Kevin O’Hagan. He also gets involved in a tug of war training session, speaks to Derek Anderson who breeds French Partridges for the game season, and picks damsons with John McMullan. There’s also a trip on a horse-drawn caravan with Paddy McKeown.