1 00:00:02,236 --> 00:00:06,474 NARRATOR: Ireland. A verdant jewel in the Eastern Atlantic. 2 00:00:06,507 --> 00:00:09,043 Europe’s most western frontier. 3 00:00:09,209 --> 00:00:12,379 From the towering cliffs of its wild sea coasts 4 00:00:12,412 --> 00:00:16,950 to unique geological formations forged by volcanic fire, 5 00:00:16,984 --> 00:00:20,421 Ireland is a land of spectacular natural beauty -- 6 00:00:20,521 --> 00:00:23,791 the glorious backdrop of more than ten thousand years 7 00:00:23,824 --> 00:00:26,360 of human civilization. 8 00:00:26,527 --> 00:00:30,898 From a city of the dead that’s older than the Pyramids of Egypt 9 00:00:31,031 --> 00:00:33,433 to the beach where director Stephen Spielberg 10 00:00:33,467 --> 00:00:38,305 filmed the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan . 11 00:00:38,338 --> 00:00:40,273 Where else would you find the country home 12 00:00:40,307 --> 00:00:44,611 of the Lord of the Dance and the birthplace of the Titanic? 13 00:00:44,811 --> 00:00:49,749 Ancient ruins that bring Game of Thrones to life 14 00:00:49,783 --> 00:00:55,689 and a national sport that became the ancestor of ice hockey. 15 00:00:55,722 --> 00:00:59,759 A country whose rich cultural legacy and living history 16 00:00:59,793 --> 00:01:03,630 inspired generations of storytellers. 17 00:01:03,664 --> 00:01:08,269 This is an Ireland you’ve never seen before. 18 00:01:08,302 --> 00:01:12,039 A nation whose unique blend of tradition and modernity 19 00:01:12,072 --> 00:01:15,475 has made it a bastion of the digital age. 20 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:32,092 [♪ theme music ♪] 21 00:01:32,125 --> 00:01:34,294 ♪ ♪ 22 00:01:34,328 --> 00:01:37,832 Sunrise in Dublin -- Ireland’s capital city 23 00:01:37,998 --> 00:01:40,567 on the country’s east coast. 24 00:01:40,601 --> 00:01:44,438 Inhabited since prehistoric times, Dublin’s city origins 25 00:01:44,471 --> 00:01:48,241 lie with the invading Vikings, who sailed up the River Liffey 26 00:01:48,275 --> 00:01:52,279 in the tenth century AD to establish a settlement here. 27 00:01:52,312 --> 00:01:57,584 A thousand years on, Dublin is a city of 1.3 million people. 28 00:01:57,618 --> 00:02:00,721 From the streets built on Viking foundations 29 00:02:00,754 --> 00:02:04,224 to the medieval majesty of Dublin Castle 30 00:02:04,257 --> 00:02:07,527 and the spires of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 31 00:02:07,561 --> 00:02:13,901 Dublin’s architectural legacy is writ large. 32 00:02:13,934 --> 00:02:17,037 Among its most celebrated and historic precincts 33 00:02:17,070 --> 00:02:21,508 are the great Georgian Squares laid out in the 18th century, 34 00:02:21,541 --> 00:02:24,644 a golden age that would also witness the foundation 35 00:02:24,678 --> 00:02:29,750 of Dublin’s most iconic commercial enterprise. 36 00:02:29,783 --> 00:02:34,054 This is St. James’s Gate Brewery, ancestral home 37 00:02:34,087 --> 00:02:37,057 of "the Black Stuff," Guinness Stout, 38 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:40,260 one of Ireland’s most recognizable brands. 39 00:02:40,293 --> 00:02:45,165 In 1759, when the Irish brewer and entrepreneur Arthur Guinness 40 00:02:45,198 --> 00:02:48,768 took out a 9000-year lease on St. James’s Gate, 41 00:02:48,802 --> 00:02:50,937 he was supplied with crystal-clear water 42 00:02:50,971 --> 00:02:56,710 from the Wicklow Mountains to brew his beer, free of charge. 43 00:02:56,743 --> 00:02:58,478 At the heart of the brewery stands 44 00:02:58,512 --> 00:03:02,282 the famous Guinness Storehouse. 45 00:03:02,315 --> 00:03:04,951 This seven-story museum dedicated to the company’s 46 00:03:04,985 --> 00:03:09,022 history is topped with a sky bar where visitors enjoy 47 00:03:09,056 --> 00:03:13,727 a free sample of the famous brew and panoramic views of a city 48 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:16,529 still in the process of monumental change. 49 00:03:16,563 --> 00:03:23,103 ♪ ♪ 50 00:03:23,136 --> 00:03:27,340 Since the 1990s, the once-derelict Dublin docklands 51 00:03:27,374 --> 00:03:29,476 have been transformed into a vibrant new 52 00:03:29,509 --> 00:03:32,212 residential and business quarter. 53 00:03:32,245 --> 00:03:35,815 It’s known as the Digital Docklands, or, alternatively, 54 00:03:35,849 --> 00:03:37,818 Silicon Dock, 55 00:03:37,918 --> 00:03:40,354 overshadowed by Dublin’s tallest commercial building, 56 00:03:40,454 --> 00:03:44,024 Hyperlink, the European headquarters of Google. 57 00:03:44,057 --> 00:03:55,702 ♪ ♪ 58 00:03:55,736 --> 00:03:59,540 Downstream, the 680-foot red-and-white striped chimneys 59 00:03:59,573 --> 00:04:02,409 of Poolbeg are one of Dublin’s most beloved 60 00:04:02,442 --> 00:04:04,811 and iconic landmarks, 61 00:04:04,845 --> 00:04:07,581 immortalized in the music video for "Pride" 62 00:04:07,614 --> 00:04:11,051 by the city’s most famous musical export, U2. 63 00:04:11,084 --> 00:04:17,123 ♪ ♪ 64 00:04:17,157 --> 00:04:19,860 Ireland’s best-known rock group started life here 65 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,464 at Mount Temple School in the North Dublin suburbs when, 66 00:04:23,497 --> 00:04:28,402 in 1974, a young drummer named Larry Mullen posted a notice 67 00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:32,105 looking for like-minded musicians to form a band. 68 00:04:32,139 --> 00:04:35,142 Lead singer Bono grew up here at Cedarwood Road 69 00:04:35,175 --> 00:04:38,612 in the North City, a suburb made famous by U2’s album 70 00:04:38,645 --> 00:04:40,580 Songs of Innocence . 71 00:04:40,614 --> 00:04:43,517 U2 have left their mark all over Dublin. 72 00:04:43,550 --> 00:04:46,953 The band once owned the Clarence Hotel in Temple Bar, 73 00:04:46,987 --> 00:04:50,357 the city’s cultural quarter. 74 00:04:50,390 --> 00:04:53,894 Bono now resides here at Temple Hill, a grand mansion 75 00:04:53,927 --> 00:04:57,130 in the salubrious suburb of Killiney, where his neighbors 76 00:04:57,164 --> 00:05:00,634 have included singer Enya, film director Neil Jordan 77 00:05:00,667 --> 00:05:04,571 and Formula One racing driver Eddie Ervine. 78 00:05:04,604 --> 00:05:07,841 For a few years in the 1980’s, Bono lived here at 79 00:05:07,874 --> 00:05:11,378 the glass-roofed Martello Tower in the seaside town of Bray, 80 00:05:11,545 --> 00:05:13,347 south of Dublin. 81 00:05:13,446 --> 00:05:17,116 One of over fifty military forts dotted around the Irish coast, 82 00:05:17,150 --> 00:05:19,653 they were decommissioned in the 19th century, 83 00:05:19,686 --> 00:05:22,589 but have attracted artists and writers ever since, 84 00:05:22,622 --> 00:05:28,161 among them the great Irish novelist James Joyce. 85 00:05:28,328 --> 00:05:31,064 One of the finest writers of the 20th century, 86 00:05:31,097 --> 00:05:33,800 James Joyce spent most of his life abroad, 87 00:05:33,834 --> 00:05:37,037 and yet virtually all his work centers on Dublin, 88 00:05:37,070 --> 00:05:40,540 capturing the spirit of the city in the early 1900’s. 89 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:43,476 His masterpiece, the novel Ulysses , 90 00:05:43,510 --> 00:05:45,946 begins here at the Martello Tower 91 00:05:45,979 --> 00:05:49,082 beside the famous forty-foot swimming spot 92 00:05:49,115 --> 00:05:53,419 in the picturesque South Dublin suburb of Sandycove. 93 00:05:53,453 --> 00:05:57,090 Here, in September 1904, Joyce spent six nights 94 00:05:57,123 --> 00:06:00,426 with fellow writer Oliver St. John Gogarty, 95 00:06:00,460 --> 00:06:03,430 on whom he based one of Ulysses ’s main characters, 96 00:06:03,463 --> 00:06:07,300 the irrepressible Buck Mulligan. 97 00:06:07,334 --> 00:06:10,704 On the final night of his stay, Joyce was jolted awake 98 00:06:10,804 --> 00:06:14,274 as Gogarty fired a revolver into the pots and pans 99 00:06:14,307 --> 00:06:16,643 overhanging Joyce’s bed. 100 00:06:16,676 --> 00:06:20,780 Soon afterwards, Joyce left Ireland, never forgotten, 101 00:06:20,814 --> 00:06:24,351 but never to return. 102 00:06:24,384 --> 00:06:27,153 He wasn’t the only writer whose legacy remains written 103 00:06:27,187 --> 00:06:32,926 into the fabric of the city. 104 00:06:32,959 --> 00:06:35,662 Here on Merrion Square in Central Dublin 105 00:06:35,695 --> 00:06:39,332 is a monument to the great poet, wit and literary genius 106 00:06:39,499 --> 00:06:41,668 Oscar Wilde. 107 00:06:41,701 --> 00:06:45,271 Born in Dublin in 1854, Wilde became one of 108 00:06:45,305 --> 00:06:48,608 the greatest playwrights of the 19th century. 109 00:06:48,708 --> 00:06:50,777 But the author of The Importance of Being Earnest 110 00:06:50,810 --> 00:06:53,146 and The Picture of Dorian Gray 111 00:06:53,179 --> 00:06:56,282 was also a victim of the prejudice of his time. 112 00:06:56,316 --> 00:06:58,451 Imprisoned in England for two years 113 00:06:58,485 --> 00:07:00,620 on account of his homosexuality, 114 00:07:00,787 --> 00:07:04,357 Wilde would remain defiant, dignified and, above all, 115 00:07:04,424 --> 00:07:05,558 a Dubliner. 116 00:07:05,592 --> 00:07:08,195 "Be yourself," Wilde once said. 117 00:07:08,228 --> 00:07:11,565 "Everyone else is already taken." 118 00:07:11,598 --> 00:07:14,301 This reclining statue, with its sardonic grace, 119 00:07:14,334 --> 00:07:16,670 is a fitting tribute to one of Ireland’s most colorful 120 00:07:16,703 --> 00:07:19,239 and celebrated writers. 121 00:07:25,645 --> 00:07:28,915 Another of Dublin’s 19th century literary masters 122 00:07:28,949 --> 00:07:33,187 was Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula . 123 00:07:33,219 --> 00:07:37,223 Born in 1847 here at Marino Crescent in the North Dublin 124 00:07:37,257 --> 00:07:40,594 suburb of Clontarf, Stoker is said to have based 125 00:07:40,627 --> 00:07:43,063 some of the morbid details of Dracula 126 00:07:43,096 --> 00:07:46,466 on his mother’s recollections of the cholera epidemic 127 00:07:46,566 --> 00:07:49,602 that swept Ireland in 1832, 128 00:07:49,636 --> 00:07:53,006 claiming tens of thousands of lives. 129 00:07:53,039 --> 00:07:56,042 Stoker and Oscar Wilde knew each other well, 130 00:07:56,076 --> 00:07:57,878 having spent time together as students 131 00:07:57,911 --> 00:08:05,285 at Dublin’s most famous university, Trinity College. 132 00:08:05,318 --> 00:08:09,422 Established in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, 133 00:08:09,656 --> 00:08:12,659 Trinity is Ireland’s oldest university, modeled on 134 00:08:12,692 --> 00:08:19,232 the great English colleges of Oxford and Cambridge. 135 00:08:19,265 --> 00:08:22,201 Along with 200,000 of the college’s oldest 136 00:08:22,235 --> 00:08:27,107 and rarest books, Trinity’s 18th century old library 137 00:08:27,140 --> 00:08:29,376 displays an extraordinary national treasure 138 00:08:29,409 --> 00:08:32,913 on its ground floor: The Book of Kells , an 139 00:08:32,946 --> 00:08:38,218 intricate illuminated manuscript dating from around 800 AD. 140 00:08:38,251 --> 00:08:40,920 Containing the four Gospels of the New Testament 141 00:08:40,954 --> 00:08:44,257 laid out in vibrantly illustrated Celtic script, 142 00:08:44,424 --> 00:08:46,693 The Book of Kells is one of the most priceless 143 00:08:46,726 --> 00:08:50,230 medieval artifacts on Earth. 144 00:08:50,263 --> 00:08:53,633 Another historically important document enshrined here 145 00:08:53,666 --> 00:08:58,538 is a copy of the Irish Proclamation of 1916. 146 00:08:58,571 --> 00:09:01,841 ♪ ♪ 147 00:09:01,875 --> 00:09:04,711 When rebel leader Padraig Pearse read the proclamation 148 00:09:04,844 --> 00:09:08,247 beneath the portico of Dublin’s general post office, 149 00:09:08,281 --> 00:09:10,016 it was one of the most significant events 150 00:09:10,050 --> 00:09:13,153 of 20th-century Irish history. 151 00:09:13,186 --> 00:09:15,555 It signaled the start of the Easter Rising, 152 00:09:15,722 --> 00:09:18,325 a momentous rebellion against nearly 800 years 153 00:09:18,358 --> 00:09:22,963 of British colonial rule. 154 00:09:22,996 --> 00:09:26,132 In 1916, hundreds of Irish rebels took up 155 00:09:26,166 --> 00:09:29,636 defensive positions around Dublin, using the post office 156 00:09:29,669 --> 00:09:32,839 on O’Connell Street as their headquarters. 157 00:09:32,872 --> 00:09:36,509 Defeated by British forces after a week of bloody fighting, 158 00:09:36,543 --> 00:09:40,247 their sacrifice sent 26 of Ireland’s 32 counties 159 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:42,549 on the road to independence. 160 00:09:42,582 --> 00:09:45,718 Ultimately, the six counties of Northern Ireland 161 00:09:45,752 --> 00:09:50,123 would remain part of the United Kingdom. 162 00:09:50,156 --> 00:09:52,458 ♪ ♪ 163 00:09:52,492 --> 00:09:55,528 On March 17th, the world celebrates the feast day 164 00:09:55,562 --> 00:09:59,166 of Saint Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint. 165 00:09:59,199 --> 00:10:02,335 The symbol of this national holiday is the shamrock, 166 00:10:02,368 --> 00:10:04,937 a three-leafed clover St. Patrick is said to have used 167 00:10:05,038 --> 00:10:07,507 to explain the mystery of the Holy Trinity 168 00:10:07,540 --> 00:10:10,276 to his pagan converts. 169 00:10:10,443 --> 00:10:12,478 The Saint Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin 170 00:10:12,579 --> 00:10:16,083 is the biggest and most colorful outside of New York City, 171 00:10:16,116 --> 00:10:19,286 with half a million Dubliners and a hundred thousand visitors 172 00:10:19,319 --> 00:10:22,022 from around the world lining the streets 173 00:10:22,055 --> 00:10:28,094 for the most joyful open-air party of the year. 174 00:10:28,128 --> 00:10:30,597 The parade route leads from O’Connell street 175 00:10:30,630 --> 00:10:34,567 to St. Patrick’s Cathedral, whose 18th-century dean 176 00:10:34,601 --> 00:10:41,108 was also one of Ireland’s most famous writers, Jonathan Swift. 177 00:10:41,141 --> 00:10:44,244 Although Swift is largely associated with Dublin, 178 00:10:44,277 --> 00:10:46,713 his holiday home here in the Irish midlands 179 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:52,285 inspired his most famous book. 180 00:10:52,318 --> 00:10:55,588 This is Lilliput House on the south shore of Lough Ennel 181 00:10:55,622 --> 00:10:58,458 in County Westmeath. 182 00:10:58,491 --> 00:11:00,827 It’s said that while boating out on the lake, 183 00:11:00,860 --> 00:11:03,129 Swift was struck by how small people looked 184 00:11:03,163 --> 00:11:05,666 on the distant shoreline. 185 00:11:05,698 --> 00:11:08,801 It became the seed of an idea for the novel 186 00:11:08,835 --> 00:11:12,339 Gulliver’s Travels . 187 00:11:12,372 --> 00:11:14,207 On the far side of the lake stands 188 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:18,945 the imposing 18th-century mansion of Belvedere House. 189 00:11:18,978 --> 00:11:22,215 The sinister legacy of its owner is said to have inspired 190 00:11:22,248 --> 00:11:24,350 the novelist Charlotte Bronte 191 00:11:24,384 --> 00:11:28,355 to write the dark classic Jane Eyre . 192 00:11:28,388 --> 00:11:32,559 Landowner Robert Rochfort was a cruel and petty man. 193 00:11:32,592 --> 00:11:34,227 Incensed when his older brother built 194 00:11:34,260 --> 00:11:36,729 a much grander house nearby, 195 00:11:36,763 --> 00:11:39,366 Rochfort had a huge Gothic ruin constructed 196 00:11:39,465 --> 00:11:41,233 to block it from view. 197 00:11:41,267 --> 00:11:45,438 Known as the Jealous Wall, the folly still stands, 198 00:11:45,471 --> 00:11:48,641 a monument to one man’s bitterness and spite. 199 00:11:53,846 --> 00:11:55,748 50 miles east of Belvedere House 200 00:11:55,782 --> 00:11:57,651 in the neighboring county of Meath 201 00:11:57,684 --> 00:12:00,854 stands a monument of an altogether different kind. 202 00:12:00,887 --> 00:12:02,655 Over five thousand years old, 203 00:12:02,689 --> 00:12:05,692 it was built to connect the living and the dead. 204 00:12:09,562 --> 00:12:12,131 NARRATOR: The ancient Irish believed that the living and the dead 205 00:12:12,165 --> 00:12:15,835 shared the Earth, drawn together by the changing seasons 206 00:12:15,935 --> 00:12:18,204 and aligned by the light of the sun -- 207 00:12:18,238 --> 00:12:20,941 a sophisticated spirituality that they enshrined 208 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:24,076 in great earthen cemeteries. 209 00:12:24,110 --> 00:12:27,480 Here, on a bend of the River Boyne in County Meath 210 00:12:27,513 --> 00:12:30,549 stands the necropolis of Brú Na Boinne. 211 00:12:30,583 --> 00:12:34,387 Built a thousand years before the earliest Egyptian pyramid, 212 00:12:34,420 --> 00:12:37,490 this great 2000-acre city of the dead 213 00:12:37,523 --> 00:12:41,027 contains over 40 ancient tombs. 214 00:12:41,060 --> 00:12:45,865 12 meters high and 67 meters across, the great earthen mound 215 00:12:45,898 --> 00:12:49,135 of Knowth contains two burial chambers 216 00:12:49,168 --> 00:12:56,742 where the cremated remains of the dead were placed. 217 00:12:56,776 --> 00:13:01,247 A mile southeast lies the centerpiece of Brú Na Boinne, 218 00:13:01,281 --> 00:13:02,983 Newgrange. 219 00:13:03,016 --> 00:13:05,785 A tomb containing a single burial chamber, 220 00:13:05,818 --> 00:13:09,388 ringed with shining quartz rock and inscribed with 221 00:13:09,422 --> 00:13:16,362 mysterious neolithic symbols, it was built around 3200 BC. 222 00:13:16,396 --> 00:13:18,999 But this is more than just a tomb. 223 00:13:19,032 --> 00:13:22,035 At the winter solstice, the rays of dawn shine 224 00:13:22,068 --> 00:13:27,340 along a precisely aligned stone shaft built into the mound, 225 00:13:27,373 --> 00:13:31,010 illuminating the burial chamber deep within. 226 00:13:31,044 --> 00:13:35,949 A symbolic moment, signaling renewal, rebirth, 227 00:13:35,982 --> 00:13:38,485 and the start of a new year. 228 00:13:38,584 --> 00:13:45,991 ♪ ♪ 229 00:13:46,025 --> 00:13:49,328 Carved out by glaciers during the last ice age, 230 00:13:49,362 --> 00:13:51,664 the stunning lake valley of Glendalough 231 00:13:51,764 --> 00:13:54,100 in the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin 232 00:13:54,133 --> 00:13:58,871 is home to one of Ireland’s oldest monastic sites. 233 00:13:58,905 --> 00:14:02,709 In the 6th century, the hermit monk St. Kevin 234 00:14:02,742 --> 00:14:05,578 is said to have lived here in the hollow of a tree, 235 00:14:05,611 --> 00:14:09,415 communing with God, far from the distractions of the world. 236 00:14:09,449 --> 00:14:12,852 With Europe plunged into the turmoil of the Dark Ages, 237 00:14:12,885 --> 00:14:15,388 Ireland was a beacon of light. 238 00:14:15,421 --> 00:14:18,758 Glendalough would evolve into a great monastic complex 239 00:14:18,791 --> 00:14:22,762 overshadowed by an elegant medieval Irish round tower. 240 00:14:22,795 --> 00:14:25,531 With their doors placed high above ground level, 241 00:14:25,631 --> 00:14:28,134 these buildings were once thought to offer refuge 242 00:14:28,167 --> 00:14:30,236 against Viking raiders. 243 00:14:30,269 --> 00:14:32,872 It’s more likely, however, that they were bell towers 244 00:14:32,905 --> 00:14:37,777 and storehouses for religious relics. 245 00:14:37,810 --> 00:14:41,247 Overshadowed by its modern basilica, the town of Knock 246 00:14:41,314 --> 00:14:44,851 in the west of Ireland is one of the country’s most revered 247 00:14:44,884 --> 00:14:46,986 Catholic pilgrimage sites. 248 00:14:47,019 --> 00:14:50,689 Here, one rainy night in the fall of 1879, 249 00:14:50,723 --> 00:14:52,358 fifteen people claimed to have witnessed 250 00:14:52,392 --> 00:14:54,628 an extraordinary apparition. 251 00:14:54,727 --> 00:14:57,530 A vision of the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph 252 00:14:57,563 --> 00:15:01,767 and St. John the Evangelist, all three standing motionless, 253 00:15:01,801 --> 00:15:06,039 above the ground, deep in prayer. 254 00:15:06,072 --> 00:15:10,109 Some say it was a hoax, others claim a miracle. 255 00:15:10,143 --> 00:15:13,046 Either way, the meaning of the reported apparition 256 00:15:13,079 --> 00:15:14,547 remains a mystery. 257 00:15:14,580 --> 00:15:21,654 ♪ ♪ 258 00:15:21,687 --> 00:15:26,025 According to another mysterious Irish legend, the devil himself 259 00:15:26,058 --> 00:15:28,827 took a bite out of this mountain in Tipperary 260 00:15:28,928 --> 00:15:32,698 -- and spat it out here, forming a hill called 261 00:15:32,732 --> 00:15:39,339 the Rock of Cashel. 262 00:15:39,372 --> 00:15:41,808 A spectacular ecclesiastical site occupies 263 00:15:41,908 --> 00:15:44,811 the summit of the rock, surrounded by a ring 264 00:15:44,844 --> 00:15:47,413 of ancient fortifications. 265 00:15:47,447 --> 00:15:50,483 At its core, a complete medieval round tower 266 00:15:50,650 --> 00:15:54,187 and the ruin of a Gothic cathedral. 267 00:15:54,220 --> 00:15:57,423 This was the ancient seat of Ireland’s kings, 268 00:15:57,457 --> 00:16:00,760 the most famous of whom was Brian Boru, 269 00:16:00,793 --> 00:16:04,463 who attempted to unify the whole island under one rule. 270 00:16:04,497 --> 00:16:10,136 ♪ ♪ 271 00:16:10,169 --> 00:16:15,141 In 1014 AD, his armies defeated the Vikings of Dublin. 272 00:16:15,174 --> 00:16:18,210 Though Brian Boru was killed on the field of battle, 273 00:16:18,244 --> 00:16:21,047 his victory secured peace and prosperity 274 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:27,453 at a time of intense tribal war in Ireland. 275 00:16:27,487 --> 00:16:31,558 ♪ ♪ 276 00:16:31,591 --> 00:16:34,894 The wild beauty of the Wicklow Mountains forms the backdrop 277 00:16:34,927 --> 00:16:38,097 to dozens of grand country estates. 278 00:16:38,130 --> 00:16:41,500 Here, in a quiet valley at the north end of Lough Tay, 279 00:16:41,534 --> 00:16:46,339 is one of the finest -- the fairy-tale castle of Luggala. 280 00:16:46,372 --> 00:16:49,275 Owned by Garech De Brun of the Guinness family, 281 00:16:49,308 --> 00:16:52,878 the castle has hosted some fabulous parties over the years, 282 00:16:52,912 --> 00:16:58,050 attended by celebrities like Angelica Huston and Mick Jagger. 283 00:16:58,117 --> 00:17:00,853 The Luggala estate has featured in Hollywood epics 284 00:17:00,953 --> 00:17:03,823 from King Arthur to Braveheart . 285 00:17:03,856 --> 00:17:07,960 More recently, the valley doubled as a Scandinavian fjord 286 00:17:07,994 --> 00:17:10,597 for the TV saga, Vikings . 287 00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:15,869 ♪ ♪ 288 00:17:15,968 --> 00:17:18,204 If Curracloe Strand in County Wexford 289 00:17:18,237 --> 00:17:20,339 seems strangely familiar, 290 00:17:20,373 --> 00:17:22,775 it’s probably because you’ve seen this glorious stretch 291 00:17:22,808 --> 00:17:25,944 of sand and dunes before. 292 00:17:25,978 --> 00:17:27,980 Imagine the roar of landing craft 293 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,784 and the deafening sound of machine guns and artillery. 294 00:17:31,817 --> 00:17:35,854 In 1997, Curracloe doubled as Omaha Beach 295 00:17:35,955 --> 00:17:38,925 in the brutal opening scenes of Stephen Spielberg’s 296 00:17:39,025 --> 00:17:47,267 World War II epic, Saving Private Ryan . 297 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:51,271 The imposing fortress of Trim Castle in County Meath 298 00:17:51,304 --> 00:17:57,744 featured extensively in Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, 299 00:17:57,777 --> 00:17:59,612 doubling as the besieged citadel 300 00:17:59,779 --> 00:18:03,116 of York and London’s medieval Smithfield, 301 00:18:03,182 --> 00:18:08,087 where the hero William Wallace is executed. 302 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:12,591 Built in 1173 by the Anglo Norman baron Hugh De Lacy, 303 00:18:12,625 --> 00:18:14,293 the castle was once a powerful symbol 304 00:18:14,327 --> 00:18:17,063 of English rule in Ireland. 305 00:18:17,096 --> 00:18:20,666 In the 1970s, excavations revealed ten headless 306 00:18:20,700 --> 00:18:25,438 skeletons -- the remains of executed thieves whose heads 307 00:18:25,471 --> 00:18:31,444 were mounted on spikes on the castle walls. 308 00:18:31,477 --> 00:18:34,513 In the late Middle Ages, the fortress defended the outer edge 309 00:18:34,614 --> 00:18:37,650 of the Pale -- the part of east Ireland 310 00:18:37,817 --> 00:18:39,786 dominated by the English. 311 00:18:39,819 --> 00:18:42,555 Everything outside was considered the lawless, 312 00:18:42,588 --> 00:18:45,925 uncivilized domain of the native Irish. 313 00:18:45,958 --> 00:18:53,032 Hence the phrase "beyond the pale." 314 00:18:53,065 --> 00:18:55,267 Far from the supposed civilization of the medieval 315 00:18:55,434 --> 00:18:59,872 Pale lies one of Ireland’s most unique natural terrains, 316 00:18:59,972 --> 00:19:03,976 an ancient landscape filled with extraordinary secrets. 317 00:19:08,914 --> 00:19:12,217 NARRATOR: Here on the Atlantic coast of County Clare lies one 318 00:19:12,251 --> 00:19:16,188 of Ireland’s most extraordinary natural landscapes, 319 00:19:16,222 --> 00:19:20,359 the 96-square mile limestone terrain of the Burren. 320 00:19:20,393 --> 00:19:23,463 A sacred place since prehistory, the Burren is dotted 321 00:19:23,496 --> 00:19:26,699 with ancient ruins from churches to tombs, 322 00:19:26,732 --> 00:19:30,970 all symbolizing a connection between this world and the next. 323 00:19:31,003 --> 00:19:33,072 Here, the temperature of the bedrock remains 324 00:19:33,105 --> 00:19:36,842 above 43 degrees Fahrenheit all year round, 325 00:19:36,942 --> 00:19:40,279 supporting an incredibly rich and diverse ecosystem, 326 00:19:40,312 --> 00:19:43,715 where arctic, Mediterranean and alpine plants 327 00:19:43,749 --> 00:19:48,854 grow side by side. 328 00:19:48,888 --> 00:19:50,556 The region is home to three-quarters 329 00:19:50,589 --> 00:19:54,593 of Ireland’s wildflowers, including rare orchids, 330 00:19:54,627 --> 00:20:00,833 thriving alongside hundreds of insect species. 331 00:20:00,966 --> 00:20:05,170 ♪ ♪ 332 00:20:05,204 --> 00:20:07,807 At the southwestern edge of the Burren stand 333 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:10,543 the spectacular Cliffs of Moher. 334 00:20:10,576 --> 00:20:12,678 Rising at Hag’s Head in the south, 335 00:20:12,712 --> 00:20:15,582 they reach their highest point -- over 700 feet -- 336 00:20:15,614 --> 00:20:18,917 five miles to the north. 337 00:20:18,951 --> 00:20:23,756 This is O’Brien’s Tower, built in 1835 by the Irish politician 338 00:20:23,789 --> 00:20:26,091 Sir Cornelius O’Brien. 339 00:20:26,192 --> 00:20:29,562 An early pioneer of tourism, he was so prolific 340 00:20:29,595 --> 00:20:32,364 that the locals say he built everything around here 341 00:20:32,398 --> 00:20:39,171 except the cliffs. 342 00:20:39,205 --> 00:20:41,941 Every year, a million visitors come to marvel 343 00:20:42,041 --> 00:20:43,776 at the spectacular panorama. 344 00:20:43,809 --> 00:20:51,283 ♪ ♪ 345 00:20:51,317 --> 00:20:55,922 The nearby town of Lahinch, with its vast Atlantic beaches, 346 00:20:55,988 --> 00:21:01,861 is one of Ireland’s most popular surfing destinations. 347 00:21:01,927 --> 00:21:05,931 Here, in the summer of 2006, 44 surfers 348 00:21:05,965 --> 00:21:11,571 managed to ride the same crest, setting a new world record. 349 00:21:11,604 --> 00:21:18,344 ♪ ♪ 350 00:21:18,377 --> 00:21:21,547 At the edge of Clew Bay on the Mayo coast, 351 00:21:21,580 --> 00:21:25,117 a medieval Irish tower stands guard over the waters. 352 00:21:25,151 --> 00:21:28,421 This is Rockfleet, once the home of the powerful 353 00:21:28,454 --> 00:21:32,591 16th-century pirate queen, Grace O’Malley, 354 00:21:32,625 --> 00:21:35,761 who commanded a private army, her own fleet of ships 355 00:21:35,795 --> 00:21:39,332 and a string of fortresses along the Atlantic coast. 356 00:21:39,365 --> 00:21:44,737 In 1593, she sailed her pirate galleon up the Thames to London 357 00:21:44,770 --> 00:21:48,340 to parlay with the English queen, Elizabeth I. 358 00:21:48,374 --> 00:21:51,244 O’Malley initially shocked the queen’s courtiers 359 00:21:51,277 --> 00:21:56,916 by refusing to bow, but the meeting went well. 360 00:21:56,949 --> 00:21:58,851 Though the pirate queen never achieved her goal 361 00:21:58,884 --> 00:22:02,688 of freedom for her people, she died unconquered, 362 00:22:02,721 --> 00:22:08,660 a rebel to the very end. 363 00:22:08,694 --> 00:22:12,565 250 years after the time of Grace O’Malley, 364 00:22:12,598 --> 00:22:15,734 the landscape of Ireland was changed forever. 365 00:22:15,768 --> 00:22:18,504 These abandoned cottages are ghostly reminders 366 00:22:18,604 --> 00:22:21,841 of the Great Famine of 1845. 367 00:22:21,907 --> 00:22:25,144 At the time, nearly three and a half million people -- 368 00:22:25,244 --> 00:22:28,547 the poorest two fifths of Ireland’s population -- 369 00:22:28,581 --> 00:22:33,786 were entirely dependent on a single crop: the potato. 370 00:22:33,819 --> 00:22:40,259 A devastating blight wiped out harvests across the country. 371 00:22:40,292 --> 00:22:43,162 On the hill of Slievemore are all that remains 372 00:22:43,329 --> 00:22:46,566 of a once-thriving farming community. 373 00:22:46,599 --> 00:22:50,069 These ridged terraces known as "lazy beds" 374 00:22:50,102 --> 00:22:52,671 once supplied the inhabitants with the one crop 375 00:22:52,705 --> 00:22:57,476 that kept them alive. 376 00:22:57,509 --> 00:23:01,513 In the space of ten years, a million died, 377 00:23:01,547 --> 00:23:05,851 and a further million emigrated to America and Canada. 378 00:23:05,951 --> 00:23:08,854 As they poured into Ellis Island, the country they left 379 00:23:08,888 --> 00:23:15,962 behind was damaged in ways that have never been forgotten. 380 00:23:15,995 --> 00:23:19,098 One of the many famines of Irish history, the Great Hunger of 381 00:23:19,231 --> 00:23:24,770 1845 has left the most lasting mark on the Irish psyche, 382 00:23:24,904 --> 00:23:27,707 a symbol of the oppression and abandonment 383 00:23:27,773 --> 00:23:31,944 of a dispossessed people. 384 00:23:31,977 --> 00:23:34,213 ♪ ♪ 385 00:23:34,380 --> 00:23:38,084 The lush pastures and dramatic seascapes of County Sligo 386 00:23:38,117 --> 00:23:40,886 were once a rich source of inspiration 387 00:23:40,986 --> 00:23:44,022 for one of Ireland’s most celebrated poets. 388 00:23:44,156 --> 00:23:46,892 This is the tabletop mountain of Ben Bulben, 389 00:23:46,926 --> 00:23:50,196 a great limestone plateau sculpted by glaciers 390 00:23:50,296 --> 00:23:52,365 during the last ice age. 391 00:23:52,398 --> 00:23:55,434 From the top, climbers enjoy panoramic views 392 00:23:55,467 --> 00:24:00,138 of the spectacular landscape known as Yeats Country. 393 00:24:00,172 --> 00:24:03,475 The poem "Under Ben Bulben" was one of the last written 394 00:24:03,509 --> 00:24:05,711 by William Butler Yeats. 395 00:24:05,744 --> 00:24:09,214 The closing lines are famously inscribed on his tombstone 396 00:24:09,248 --> 00:24:13,486 here at the churchyard of Drumcliffe in Sligo: 397 00:24:13,519 --> 00:24:20,359 "Cast a cold eye, on life, on death. Horseman, pass by!" 398 00:24:20,392 --> 00:24:30,002 ♪ ♪ 399 00:24:30,035 --> 00:24:31,603 Another champion of the unspoiled beauty 400 00:24:31,704 --> 00:24:36,542 of the west of Ireland was the American director John Ford. 401 00:24:36,575 --> 00:24:39,278 Cong Village in County Mayo was the backdrop 402 00:24:39,311 --> 00:24:43,248 to his iconic 1952 film The Quiet Man , 403 00:24:43,282 --> 00:24:45,785 starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. 404 00:24:45,818 --> 00:24:48,321 Many of its locations are still preserved, 405 00:24:48,354 --> 00:24:51,924 including the scene of the film’s epic fistfight. 406 00:24:52,024 --> 00:24:54,393 On the far side of Lough Outerard stands 407 00:24:54,426 --> 00:24:57,229 the Quiet Man Bridge, where Wayne’s character, 408 00:24:57,262 --> 00:24:59,297 the returned immigrant Sean Thornton, 409 00:24:59,398 --> 00:25:03,869 spies his family home for the first time. 410 00:25:03,902 --> 00:25:07,639 The elegant Ashford Castle also figures in Ford’s film. 411 00:25:07,673 --> 00:25:11,076 One of Ireland’s most exclusive five-star hotels, 412 00:25:11,110 --> 00:25:14,246 its illustrious guests have included King George V, 413 00:25:14,346 --> 00:25:18,116 Oscar Wilde, Ronald Reagan and Beatle George Harrison. 414 00:25:18,217 --> 00:25:23,522 ♪ ♪ 415 00:25:23,555 --> 00:25:26,358 Galway City at the mouth of the Corrib River 416 00:25:26,392 --> 00:25:31,430 is the de facto capital of the west of Ireland. 417 00:25:31,463 --> 00:25:34,900 Galway, nicknamed "City of the Tribes," originates 418 00:25:34,933 --> 00:25:37,068 with the fourteen ruling merchant clans 419 00:25:37,102 --> 00:25:39,271 who made it a hub of international commerce 420 00:25:39,304 --> 00:25:41,540 during the Middle Ages. 421 00:25:41,573 --> 00:25:44,109 The city was once Ireland’s main port of trade 422 00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:49,949 with France and Spain. 423 00:25:49,982 --> 00:25:51,951 The medieval Church of St. Nicholas 424 00:25:52,051 --> 00:25:54,887 has seen many famous visitors over the years, 425 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:57,456 including Christopher Columbus, who prayed here 426 00:25:57,556 --> 00:26:03,662 some years before his historic voyage to the New World. 427 00:26:03,695 --> 00:26:06,498 The city’s annual film festival continues to attract 428 00:26:06,532 --> 00:26:09,502 latter-day celebrities too, including the star 429 00:26:09,535 --> 00:26:12,438 of The West Wing , Martin Sheen. 430 00:26:12,471 --> 00:26:16,909 In 2006, at the age of 66, he enrolled as a student 431 00:26:17,009 --> 00:26:19,912 of English literature, philosophy and theology 432 00:26:19,945 --> 00:26:25,984 at the University of Galway. 433 00:26:26,085 --> 00:26:30,389 Nestled in the mouth of Galway Bay are the three Aran Islands, 434 00:26:30,489 --> 00:26:34,827 Inishmore, Inishmaan, and Inisheer. 435 00:26:34,860 --> 00:26:37,563 They’re home to some of the oldest archaeological remains 436 00:26:37,596 --> 00:26:41,400 in Ireland, early Christian beehive huts, 437 00:26:41,433 --> 00:26:44,403 meandering prehistoric dry-stone walls, 438 00:26:44,436 --> 00:26:48,273 and ancient strongholds, including the Iron Age fort 439 00:26:48,373 --> 00:26:54,913 of Dun Aonghasa, constructed between 1100 and 500 BC. 440 00:26:54,947 --> 00:26:58,350 Perched atop a 330-foot cliff on Inishmore, 441 00:26:58,383 --> 00:27:01,319 the fort was once a complete oval before the outer edge 442 00:27:01,353 --> 00:27:05,524 of the cliff collapsed into the sea. 443 00:27:05,557 --> 00:27:08,427 The first language of Aran is Irish. 444 00:27:08,594 --> 00:27:10,029 Here, the country’s official tongue 445 00:27:10,062 --> 00:27:15,701 is preserved zealously and spoken daily. 446 00:27:15,734 --> 00:27:17,336 ♪ ♪ 447 00:27:17,436 --> 00:27:19,505 Galway’s Gaeltacht region is home 448 00:27:19,538 --> 00:27:22,474 to national broadcasting institutions, 449 00:27:22,508 --> 00:27:25,277 including the country’s leading Irish language radio station 450 00:27:25,310 --> 00:27:27,846 and TV network. 451 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:30,649 Twelve miles west of Galway City, 452 00:27:30,682 --> 00:27:33,185 the picturesque coastal village of Spiddal 453 00:27:33,218 --> 00:27:37,789 is also known as Ros Na Run, or "Glen of Secrets" -- 454 00:27:37,823 --> 00:27:40,459 filming location of the country’s best-loved 455 00:27:40,559 --> 00:27:44,396 Irish-language soap opera. 456 00:27:44,429 --> 00:27:47,666 Until the Middle Ages, Gaelic was the predominant language 457 00:27:47,699 --> 00:27:50,035 of the Irish people. 458 00:27:50,068 --> 00:27:52,404 Since the great famine of the 19th century, 459 00:27:52,437 --> 00:27:55,774 which deprived the country of 2 million native speakers, 460 00:27:55,874 --> 00:27:58,343 Irish has been in decline. 461 00:27:58,377 --> 00:28:01,146 Once the second-most spoken language after English, 462 00:28:01,180 --> 00:28:05,017 it’s now third, after Polish. 463 00:28:05,050 --> 00:28:08,287 And yet its legacy remains strong. 464 00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:10,622 English -- as spoken in Ireland -- 465 00:28:10,656 --> 00:28:15,561 has a structure, rhythm and vocabulary all based on Irish, 466 00:28:15,661 --> 00:28:18,931 a prime example being the Irish word craic , 467 00:28:18,964 --> 00:28:23,035 meaning fun, mischief, and good times, 468 00:28:23,068 --> 00:28:24,303 clearly defined to the world 469 00:28:24,336 --> 00:28:30,576 during one memorable U.S. presidential visit. 470 00:28:30,609 --> 00:28:34,279 In the summer of 2011, President Barack Obama 471 00:28:34,313 --> 00:28:38,384 turned the sleepy hamlet of Moneygall, population 300, 472 00:28:38,417 --> 00:28:42,855 into the biggest little village in the West. 473 00:28:42,888 --> 00:28:47,359 The cause of the media frenzy was one Falmouth Kearney, 474 00:28:47,392 --> 00:28:50,395 a 19-year-old shoemaker who emigrated from Moneygall 475 00:28:50,429 --> 00:28:53,132 to New York City in 1850. 476 00:28:53,165 --> 00:28:55,834 Local historians discovered he was none other 477 00:28:55,867 --> 00:29:00,305 than President Obama’s maternal great great grandfather. 478 00:29:00,339 --> 00:29:02,741 When the first couple came to town, they were greeted 479 00:29:02,774 --> 00:29:06,378 by crowds of locals, including Henry Healy, 480 00:29:06,411 --> 00:29:08,880 the president’s eighth cousin, known locally 481 00:29:08,914 --> 00:29:11,250 as Henry the Eighth. 482 00:29:11,283 --> 00:29:14,186 After a visit to his ancestral home, the President 483 00:29:14,286 --> 00:29:17,022 spent an evening at Ollie Hayes’s pub, 484 00:29:17,055 --> 00:29:19,324 pulling pints with enraptured locals 485 00:29:19,358 --> 00:29:22,995 with the world’s media gathered outside. 486 00:29:23,028 --> 00:29:25,964 Unveiled three years after the historic visit, 487 00:29:25,998 --> 00:29:27,967 the Barack Obama Plaza has given 488 00:29:28,066 --> 00:29:33,104 this once-remote rural backwater a whole new lease on life. 489 00:29:33,138 --> 00:29:35,641 An estimated 100 million people around the world 490 00:29:35,674 --> 00:29:37,376 claim Irish ancestry. 491 00:29:37,542 --> 00:29:40,345 President Obama was only one of many Americans 492 00:29:40,379 --> 00:29:46,118 keen to reconnect with their Irish roots. 493 00:29:46,151 --> 00:29:49,421 Here on the banks of the River Blackwater in County Cork 494 00:29:49,521 --> 00:29:53,992 stands the magnificent Palladian mansion of Castlehyde House, 495 00:29:54,026 --> 00:29:57,730 bought and refurbished to the tune of $34 million by 496 00:29:57,796 --> 00:30:01,800 Irish-American entertainer and undisputed lord of the dance, 497 00:30:01,833 --> 00:30:06,037 Michael Flatley. 498 00:30:06,071 --> 00:30:09,675 The Riverdance star wasn’t the first celebrated owner. 499 00:30:09,708 --> 00:30:12,878 Castlehyde was once the family home and childhood residence 500 00:30:13,045 --> 00:30:18,083 of Gaelic scholar Douglas Ross Hyde, the man who, in 1938, 501 00:30:18,183 --> 00:30:23,055 became the first president of Ireland. 502 00:30:23,155 --> 00:30:25,524 20 miles south of Castlehyde stands 503 00:30:25,557 --> 00:30:27,626 an even more famous castle. 504 00:30:27,726 --> 00:30:31,897 A place where, as legend has it, the "Gift of the Gab" was born. 505 00:30:35,100 --> 00:30:39,504 NARRATOR: 600 years ago, the Irish chieftain Cormac MacCarthy 506 00:30:39,538 --> 00:30:42,574 built a castle at Blarney near Cork City, 507 00:30:42,607 --> 00:30:46,311 little knowing the fame it would one day enjoy. 508 00:30:46,345 --> 00:30:48,981 For decades, eager tourists have come here to kiss 509 00:30:49,081 --> 00:30:52,685 the Blarney Stone, a limestone block built into 510 00:30:52,718 --> 00:30:56,055 the top of the castle’s battlement tower. 511 00:30:56,088 --> 00:31:00,292 According to legend, the stone bestows the "Gift of the Gab" -- 512 00:31:00,325 --> 00:31:03,395 a magical ability to converse fluently. 513 00:31:03,428 --> 00:31:07,933 To kiss the stone, visitors must literally bend over backwards, 514 00:31:07,966 --> 00:31:11,436 suspended beyond the edge of the parapet. 515 00:31:11,470 --> 00:31:15,307 At one time, the kiss involved a real risk to life and limb, 516 00:31:15,340 --> 00:31:17,576 as participants were taken by the ankles 517 00:31:17,609 --> 00:31:20,011 and dangled from the battlements. 518 00:31:20,045 --> 00:31:27,085 ♪ ♪ 519 00:31:27,119 --> 00:31:29,355 This is Killarney National Park 520 00:31:29,388 --> 00:31:32,024 in the neighboring county of Kerry. 521 00:31:32,057 --> 00:31:36,728 40 square miles of lakes and woodland, home to native species 522 00:31:36,762 --> 00:31:41,133 from oak and yew forests to herds of Irish red deer 523 00:31:41,166 --> 00:31:45,804 that have thrived here since the Ice Age. 524 00:31:45,904 --> 00:31:47,873 Killarney’s three lakes are framed by 525 00:31:47,906 --> 00:31:50,976 the Great MacGillycuddy Reeks mountain range, 526 00:31:51,076 --> 00:31:54,179 where a dangerous three and a half thousand foot ascent 527 00:31:54,279 --> 00:31:59,017 leads to the summit of Ireland’s highest peak, Carrauntoohill. 528 00:31:59,050 --> 00:32:03,221 ♪ ♪ 529 00:32:03,255 --> 00:32:07,192 To the north lies the historic town of Killarney, 530 00:32:07,225 --> 00:32:10,061 childhood home of actor Michael Fassbender, 531 00:32:10,095 --> 00:32:14,499 star of 12 Years a Slave and X-Men . 532 00:32:14,533 --> 00:32:16,402 The Hollywood star attended school here 533 00:32:16,435 --> 00:32:18,470 at Saint Brendan’s College. 534 00:32:18,570 --> 00:32:23,775 But the town has an even more impressive former resident. 535 00:32:23,809 --> 00:32:26,912 Killarney was once home to a man justifiably regarded 536 00:32:26,945 --> 00:32:29,881 as the Oscar Schindler of Ireland. 537 00:32:29,981 --> 00:32:33,284 Born in 1898, Hugh O’Flaherty grew up here 538 00:32:33,318 --> 00:32:37,355 at the local golf course where his father worked as a steward. 539 00:32:37,389 --> 00:32:39,725 Taking religious orders as a young man, 540 00:32:39,758 --> 00:32:45,998 he was posted to the Vatican during World War II. 541 00:32:46,031 --> 00:32:48,901 Using the Irish embassy as his refuge, 542 00:32:48,934 --> 00:32:51,303 O’Flaherty operated a secret network, 543 00:32:51,336 --> 00:32:54,706 hiding Jewish refugees and allied soldiers 544 00:32:54,739 --> 00:32:58,943 in safe houses around the city. 545 00:32:58,977 --> 00:33:01,546 He was so adept at evading the Gestapo 546 00:33:01,580 --> 00:33:02,748 that he became known as 547 00:33:02,781 --> 00:33:05,751 the "Scarlet Pimpernel of the Vatican," 548 00:33:05,784 --> 00:33:12,190 eventually saving 6,500 people from the Nazis. 549 00:33:12,224 --> 00:33:15,127 The monsignor died in 1965. 550 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:19,798 Today, a monument to his honor stands in Killarney Town. 551 00:33:19,831 --> 00:33:27,472 ♪ ♪ 552 00:33:27,506 --> 00:33:30,809 Separated from the mainland by a deep chasm, 553 00:33:30,842 --> 00:33:33,945 the Peninsula of Mizen Head in County Cork 554 00:33:33,979 --> 00:33:37,149 is Ireland’s most southern extreme. 555 00:33:37,182 --> 00:33:40,419 290 miles north as the crow flies, 556 00:33:40,452 --> 00:33:48,493 Malin Head Lighthouse in Donegal is the most northerly point. 557 00:33:48,527 --> 00:33:52,264 One of the great unspoiled wilderness terrains of Ireland, 558 00:33:52,297 --> 00:33:56,301 County Donegal extends across 1800 square miles 559 00:33:56,334 --> 00:33:58,770 of the northwest. 560 00:33:58,803 --> 00:34:03,041 A third of the population speak Irish as their first language. 561 00:34:03,074 --> 00:34:11,449 Up here, as the locals say, it’s different. 562 00:34:11,483 --> 00:34:13,352 In the east of the county, 563 00:34:13,385 --> 00:34:16,855 the monastic site of Station Island on Lough Derg 564 00:34:16,888 --> 00:34:21,593 hides a subterranean cave where the 5th century Saint Patrick 565 00:34:21,626 --> 00:34:25,396 is said to have experienced a vision of heaven and hell. 566 00:34:25,430 --> 00:34:30,568 For centuries, pilgrims came here to atone for their sins. 567 00:34:30,669 --> 00:34:35,541 In 1763, the original monastery was replaced by a basilica, 568 00:34:35,574 --> 00:34:37,676 where the faithful still come to pray, 569 00:34:37,809 --> 00:34:40,412 fasting for three days as they walk barefoot 570 00:34:40,445 --> 00:34:44,349 around the remains of the old monastic cells. 571 00:34:44,382 --> 00:34:47,952 Sealed in 1632, St. Patrick’s Cave 572 00:34:47,986 --> 00:34:52,958 has never been opened since. 573 00:34:52,991 --> 00:34:56,261 The most westerly of the six counties of Northern Ireland, 574 00:34:56,294 --> 00:34:58,863 Fermanagh, is known as the Lake County, 575 00:34:58,897 --> 00:35:01,466 and from above, it’s easy to see why. 576 00:35:01,499 --> 00:35:05,503 The terrain is dominated by the great expanse of Lough Erne, 577 00:35:05,537 --> 00:35:09,241 two connected lakes dotted with 154 islands 578 00:35:09,274 --> 00:35:12,277 and a maze of inlets and peninsulas. 579 00:35:12,310 --> 00:35:16,681 In 1994, this great waterway was linked by a 40-mile canal 580 00:35:16,715 --> 00:35:18,850 to the Shannon River in the south, 581 00:35:18,883 --> 00:35:21,452 creating a continuous navigable passage 582 00:35:21,486 --> 00:35:23,989 between Northern Ireland and the republic. 583 00:35:24,022 --> 00:35:31,396 ♪ ♪ 584 00:35:31,429 --> 00:35:34,265 Belfast, on the east coast of Northern Ireland, 585 00:35:34,299 --> 00:35:38,069 is Ireland’s second-largest city after Dublin. 586 00:35:38,103 --> 00:35:40,572 Its administrative center, City Hall, 587 00:35:40,605 --> 00:35:45,577 celebrates a charter granted in 1888 by Queen Victoria. 588 00:35:45,610 --> 00:35:47,212 In the late 19th century, 589 00:35:47,245 --> 00:35:50,448 Belfast was the world’s largest linen producer 590 00:35:50,482 --> 00:35:53,251 and one of Britain’s great industrial powerhouses. 591 00:35:53,284 --> 00:35:58,556 ♪ ♪ 592 00:35:58,590 --> 00:36:00,859 But Belfast also bears the scars 593 00:36:00,892 --> 00:36:03,862 of Northern Ireland’s sectarian conflict. 594 00:36:03,895 --> 00:36:08,199 The Europa, in the city center, has a dark claim to fame. 595 00:36:08,233 --> 00:36:10,802 Attacked no fewer than 28 times, 596 00:36:10,835 --> 00:36:18,910 it’s arguably the world’s most bombed hotel. 597 00:36:18,943 --> 00:36:21,012 The bitter 30-year legacy of the troubles 598 00:36:21,046 --> 00:36:23,181 can still be seen today. 599 00:36:23,214 --> 00:36:25,083 Sectarian division is evident 600 00:36:25,116 --> 00:36:27,452 in the high, reinforced "peace lines" 601 00:36:27,485 --> 00:36:30,688 that separate two of the city’s neighboring communities. 602 00:36:30,722 --> 00:36:33,959 On the left, the Shankhill -- loyal to Britain. 603 00:36:33,992 --> 00:36:40,198 On the right, the Falls Road -- dedicated to a united Ireland. 604 00:36:40,231 --> 00:36:42,633 If there’s one industry that has defined Belfast 605 00:36:42,667 --> 00:36:46,804 more than any other, it’s shipbuilding. 606 00:36:46,838 --> 00:36:50,475 The Harland & Wolff shipyard on Queen’s Island in East Belfast, 607 00:36:50,508 --> 00:36:53,678 overshadowed by its two towering gantry cranes, 608 00:36:53,712 --> 00:36:59,151 Samson and Goliath, was originally founded in 1861. 609 00:36:59,184 --> 00:37:01,453 Here, in 1909, work began 610 00:37:01,486 --> 00:37:09,894 on the world’s largest passenger vessel -- RMS Titanic. 611 00:37:09,928 --> 00:37:11,563 This sculptural building houses 612 00:37:11,596 --> 00:37:14,833 the Titanic Belfast Visitor Experience, 613 00:37:14,933 --> 00:37:16,735 a museum celebrating the construction 614 00:37:16,868 --> 00:37:20,905 of the world’s most tragic ocean liner. 615 00:37:20,939 --> 00:37:24,176 More than 800 feet long and 100 feet high, 616 00:37:24,209 --> 00:37:27,612 Titanic required a huge expansion of the shipyard 617 00:37:27,645 --> 00:37:30,448 and a workforce of over 3,000 men, 618 00:37:30,482 --> 00:37:36,421 eight of whom died during construction. 619 00:37:36,454 --> 00:37:39,390 To the north of Belfast lies one of Northern Ireland’s 620 00:37:39,424 --> 00:37:43,328 most evocative landscapes, the County Antrim coast. 621 00:37:43,495 --> 00:37:47,299 Some know it by another name -- the Kingdom of Westeros. 622 00:37:55,507 --> 00:37:58,477 NARRATOR: Once home to powerful Gaelic families, 623 00:37:58,510 --> 00:38:00,946 County Antrim in Northeast Ulster 624 00:38:00,979 --> 00:38:05,183 is a landscape of ancient fortresses, dramatic seascapes 625 00:38:05,216 --> 00:38:07,552 and towering cliffs. 626 00:38:07,585 --> 00:38:10,254 No wonder that it was chosen as the location 627 00:38:10,288 --> 00:38:13,825 for one of the most famous TV sagas of recent years, 628 00:38:13,992 --> 00:38:18,697 Game of Thrones . 629 00:38:18,730 --> 00:38:21,166 Teetering precariously on steep cliffs 630 00:38:21,199 --> 00:38:23,068 overlooking the North Atlantic 631 00:38:23,234 --> 00:38:25,970 stands the dramatic Dunluce Castle, 632 00:38:26,004 --> 00:38:30,141 also known as the House of Greyjoy. 633 00:38:30,175 --> 00:38:32,110 The castle was once the stronghold 634 00:38:32,143 --> 00:38:37,448 of the Irish and Scottish clans McDonnell and MacDonald. 635 00:38:37,482 --> 00:38:40,251 According to local legend, part of the kitchen collapsed 636 00:38:40,285 --> 00:38:43,655 and fell into the sea, leaving one survivor -- 637 00:38:43,755 --> 00:38:46,458 a serving boy sitting in the only remaining corner 638 00:38:46,491 --> 00:38:51,596 of the destroyed room. 639 00:38:51,629 --> 00:38:54,365 ♪ ♪ 640 00:38:54,399 --> 00:38:58,470 But of all the atmospheric locations in Northern Ireland, 641 00:38:58,503 --> 00:39:01,873 one stands out. 642 00:39:01,906 --> 00:39:06,344 As if tumbling into the sea on the rugged North Antrim coast, 643 00:39:06,377 --> 00:39:08,246 the Giant’s Causeway, 644 00:39:08,346 --> 00:39:11,816 formed after a period of intense volcanic activity, 645 00:39:11,850 --> 00:39:13,685 is one of the most distinctive rock formations 646 00:39:13,785 --> 00:39:16,688 anywhere on Earth. 647 00:39:16,721 --> 00:39:19,924 Between 50 and 60 million years ago, lava 648 00:39:19,958 --> 00:39:22,961 cooling and cracking like mud in the sun 649 00:39:22,994 --> 00:39:28,266 formed some 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns. 650 00:39:28,299 --> 00:39:31,302 Over eons, the columns have been weathered by the wind 651 00:39:31,336 --> 00:39:37,309 and waves, creating distinctive towers and mounds of rock. 652 00:39:37,342 --> 00:39:39,711 According to legend, the causeway is the ruin 653 00:39:39,744 --> 00:39:44,148 of a land bridge to Scotland created by the Irish giant 654 00:39:44,182 --> 00:39:47,318 Finn MacCool after being challenged to a fight 655 00:39:47,418 --> 00:39:50,388 by the Scottish giant Benandonner. 656 00:39:50,421 --> 00:39:58,329 A fight he gladly accepted, and won. 657 00:39:58,363 --> 00:40:00,198 This old train, traveling along two miles 658 00:40:00,231 --> 00:40:02,200 of narrow gauge track, 659 00:40:02,300 --> 00:40:06,437 links the Giant’s Causeway with the historic town of Bushmills, 660 00:40:06,571 --> 00:40:09,941 home to the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world, 661 00:40:09,974 --> 00:40:12,910 founded in 1608. 662 00:40:12,944 --> 00:40:14,112 Though the Scots and the Irish 663 00:40:14,145 --> 00:40:17,281 both claim to have invented whiskey, most historians 664 00:40:17,315 --> 00:40:22,086 maintain that its origins are actually Moorish or Arabic. 665 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:24,990 Throughout the 20th century, various factors, 666 00:40:25,023 --> 00:40:28,093 from U.S. Prohibition to trade disputes, 667 00:40:28,126 --> 00:40:31,129 left the Irish whiskey industry in decline. 668 00:40:31,162 --> 00:40:32,797 By the 1970s, Bushmills 669 00:40:32,830 --> 00:40:35,800 was one of only two surviving distilleries. 670 00:40:35,833 --> 00:40:39,904 These days there are 12, and the future looks safe. 671 00:40:39,938 --> 00:40:41,506 Of course, the Irish hold no grudge 672 00:40:41,539 --> 00:40:44,575 against their American cousins. How could they? 673 00:40:44,609 --> 00:40:46,644 The links between the two countries 674 00:40:46,678 --> 00:40:49,581 are stronger than the fieriest malt. 675 00:40:49,614 --> 00:40:58,890 ♪ ♪ 676 00:40:58,990 --> 00:41:00,959 The game of hurling is one of Ireland’s 677 00:41:00,992 --> 00:41:03,695 most popular national sports. 678 00:41:03,728 --> 00:41:08,032 Played on a 100-by-160-yard field, opposing teams 679 00:41:08,066 --> 00:41:10,602 pass and strike a leather ball called a sliotar 680 00:41:10,635 --> 00:41:14,005 with flattened sticks called hurls, scoring points 681 00:41:14,038 --> 00:41:19,210 above and below the cross bar of the goalposts at either end. 682 00:41:19,243 --> 00:41:22,346 Played on the frozen ponds of Nova Scotia by Irish immigrants 683 00:41:22,380 --> 00:41:25,884 in the 18th century, the game would one day evolve 684 00:41:25,917 --> 00:41:30,388 into the modern sport of ice hockey. 685 00:41:30,455 --> 00:41:35,226 ♪ ♪ 686 00:41:35,259 --> 00:41:37,495 Welcome to the other Holywood -- 687 00:41:37,528 --> 00:41:40,564 famous for entirely different reasons. 688 00:41:40,598 --> 00:41:43,568 This is Holywood Golf Club in County Down, 689 00:41:43,601 --> 00:41:46,504 the first training ground of former world number one golfer, 690 00:41:46,537 --> 00:41:48,973 Rory McIlroy. 691 00:41:49,007 --> 00:41:51,877 Introduced to the game by his father at age 7, 692 00:41:51,909 --> 00:41:54,512 Rory was the youngest member of the club, 693 00:41:54,545 --> 00:42:02,186 and could once be seen practicing here every day. 694 00:42:02,220 --> 00:42:06,458 Twenty years on, McIlroy is a four-time Majors champion, 695 00:42:06,491 --> 00:42:08,994 winning the 2011 US Open 696 00:42:09,027 --> 00:42:11,263 with a tournament record-beating score. 697 00:42:11,362 --> 00:42:17,401 ♪ ♪ 698 00:42:17,435 --> 00:42:19,737 Derry, in the northwest of Ulster, 699 00:42:19,771 --> 00:42:22,707 is Ireland’s fourth-largest city. 700 00:42:22,740 --> 00:42:25,543 At its heart stands one of the most impressive city walls 701 00:42:25,576 --> 00:42:27,144 in Europe. 702 00:42:27,178 --> 00:42:31,449 26 feet high and 30 feet wide, the battlements -- 703 00:42:31,482 --> 00:42:34,819 built in 1618 -- have never been breached. 704 00:42:34,852 --> 00:42:38,589 Hence, the nickname, Maiden City. 705 00:42:38,623 --> 00:42:40,825 Derry has had a troubled history. 706 00:42:40,858 --> 00:42:45,029 On January 30th, 1972, British troops opened fire 707 00:42:45,196 --> 00:42:49,100 on a peaceful civil rights march in the city’s Bogside area, 708 00:42:49,133 --> 00:42:51,469 killing fourteen civilians. 709 00:42:51,502 --> 00:42:55,239 The atrocity inspired one of U2’s most famous songs, 710 00:42:55,273 --> 00:42:58,209 "Sunday Bloody Sunday." 711 00:42:58,242 --> 00:43:01,245 Since the end of the troubles in 1998, 712 00:43:01,412 --> 00:43:03,848 the mood here has changed. 713 00:43:03,881 --> 00:43:07,885 Completed in 2011, the sinuous walkway of the Peace Bridge 714 00:43:07,919 --> 00:43:13,091 has unified a city whose name is a legacy of old divisions. 715 00:43:13,124 --> 00:43:15,994 To the mainly protestant population of the waterside, 716 00:43:16,027 --> 00:43:18,563 it’s Londonderry, after the London trade guilds 717 00:43:18,596 --> 00:43:20,865 who founded the walled town. 718 00:43:20,898 --> 00:43:25,269 To Catholics on the city side, it’s simply Derry. 719 00:43:25,303 --> 00:43:30,308 ♪ ♪ 720 00:43:30,341 --> 00:43:32,877 The Peace Bridge, linking both communities, 721 00:43:32,910 --> 00:43:34,612 is a symbol of renewed hope. 722 00:43:38,449 --> 00:43:42,053 ♪ ♪ 723 00:43:42,086 --> 00:43:46,290 In 2013, the County Antrim town of Ballymena 724 00:43:46,324 --> 00:43:50,662 honored its most famous son, the actor Liam Neeson, 725 00:43:50,695 --> 00:43:54,832 star of Schindler’s List and Star Wars . 726 00:43:54,866 --> 00:43:56,801 Neeson was born and raised here, 727 00:43:56,834 --> 00:44:00,371 attending St. Patrick’s College, the high school that inspired 728 00:44:00,538 --> 00:44:03,941 his love of drama and gave him his first acting role -- 729 00:44:03,975 --> 00:44:05,643 a school play in which he played the lead 730 00:44:05,743 --> 00:44:10,448 at the tender age of 11. 731 00:44:10,481 --> 00:44:12,850 Jedi master Qui Gon Jinn 732 00:44:12,884 --> 00:44:15,553 may not have survived The Phantom Menace , 733 00:44:15,586 --> 00:44:21,425 but the Star Wars franchise would return to Ireland. 734 00:44:21,459 --> 00:44:25,196 ♪ ♪ 735 00:44:25,229 --> 00:44:27,932 Rising 700 feet above the Atlantic, 736 00:44:27,965 --> 00:44:31,268 seven and a half miles west of County Kerry, 737 00:44:31,302 --> 00:44:35,473 stands the towering sea crag of Skellig Michael -- once home 738 00:44:35,606 --> 00:44:38,476 to a community of monks who founded a settlement here 739 00:44:38,509 --> 00:44:41,712 in the 6th century. 740 00:44:41,746 --> 00:44:44,415 Uninhabited since medieval times, Skellig Michael 741 00:44:44,448 --> 00:44:47,284 is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 742 00:44:47,451 --> 00:44:49,620 A strictly limited number of visitors are admitted 743 00:44:49,654 --> 00:44:52,090 during the summer months. 744 00:44:52,190 --> 00:44:56,961 A winding path of 618 stone steps leads to the summit 745 00:44:57,061 --> 00:44:59,230 and the perfectly formed beehive huts 746 00:44:59,263 --> 00:45:07,071 where the monks lived a life of quiet contemplation. 747 00:45:07,104 --> 00:45:12,176 In 2014, this became the extraordinary climactic location 748 00:45:12,210 --> 00:45:15,346 of Star Wars: The Force Awakens . 749 00:45:15,379 --> 00:45:17,615 And from the air, you can see why. 750 00:45:23,020 --> 00:45:26,357 The jagged pinnacle, hemmed in by the ocean, 751 00:45:26,390 --> 00:45:29,960 is like nowhere else on earth. 752 00:45:29,994 --> 00:45:33,664 Visiting Skellig in 1910, the Dublin-born playwright 753 00:45:33,698 --> 00:45:36,467 George Bernard Shaw described it as 754 00:45:36,500 --> 00:45:40,537 an incredible, impossible, mad place, 755 00:45:40,571 --> 00:45:45,009 and part of our dream world. 756 00:45:45,042 --> 00:45:46,544 Ireland: 757 00:45:46,577 --> 00:45:49,947 an ancient landscape inscribed with 10,000 years 758 00:45:49,981 --> 00:45:52,283 of human history and culture -- 759 00:45:52,383 --> 00:45:55,720 an illustrated manuscript like no other.