0:00:30 > 0:00:34Hello and welcome to another episode of Home Ground,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37a series bringing you a slice of life in the country.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Gavin and I have a host of stories
0:00:39 > 0:00:41for you from across Northern Ireland.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43We've been out meeting some people
0:00:43 > 0:00:46with a real passion for all aspects of rural life.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49Here's what's coming up in tonight's show.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54Walk on!
0:00:54 > 0:00:56'I try my hand, and whistle,
0:00:56 > 0:01:01'at sheepdog training with a fanatical father and son.'
0:01:01 > 0:01:03WHISTLE BLOWS
0:01:04 > 0:01:07Could this be the end for rural GPs?
0:01:07 > 0:01:11We meet the doctor who's been working for 50 years
0:01:11 > 0:01:13and is desperate to retire.
0:01:14 > 0:01:17And discovering Northern Ireland's wartime past
0:01:17 > 0:01:18on the shores of Lough Erne.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Later in the programme, we've got a weather forecast for the week ahead,
0:01:28 > 0:01:32but first, we're here at Benburb Forest in County Tyrone,
0:01:32 > 0:01:34and I'm joining a group of volunteers
0:01:34 > 0:01:36who help preserve this hidden gem.
0:01:40 > 0:01:46This 190-acre forest has the look and feel of an ancient woodland,
0:01:46 > 0:01:50but during Victorian times, it was actually part of a private garden.
0:01:50 > 0:01:54As a result, many non-native species were introduced,
0:01:54 > 0:01:56plants that have since taken over.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01Right, guys, so here we are back in the pinetum and we're going to be...
0:02:01 > 0:02:04I'm joining a team of volunteers helping to cut back
0:02:04 > 0:02:07the invasive species to restore the woodland to how it was.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11We want to cut this laurel away, so that we can give lots of light
0:02:11 > 0:02:17into the plants that are native to this part of the woodland.
0:02:17 > 0:02:20Alliance Youth Works is an organisation that works
0:02:20 > 0:02:23with young people and adults with learning difficulties.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Right, today, we have Gavin with us.
0:02:25 > 0:02:27- Gavin?- OK, now... Gavin, yes.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31He's a TV presenter, so he doesn't often do any hard work.
0:02:31 > 0:02:34So he's come... Look at his lovely soft hands.
0:02:34 > 0:02:35LAUGHTER
0:02:36 > 0:02:40'In partnership with the Woodland Trust and the local priory,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43'this group come to help clear this forest once a week.'
0:02:52 > 0:02:54So there you go, that's that.
0:02:54 > 0:02:57- Easy job.- What are the group getting out of this activity?
0:02:57 > 0:02:58Quite a lot.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01There's the education value first of all,
0:03:01 > 0:03:03learning about the local biodiversity, learning about
0:03:03 > 0:03:05the woodlands and the wild.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08Being outdoors, the physicality of this,
0:03:08 > 0:03:11the health and wellbeing elements,
0:03:11 > 0:03:15particularly for this group who have learning disabilities.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19The Southern Health and Social Care Trust have a number of programmes
0:03:19 > 0:03:22that get people out and about, and this is one of them.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Too many trees in this forest. HE LAUGHS:- Yeah!
0:03:32 > 0:03:35That's the trouble with forests - too many trees.
0:03:35 > 0:03:38- You can't do this on your own. That's why they're...- Absolutely! - ..working so well together.
0:03:38 > 0:03:43And that's half the work is working together as a team.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Um, it's the communication, it's the chatting and talking,
0:03:46 > 0:03:49it's being careful of where the different trees are falling.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51Being aware of where other people are at.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- And a bit of outdoors lifestyle is good for everybody.- Absolutely.
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Absolutely. Getting outdoors is essential.
0:03:57 > 0:04:01- Whispering woods, it's good for the soul.- It seems like a win-win.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- It's good for you guys, it's good for the area.- Brilliant.
0:04:04 > 0:04:08Um, one of the things that we're attempting to do here is
0:04:08 > 0:04:11kind of restore the valley to what it used to be.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13Taking down this laurel's a first step,
0:04:13 > 0:04:16but we've a whole load of invasive species to tackle.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Down along the river with, you know, Himalayan balsam,
0:04:18 > 0:04:21Japanese knotweed and then there's bamboo and things
0:04:21 > 0:04:25that have been planted way back in Victorian days, when it was
0:04:25 > 0:04:28- a private park.- So years of work ahead of these guys?
0:04:28 > 0:04:29Years of work. Years of work.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37What is it about the outdoors that you like so much?
0:04:37 > 0:04:40Cos growing up, as a child, I grew up on a farm, you see.
0:04:40 > 0:04:42- Oh, very good.- I grew up on a farm.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44I was always outside,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48either feeding cows or doing something around the farm,
0:04:48 > 0:04:52and then I seemed to like outside more than I did the indoors.
0:04:53 > 0:04:56You're very fit, you're keeping your breath very well,
0:04:56 > 0:04:57- cutting the full tree down.- I know!
0:04:57 > 0:04:59This is going to come down very soon.
0:05:00 > 0:05:02Right, are you ready for timber here?
0:05:02 > 0:05:05- Stand back. - Stand well back, everyone.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Half the forest is coming down.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09Wey-ah...
0:05:11 > 0:05:12You DID take half the forest down!
0:05:14 > 0:05:15Well done, that man.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Well, if I had a tree like that in my garden, I'd be quite happy,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21but obviously, it's not good in here.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25No, cos it blocks your light up and it...
0:05:25 > 0:05:29When you cut them down, things start to grow, cos it's getting more light
0:05:29 > 0:05:32and more heat in around them.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36With the rest of the group, have you made a lot of friends doing this?
0:05:36 > 0:05:38- Yes.- Look forward to seeing them every week?
0:05:38 > 0:05:41- I do, surely.- You're the leader of the pack, are you?
0:05:41 > 0:05:43- I'm always the leader of the pack.- Ha-ha!
0:05:43 > 0:05:45- Will we get this one cleared, will we?- Yes.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47Right, let's do it, it looks heavy.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Actually, it looks far too heavy, but we'll try.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52'And there's no stopping them.
0:05:52 > 0:05:55'At this rate, they'll have the forests cleared in no time.'
0:05:55 > 0:05:58Are you sweating there, Alyn? LAUGHTER
0:05:58 > 0:06:01'Further along, the difference is clear to see,
0:06:01 > 0:06:03'but there's one left standing that needs felled.'
0:06:03 > 0:06:04Oh...
0:06:06 > 0:06:08CHEERING Watch out, Mark.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10WOOD CRUNCHES
0:06:12 > 0:06:13Beautiful!
0:06:13 > 0:06:15- Well done.- Beautiful.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Well, they're certainly not shying away from hard work,
0:06:20 > 0:06:22but as I discovered,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25sometimes it's best to leave these things to the experts.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28Especially when it comes to herding sheep.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37'Among these fields overlooking the town of Larne,
0:06:37 > 0:06:40'I'm in search of a father and son team,
0:06:40 > 0:06:43'whose passion in life is sheepdogs.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45WHISTLING
0:06:45 > 0:06:47'And judging by that noise, I'm in the right place.
0:06:49 > 0:06:53'22-year-old Dean McAuley has been training sheepdogs since he was 12.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57'Today, he's getting in some final practice with his dog Jen
0:06:57 > 0:07:01'ahead of the North of Ireland finals in just a few days' time.'
0:07:06 > 0:07:09Dean's hard at work here. What do the judges look for?
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- Straight lines.- OK.
0:07:11 > 0:07:14Very straight lines. And good outruns.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17A dog running out from your foot out to collect the sheep.
0:07:17 > 0:07:19WHISTLING
0:07:19 > 0:07:22What makes a good sheepdog?
0:07:22 > 0:07:24Well, brains for a start. HE LAUGHS
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- But they're quite clever animals. - Aye, they are. They are, aye.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29It needs to be in them.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33It has to be willing to be, you know, to be trained and listen...
0:07:33 > 0:07:35And it's not in every dog?
0:07:35 > 0:07:38No, you get farm dogs, these are trial dogs.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41All mine and Dean's dogs just farm work and trial work.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44- In fact, they do it, you know... - Right.- ..if it needed to be done.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46WHISTLING
0:07:46 > 0:07:47To me, a whistle is a whistle.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50What do all the commands mean?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53The right-hand whistle could go... SOFT SLOW WHISTLE
0:07:53 > 0:07:56The left-hand whistle could go... SHARP HIGH WHISTLE
0:07:56 > 0:07:58- Ah!- ..you know, to the left.- Yeah.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And then there's a stop whistle... SINGLE WHISTLE
0:08:01 > 0:08:02Just a straight whistle.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05And then there's a walk on whistle. REPEATED WHISTLE
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- You know, it's...- And you've got one of these round your neck.
0:08:08 > 0:08:10Why would you use one of those when you can use...
0:08:10 > 0:08:13- No, I never use this.- ..your lips? - No, I never use the finger.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- It wasn't loud enough. - But I see Dean's still...
0:08:16 > 0:08:19- He's a finger whistler. - Aye, he's...he's...
0:08:19 > 0:08:21There's him and maybe four or five other fellas
0:08:21 > 0:08:23who's very, very good at it.
0:08:24 > 0:08:26'Neither Eamonn nor Dean are farmers.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30'They do this for the love of it and thanks to a local farmer,
0:08:30 > 0:08:33'they're allowed to use his field and his sheep for practice.'
0:08:35 > 0:08:36So who's better?
0:08:36 > 0:08:38Oh... HE LAUGHS
0:08:38 > 0:08:41I wouldn't want to say who's the best.
0:08:41 > 0:08:43But I would say I had the best dogs.
0:08:43 > 0:08:44THEY LAUGH
0:08:46 > 0:08:48- So this is the tricky bit now. - This is the tricky bit here.
0:08:48 > 0:08:51- So he's got to get them all in there?- Yeah, yeah.
0:08:51 > 0:08:54- Got to get them all in, no breaks. - No breaks.- There's a clean...
0:08:54 > 0:08:55You call that a clean pen.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- So is that a 10 out of 10? - That's a 10 out of 10.
0:08:58 > 0:09:00- Yeah.- Well done, Dean.
0:09:04 > 0:09:07From my untrained eye, that was pretty perfect.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- All the training's been paying off, then?- Yeah.
0:09:10 > 0:09:12And what two dogs are you going to have, then, on Saturday?
0:09:12 > 0:09:14I'm running Jen,
0:09:14 > 0:09:16which is that one there.
0:09:16 > 0:09:21- Mm-hm.- And she's more easy work than... Easier on her sheep.
0:09:21 > 0:09:23And my other one's Jan. She's a bit stronger,
0:09:23 > 0:09:27like keener and eager, and you would have to hold her back a bit more.
0:09:27 > 0:09:30- Is she faster?- Faster and pushier,
0:09:30 > 0:09:33wanting to come on quicker all the time.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35I like the ones that you have to hold back a bit.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39You get the adrenaline rush and warmed up when you have them out.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Could you make a handler out of me, do you think?
0:09:42 > 0:09:43Aye, you could, through time.
0:09:43 > 0:09:45Keep a straight face.
0:09:45 > 0:09:47Could through time! THEY LAUGH
0:09:47 > 0:09:50- A lot of time? - Well, it depends on...
0:09:50 > 0:09:53- It depends on yourself. - What would I need?
0:09:53 > 0:09:56You'd need a dog for a start. SHE LAUGHS
0:09:59 > 0:10:01SHE TRIES TO WHISTLE
0:10:01 > 0:10:04'Well, not much of a whistle.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06'I'll stick to the voice commands.'
0:10:06 > 0:10:09- My right hand or his left...? His...?- Our right.
0:10:11 > 0:10:13Walk on.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14SOFT WHISTLE
0:10:18 > 0:10:19You better watch out.
0:10:19 > 0:10:20HE LAUGHS
0:10:20 > 0:10:22Lie down.
0:10:22 > 0:10:23Lie down.
0:10:24 > 0:10:27Oh, such a lovely dog.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30I think Eamonn's safe enough, I'm not going to win any competitions,
0:10:30 > 0:10:33but that is so enjoyable.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37Thank you. Thank you, Roy. You're a clever dog.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44'Just a few days later, and I've come to a wet and windy Burt
0:10:44 > 0:10:49'in County Donegal for the finals to see how Dean and Eamonn get on.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54'The bad weather isn't helping. Dean ran out of time on his first run,
0:10:54 > 0:10:56'so now it's all down to Jen.'
0:10:58 > 0:11:00The dog's got a wee bit far over that side.
0:11:00 > 0:11:03Aye, a wee bit wide she went there and up to the pen.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06- He's on the left here now. - Has he lost a bit of time there?
0:11:06 > 0:11:09Lost a bit of time, aye, and maybe a couple of points, you know...
0:11:09 > 0:11:11- OK.- ..for going too wide.- Right.
0:11:11 > 0:11:14She went next to the pen there and she got onto them now,
0:11:14 > 0:11:17- coming well on the fetch. - Yeah, yeah.
0:11:17 > 0:11:20- Coming up straight, we can see. Up straight through the middle.- Yeah.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22And, presumably, it's hard to squeeze it all in
0:11:22 > 0:11:24to the allotted ten minutes.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Yes, it is, aye, it's a big course for ten minutes.
0:11:27 > 0:11:30We could do with another minute, or maybe two minutes, you know.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- Coming away over to the pen here. - There he is, there he is.
0:11:34 > 0:11:37In they go. How long have we got to go?
0:11:37 > 0:11:38He has got, er...
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Just over a minute?- A minute, yes.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42Oh, oh, oh, oh...
0:11:42 > 0:11:44And good pen. 10 out of 10, I'd say, for that.
0:11:44 > 0:11:4610 out of 10, good man, Dean.
0:11:47 > 0:11:50Hey, Jen, the star of the show.
0:11:50 > 0:11:54Well, Dean, you must be happy with that, that was a good one?
0:11:54 > 0:11:58Yes, a better start, she went a bit wide at the top and missed them,
0:11:58 > 0:12:00but I was happy with the rest of it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03She did well after that. And do you know your time yet?
0:12:03 > 0:12:06Not yet. People struggling to finish in time today.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- All right.- But I got finished, so it must've been within time.
0:12:09 > 0:12:11And is that the course, or is that part of the weather?
0:12:11 > 0:12:16The course. But the hearing's not good today, with the wind.
0:12:16 > 0:12:18WHISTLING
0:12:22 > 0:12:24'Next up, it's dad Eamonn's turn,
0:12:24 > 0:12:26'and he seems to be getting on pretty well.'
0:12:28 > 0:12:30SHARP WHISTLES
0:12:34 > 0:12:37'And, in the end, it was a close call.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40'Neither placed, but Eamonn returns with the bragging rights,
0:12:40 > 0:12:44'beating Dean overall by just two points.'
0:12:49 > 0:12:51What about Dean here, how do you think he did?
0:12:51 > 0:12:52Dean did a hell of a good run.
0:12:52 > 0:12:57- I thought he would've had more points, you know, but, er...- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59- That's the way the judge seen it. - You were pleased, weren't you?
0:12:59 > 0:13:02- Happy enough, yes. - I don't know about you,
0:13:02 > 0:13:06but I'm cold and I'm wet and I'm muddied up to the eyeballs.
0:13:06 > 0:13:09You wouldn't think of taking up an easier hobby?
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Something a bit warmer?
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Chess?- Definitely not.- Tiddlywinks? - No.- Can do that in the house.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18- Dogs!- Can't interest you? Something by a nice warm fire.- No.- Just dogs.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26Rural GPs are at a crisis point - there simply aren't enough of them.
0:13:26 > 0:13:29That's according to the British Medical Association
0:13:29 > 0:13:30and local doctors groups,
0:13:30 > 0:13:34so could this be the end for the local country doctor?
0:13:34 > 0:13:35Ruth's been to find out.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44The shortage of rural GPs is at crisis point.
0:13:44 > 0:13:49Numbers overall are falling, while patient numbers keep rising.
0:13:49 > 0:13:50How do you feel?
0:13:50 > 0:13:52Just much the same, really.
0:13:52 > 0:13:53Not a lot of difference.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57Dr Benny Glover has been single-handedly running
0:13:57 > 0:14:00his surgery in Glenarm for the past 50 years.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06He looks after more than 2,000 patients in the area,
0:14:06 > 0:14:11but he's 77 and finally thinking about retirement.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14It's a bit better. Still room for improvement,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17- but at least...- Well... - ..it's going the right way.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19'I have a responsibility to the people here.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21'I don't know what's going to happen'
0:14:21 > 0:14:23if and when I retire.
0:14:23 > 0:14:26- When do you think that might be? - Well, I have to make decisions
0:14:26 > 0:14:29over the next, before the end of this year, I would think.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32- Right.- So we'll see how we get along.
0:14:32 > 0:14:36Why do you think there are fewer rural GPs now?
0:14:36 > 0:14:39The problem is that the younger doctors now,
0:14:39 > 0:14:41they're quite happy to work in A&E,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44they're quite happy to come and do locums,
0:14:44 > 0:14:47but they're not prepared to take on the responsibility
0:14:47 > 0:14:48and the management of general practice.
0:14:49 > 0:14:51- Hi.- OK, doctor...
0:14:51 > 0:14:55'Josephine has been coming here for the past 47 years and, like her,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58'the entire local community rely on the surgery.'
0:14:59 > 0:15:03What do you think the impact would be if this surgery wasn't here?
0:15:03 > 0:15:05Oh, if this surgery wasn't here,
0:15:05 > 0:15:08this village would be just devastated.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11I mean, there are a lot...
0:15:11 > 0:15:14- There are a lot of old people in the village that don't drive...- Mm-hm.
0:15:14 > 0:15:18..and there are a lot of young families that don't have cars.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20- Mm-hm.- I just don't know what they would do,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24or how they would manage to see a GP.
0:15:24 > 0:15:30The nearest GP from here would be Larne, Broughshane, Cushendall,
0:15:30 > 0:15:34- and the bus services - maybe two buses a day.- Yeah.
0:15:34 > 0:15:37That's not very good at all.
0:15:37 > 0:15:41- So this year's crunch time? - This year's crunch time.- Yeah.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43What do you think will happen?
0:15:43 > 0:15:46Well, I would hope we would be able to get someone,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50but the whole place could just close down and...
0:15:50 > 0:15:53Is there a danger of that? If you can't get anybody to take over
0:15:53 > 0:15:58- from you, will this surgery stop practising?- Yeah, yeah.- It will?
0:16:03 > 0:16:07So, can the rural GP be saved from extinction?
0:16:08 > 0:16:10As the health service struggles
0:16:10 > 0:16:13to recruit doctors into rural practices, I've come here
0:16:13 > 0:16:17to Dungannon Farmers Mart to hear about a new scheme, which aims
0:16:17 > 0:16:20to draw medical students out of the city and into the country.
0:16:25 > 0:16:28Every fortnight, Dungannon Farmers Mart is
0:16:28 > 0:16:31a hive of activity, but it's not all business.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34It's also a social hub and a chance for many to catch up.
0:16:37 > 0:16:41It's the perfect place for the Northern Trust's mobile health van
0:16:41 > 0:16:43to park up and offer free checkups.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46- All right.- Right.
0:16:46 > 0:16:49- You've got your male and female... - Yeah.
0:16:49 > 0:16:54Today, medical students from Queen's have come to lend a hand.
0:16:54 > 0:16:56It's an initiative between the university
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and the Ulster Farmers Union to enable student doctors
0:16:58 > 0:17:03to spend time on farms with vets and experience country life,
0:17:03 > 0:17:06all with the aim of encouraging them into rural practices.
0:17:09 > 0:17:12- I'm Alice.- I'm Harry.- It's nice to meet you, how are you?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- Are you here to get your health checked?- Yes, indeed.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17Sure, come on in, we'll get you sorted.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Students Alice and Mark have come to offer checkups to farmers
0:17:20 > 0:17:22outside the mart in the health check van.
0:17:22 > 0:17:26So today, we're just going to be doing some of these health checks.
0:17:26 > 0:17:28Have you been in this van before?
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- I'm just going to do a few checks... - 'In Queen's in Belfast,
0:17:31 > 0:17:33'you're very much in Belfast.'
0:17:33 > 0:17:35And most people like to stay around Belfast because travelling's a
0:17:35 > 0:17:38problem, so it is really interesting to kind of get out.
0:17:38 > 0:17:39And we're both from rural areas,
0:17:39 > 0:17:44so it's nice to go back to home and kind of be around the people we've
0:17:44 > 0:17:47- been brought up with.- You know, there's an issue in recruiting
0:17:47 > 0:17:49doctors to work in rural areas.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53And if people are never getting exposure to rural life,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56then they're going to be less likely to apply for rural jobs.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I know your height, but I'm just going to check your BMI,
0:17:58 > 0:18:00I'm going to get you to stand on these weights...
0:18:00 > 0:18:03I thought the only way you're going to make a difference as a doctor
0:18:03 > 0:18:05is if you get a big job in a big hospital.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08You do lots of research and you really make the news,
0:18:08 > 0:18:13but seeing the rural GP and seeing how much an impact he can have in
0:18:13 > 0:18:16his community, because he can have a massive impact because you know that
0:18:16 > 0:18:19person, you know their family, you know their story.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21'And you might do the smallest thing,
0:18:21 > 0:18:24'but it means such a big thing to them.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26'You become part of someone's life when you're a rural GP,
0:18:26 > 0:18:29'whereas you're just another face in another hospital
0:18:29 > 0:18:32'if you're in one of the big trusts.'
0:18:32 > 0:18:34- Hmm?- How come you don't go to your doctors?
0:18:34 > 0:18:37- There's nothing wrong with me. - There's nothing wrong with you?
0:18:37 > 0:18:39I don't think there's anything wrong with me.
0:18:39 > 0:18:42If, say in our year group, there's 270 studying medicine,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46there will only be 40, 50 maximum who come from a rural background.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48If we don't choose to go into rural medicine,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50if we choose to move to Belfast and do hospital jobs,
0:18:50 > 0:18:53then it's even more unlikely that those who were brought up
0:18:53 > 0:18:56in an urban setting will move to the countryside
0:18:56 > 0:18:59and so that is a massive problem for recruitment.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01So, having done this module, what about you two?
0:19:01 > 0:19:02Do you think you'll become rural GPs?
0:19:02 > 0:19:04I think I'm going to become a farmer.
0:19:04 > 0:19:06THEY LAUGH
0:19:06 > 0:19:08- Even after today?- Yeah.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I think yes, definitely. Before this module,
0:19:11 > 0:19:12even though I'm from a rural background,
0:19:12 > 0:19:15it was quite low down on my list
0:19:15 > 0:19:18of what I thought were my future career options,
0:19:18 > 0:19:20but now having spent some time in the countryside again,
0:19:20 > 0:19:23in different areas of Northern Ireland, and with the rural GP,
0:19:23 > 0:19:25it's definitely made me think a lot more about it,
0:19:25 > 0:19:28it's definitely a lot higher on my list now...than it was before.
0:19:28 > 0:19:30Yeah, definitely. I'd never even considered it before,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33but now I think I'd quite like to.
0:19:40 > 0:19:42Well, the weather has been pretty kind to us here today,
0:19:42 > 0:19:46but let's find out what's in store for the week ahead.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Northern Ireland is jam-packed full of historic sites,
0:21:09 > 0:21:13but many are only known to those who live near them or have
0:21:13 > 0:21:17a personal connection. I've been to County Fermanagh to find out about
0:21:17 > 0:21:20a new project aimed at sharing that knowledge
0:21:20 > 0:21:23and preserving it for generations to come.
0:21:29 > 0:21:33Lower Lough Erne on a calm and peaceful morning.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34On a day like this,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37it's hard to believe that this place was once a hive
0:21:37 > 0:21:40of military activity during World War II.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44I'm here at Boa Island to meet with a local history group
0:21:44 > 0:21:48to find out more about this area's wartime legacy.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- ANNOUNCER:- 'British warships give safe passage to...'
0:21:50 > 0:21:53RAF seaplanes such as the Sunderland and Catalina
0:21:53 > 0:21:55launched from Lough Erne.
0:21:55 > 0:21:59They were crucial in the protection of ships carrying essential supplies
0:21:59 > 0:22:04to Britain. Ships that were easy prey for German U-boats.
0:22:04 > 0:22:08- ANNOUNCER:- 'The Catalina takes off to spread her wings over the precious company of ships.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:10There was a hospital on the site here,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13there was a cinema on the site, there were fuel tanks
0:22:13 > 0:22:16where planes could come in and be refuelled at the end of the jetty,
0:22:16 > 0:22:18as well as the other activity.
0:22:18 > 0:22:21And it was actually like a separate base,
0:22:21 > 0:22:24an outstation almost of RAF Castle Archdale.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27But it would have been a hive of activity with many people,
0:22:27 > 0:22:28many of the RAF personnel living here.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33And they had dances every week and all the rest of it, so, you know,
0:22:33 > 0:22:37they had their relaxation and it was an area where men who needed some
0:22:37 > 0:22:40rest and recuperation would have been brought to,
0:22:40 > 0:22:43having come off some of the operations out over the Atlantic.
0:22:43 > 0:22:46But logistically, this was obviously the jetty,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48the depth charges were brought here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- Over there, you had your munitions hut.- Yeah.
0:22:51 > 0:22:53You had all the planes landing over here.
0:22:53 > 0:22:55Give us a sense of what it would have been like.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58Well, I think the main thing would have been,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01when a plane came back from being over the Atlantic,
0:23:01 > 0:23:04it obviously would have dropped all its depth charges out there.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07It needed to be serviced and re-fuelled
0:23:07 > 0:23:10and re-armed again for the next operation
0:23:10 > 0:23:14because they were continuously flying out of Lough Erne,
0:23:14 > 0:23:17patrolling the Atlantic.
0:23:18 > 0:23:20We are here today with the Department of the Environment,
0:23:20 > 0:23:22who are involved in a project
0:23:22 > 0:23:25mapping defence sites right across Northern Ireland,
0:23:25 > 0:23:29looking for stories just like this.
0:23:29 > 0:23:35This should place this on a map to within about an inch of accuracy.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37Or 2.5 centimetres.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41There's many 20th-century defence features
0:23:41 > 0:23:44dotted around the countryside and coast of Northern Ireland.
0:23:44 > 0:23:46A lot of them we aren't aware of,
0:23:46 > 0:23:49and it's with the department liaising with
0:23:49 > 0:23:51the locals and volunteers in
0:23:51 > 0:23:55the project that they can help inform us of these sites.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58It's very vital, because by the very nature of these sites,
0:23:58 > 0:24:02it's only the locals that are aware of their localities.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05They're encouraging the public to get involved
0:24:05 > 0:24:08and enter any information they may have into a new app.
0:24:08 > 0:24:11We have the Catalina at Killadeas.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15The salvage, 20th of July, 1944...
0:24:15 > 0:24:18'The department, in partnership with Queen's University,
0:24:18 > 0:24:20'have developed an app,'
0:24:20 > 0:24:22so people can go out on their smartphone
0:24:22 > 0:24:24and if they're aware of a site,
0:24:24 > 0:24:28they can upload the details and it will be mapped onto the existing
0:24:28 > 0:24:31- defence heritage database. - How important is all of this?
0:24:31 > 0:24:33It is very important.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36As time goes on, the knowledge of these sites are being lost.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39We can help protect these sites through both policy and legislation.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40As you said, it's multiple sites.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42We're not just talking about Lough Erne,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44we're talking about sites all over Northern Ireland.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46All over Northern Ireland.
0:24:46 > 0:24:51Currently we're aware of about 600 of these sites in Northern Ireland.
0:24:51 > 0:24:55About 300 of them have been recorded over the last 20 years,
0:24:55 > 0:24:56but obviously, as you've seen
0:24:56 > 0:25:00about the Nissen hut behind me here, it uses the ammunition store,
0:25:00 > 0:25:03the jetty for loading the ammunition onto the flying boats.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05We weren't aware of these sites, and it was only speaking
0:25:05 > 0:25:08to the Lough Erne Heritage group that they have informed us.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10So there's two more sites within one conversation
0:25:10 > 0:25:12with the community group.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17One person who remembers the scene here is Gerry Kerrigan,
0:25:17 > 0:25:20who was a child growing up on Lough Erne during the war.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Seeing all the activity going on here, were you ever scared?
0:25:26 > 0:25:27No, not scared, not scared.
0:25:27 > 0:25:32I think you become accustomed to it and there was a right few children
0:25:32 > 0:25:34about. And...
0:25:34 > 0:25:37the men that were there were very, very good to children,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40you know. You had apples and oranges and stuff like that, you know.
0:25:40 > 0:25:42- We were hard to keep away. - THEY LAUGH
0:25:42 > 0:25:45They had to chase you. So you have fond memories,
0:25:45 > 0:25:47but did you appreciate the significance of what was going on?
0:25:47 > 0:25:51I don't think we did, no. No, we were children at that time,
0:25:51 > 0:25:52you know?
0:25:55 > 0:25:59I'm following the information we've collected back to Queen's University
0:25:59 > 0:26:02in Belfast, where it's all being collated and mapped
0:26:02 > 0:26:05onto the main database.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09We're encouraging younger members of the community and older members,
0:26:09 > 0:26:12so family members all round, to talk about their local history.
0:26:12 > 0:26:16So the information that was gathered out on site
0:26:16 > 0:26:19with the Lough Erne Heritage group
0:26:19 > 0:26:23has been mapped out and I can access that information.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27So if we just zoom into Boa Island here.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32We can click on the points, so this is the seaplane jetty.
0:26:32 > 0:26:35That was the jetty? My goodness!
0:26:35 > 0:26:38So if you click... Any member of the public can click on the point
0:26:38 > 0:26:43and they can see the information that was recorded on site that day.
0:26:43 > 0:26:46OK, so what have we got there?
0:26:46 > 0:26:48Military site, seaplane station,
0:26:48 > 0:26:51and the period of use was the Second World War.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54So this gives us information about the ammunition store.
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's in good condition, and again,
0:26:57 > 0:27:01Fred on site had uploaded, using his tablet,
0:27:01 > 0:27:05he'd uploaded an image attached to that location,
0:27:05 > 0:27:09so we have a photograph of an ammunition store
0:27:09 > 0:27:11available on our database.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16So, thanks to the work of the Lough Erne Heritage group,
0:27:16 > 0:27:18important details about this site
0:27:18 > 0:27:21have been preserved for generations to come.
0:27:25 > 0:27:28And if you'd like to learn more about that app,
0:27:28 > 0:27:31you can find all the details on the BBC Northern Ireland website.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34That's all for this episode of Home Ground.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- Next week, we're here at seven o'clock.- See you then.