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 Benbradagh in Co Derry/Londonderry to chat with locals about the area's history and traditions. Joe makes his way to the top of the mountain to see the abandoned US radio base from wartime and then speaks to Annie McLaughlin who remembers it. Father Paddy McGuigan still uses the area for his hobby as a radio ham and Sasha Workman discusses the area’s wind turbines. Willie Douglas and Harry Chivers discuss plans to re-roof and restore one of the old mills of the area while Liam Begley shows the ruins of old housing once lived in by mill workers. Finally Matthew Semple helps Joe into a spot of handgliding.