Latest News
Major new documentary on Ireland’s coast to air on RTÉ
- New series is inspired by award-winning Atlas of the Irish Coast published by Cork University Press.
- Narrated by Ciarán Hinds, the documentary will explore Ireland’s constantly changing coast.
- The series will show advances in marine and coastal science to understand and protect Ireland’s coastal and marine spaces.
A major new three-part documentary series, Ireland’s Coast, will bring audiences on a journey through time along Ireland's coastline. Inspired by the landmark publication The Coastal Atlas of Ireland, published by Cork University Press, the series will explore Ireland’s rich coastal biodiversity and history.
Narrated by the Oscar nominated actor Ciarán Hinds, the documentary series features stunning cinematography, graphics and interviews with leading academics, researchers and storytellers in a series that will take the viewer from the distant geological past to the complex landscapes of the present day.
Starting on Sunday, 15 September on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, the first episode ‘Out of the Depths of Time’ will reveal the origin story of Ireland’s coast, exploring the significance of sea level rise and fall in the story of our coast. The documentary explores Ireland’s territorial waters and cold-water coral reefs.
Dr Aaron Lim, Lecturer in Marine Geosciences, Director of MSc Applied Coastal and Marine Management and Head of the Earth and Ocean Lab at University College Cork, shares advances in seabed mapping in the documentary.
Dr Lim said: “The ocean is always changing. Without a map, we cannot manage these sites and protect them in a sustainable way. In this series, it was a privilege to share the work led by UCC researchers to map shallow and deeper waters, including our sonar technology mapping on the continental shelf, 200 to 400 metres water dept, and on the continental slope, from 600 metres down to 3,500 to 4,000 metres water depth. Think about the Grand Canyon and fill it with water, and another 500 metres on top of that.”
Head of RTÉ Cork, Colm Crowley said: “As RTÉ continues to ramp up regional commissioning and production, this collaboration between RTÉ Cork and University College Cork is the perfect example of how hugely ambitious series like 'Ireland's Coast' can be created and delivered for Irish audiences from RTE's growing production base in Cork. Special thanks to Moondance productions for bringing this hugely impactful series to life.”
Oscar nominated Ciarán Hinds, narrator of Ireland’s Coast, said: "It was a great pleasure to be involved in a landmark series such as this, a visual feast and deep dive into the story of Ireland's Coast."
John FitzGerald, Executive Producer and Adjunct Professor, School of English, University College Cork, said: “University College Cork is delighted to be collaborators on Ireland’s Coast, based on the award-winning Atlas of the Irish Coast published by Cork University Press. Our commitment to bringing important research and knowledge into the public domain in books and films featuring UCC experts is all made possible by an enduring relationship with RTÉ Cork, in collaboration with ARTE and talented film makers like Moondance.”
Three-part series Ireland’s Coast is produced by Moondance productions for RTÉ in collaboration with UCC and ARTÉ.
The first episode will air at 6.30pm on Sunday, 15 September on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.