0:00:31 > 0:00:33Hello and welcome to Home Ground,
0:00:33 > 0:00:37the series celebrating the richness of rural life.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39Yes. Tonight, Jo and I will be introducing
0:00:39 > 0:00:40you to a host of stories
0:00:40 > 0:00:45and people who use the countryside for work, rest and play.
0:00:45 > 0:00:48And here's what's coming up on tonight's programme.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52Come on, darling.
0:00:52 > 0:00:54That's my baby.
0:00:54 > 0:00:57From Game Of Thrones to Bafta Award-winners,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I meet the stars of the big screen with a difference.
0:01:03 > 0:01:07We were on the lookout for birds, but ended up surrounded by dolphins.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Just your average day out on the Antrim coast.
0:01:11 > 0:01:13THEY SHOUT, JO LAUGHS
0:01:13 > 0:01:18And I'm repairing dry stone walls with a special group of volunteers.
0:01:24 > 0:01:26Later in the programme,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29we'll have a full weather forecast for you for the week ahead.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31First tonight, I'm on Carrick-a-Rede
0:01:31 > 0:01:36and, just for a change, this rope bridge isn't the main attraction.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49Last year, more than 300,000 visitors came here to cross
0:01:49 > 0:01:50this rope bridge,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53but I'm here to see what's tucked in around the far side -
0:01:55 > 0:01:58the fisherman's cottage and fishery.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01Two years ago, the crane at the fishery was smashed during
0:02:01 > 0:02:05a winter storm, so, a few weeks ago, the National Trust embarked
0:02:05 > 0:02:07on a project to replace it
0:02:07 > 0:02:10and help restore the fishery to how it used to be.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14The crane really tells the story of why the bridge,
0:02:14 > 0:02:17the rope bridge itself, is here in the first place.
0:02:17 > 0:02:19This was a working salmon fishery,
0:02:19 > 0:02:22a really important part of our history here,
0:02:22 > 0:02:23and cultural heritage...
0:02:23 > 0:02:25at the site.
0:02:25 > 0:02:29So, for over 300 years, there has been salmon fishing here
0:02:29 > 0:02:33and, because it's quite an inaccessible place,
0:02:33 > 0:02:35it was easier to store the boat on the island
0:02:35 > 0:02:38than to take it back to the nearest harbour,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40which would have been Ballintoy.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42It was a good hour and a half's row from here.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46So, they winched the boat up onto the island and stored it overnight,
0:02:46 > 0:02:49and they had to fish the next day again.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55And it hasn't been a straightforward job.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Every part of the crane has had to be carried over the bridge,
0:03:01 > 0:03:04down to the fishery, and then assembled at the far side.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Well, Frank and his team have been hard at it.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31And today, I'm back to meet them as they apply the final touches.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36- Well, Frank, how are you doing? - Hello, Jo.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39- You're making great progress here. - We are indeed.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41It's gone really well so far, thankfully.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44Super. Another hard day at the office.
0:03:44 > 0:03:46- Indeed. It's not easy. - Somebody's gotta do it.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Listen, people flock here in their thousands -
0:03:49 > 0:03:51it's not hard to see why.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52- Primarily for the rope bridge.- Yeah.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56But not many talk about the cottage or even know that it's here.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59No, it's hidden inside of the cliff here, so...
0:03:59 > 0:04:02But, I mean, the cottage and the fishery was the main reason
0:04:02 > 0:04:04for the bridge being replaced.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06It's beautiful, but it's fairly remote.
0:04:06 > 0:04:09You wouldn't want to get stuck here on your own for too long, would you?
0:04:09 > 0:04:11No. It is very remote, it's very difficult,
0:04:11 > 0:04:13and I think it was probably one of the most difficult
0:04:13 > 0:04:15fisheries on the north coast
0:04:15 > 0:04:18while it was in operation. The sheer...
0:04:18 > 0:04:21problems of getting the boat and the fish onto the island...
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and then getting them back up to the ice house,
0:04:24 > 0:04:26which was right up the roadside...
0:04:26 > 0:04:27was a big task.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31Do you know? It's not till you're down here that you appreciate
0:04:31 > 0:04:34just how hairy it is and how difficult
0:04:34 > 0:04:36it would have been for fisherman, you know,
0:04:36 > 0:04:41at the end of a busy day, to start trying to bring this boat up here.
0:04:41 > 0:04:42I can't imagine.
0:04:42 > 0:04:44Yeah. I think that's the one thing that, for us,
0:04:44 > 0:04:48is the appreciation we have gained for the effort that those
0:04:48 > 0:04:49guys had to go through...
0:04:49 > 0:04:51to catch fish.
0:04:51 > 0:04:53Such a precarious place.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58The whole coastline here was dotted with fisheries,
0:04:58 > 0:05:01but this was one of the better ones and Carrick-a-Rede itself
0:05:01 > 0:05:04- translates as "to rock in the road"...- Yeah.
0:05:04 > 0:05:08..so we're standing on the rock that was in the road of the fish,
0:05:08 > 0:05:11as they hugged the coastline, trying to find the rivers
0:05:11 > 0:05:12to go back to spawn.
0:05:12 > 0:05:16So, it was the perfect place to catch fish...
0:05:16 > 0:05:18although it left it more difficult.
0:05:19 > 0:05:21We're doing the finishing touches.
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Just putting the steel straps on and securing all the bolts...- Right.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26..so it's nice and tight,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28and all the joints are nice and tight.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Well, you've a willing volunteer here. Have I got a job at all?
0:05:31 > 0:05:34We'll certainly get you a job, all right.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- SHE LAUGHS - I'll be glad to hand it over.
0:05:36 > 0:05:37If you just want to step on in.
0:05:37 > 0:05:40Through here, yeah. Great. OK.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42'There's no salmon fishing here any more,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46'but this project aims to preserve the history of Carrick-a-Rede.'
0:05:46 > 0:05:50Very helpful. You can see I'm a dab hand at this.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53I mean, this is all about preservation, really, isn't it?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56We need to be able to tell this story for years to come.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59It's really important to hold on to our heritage and our past,
0:05:59 > 0:06:01and be able to tell those stories.
0:06:01 > 0:06:05So the crane, hopefully, will be here for ever,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07the salmon fishery restored, and now people can access it
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and enjoy a wider experience here at Carrick-a-Rede,
0:06:10 > 0:06:11rather than just the bridge.
0:06:11 > 0:06:14- And see it as it once was, in all its glory.- Indeed, yeah.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18You know what? I think I'm going to leave this to the professionals.
0:06:18 > 0:06:19- Stick to my day job. - SHE LAUGHS
0:06:19 > 0:06:21All right.
0:06:26 > 0:06:27If you've been watching Game Of Thrones
0:06:27 > 0:06:30then it's highly likely you'll recognise some of this
0:06:30 > 0:06:34stunning coastline from the series, but maybe you haven't noticed
0:06:34 > 0:06:37some of the stars from Richhill in County Armagh.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39The animals of Forthill Farm
0:06:39 > 0:06:43have been in some of the biggest productions around.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45I've been to meet some four-legged celebrities.
0:06:53 > 0:06:58'Kenny Gracey is a farmer who knows all about diversification.
0:06:58 > 0:07:02'His family have been farming this land just outside Tandragee
0:07:02 > 0:07:04'for more than 300 years.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:08But, in more recent times, things have taken a twist.
0:07:08 > 0:07:12Kenny has turned his hand to training and supplying animals
0:07:12 > 0:07:15to the growing TV and film industry here
0:07:15 > 0:07:17and I am here to meet a few of the stars.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Hilda and Mabel are in here.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- Big girls.- Now, you don't see too much or too many like them,
0:07:27 > 0:07:28but a lot of the films
0:07:28 > 0:07:32that are being done at the moment are medieval.
0:07:32 > 0:07:35I don't think they're too happy you've just woken them up.
0:07:35 > 0:07:38Oh, no, they're happy. They're as happy as Larry.
0:07:38 > 0:07:39They just... They want to talk to me.
0:07:39 > 0:07:42Sure...you could lie down with them, you know?
0:07:42 > 0:07:44They are just saying hello, aren't you?
0:07:44 > 0:07:46They just love a wee bit of a scratch.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48A scratch behind the ear.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51- Yeah.- Like us all. - Sure, yeah. Oh, dear, dear.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53The old back leg up, there. KENNY LAUGHS
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- But these are specifically bred by you.- Yeah.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59I...experimented with three or four different breeds,
0:07:59 > 0:08:01crossed them back and forth,
0:08:01 > 0:08:06till I got a pig to look like the Iron Age, the old breeds.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Here, Hilda. Come back, come back. So...
0:08:09 > 0:08:11- It turned out... - Hilda, behave yourself!
0:08:11 > 0:08:13- It turned out very well. - It did, surely.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Had those in the Game Of Thrones a few times,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18and a couple of other films.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20Come on, darling. Come on.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23That's our Jana. That's my baby.
0:08:23 > 0:08:24Hello, darling.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Look, here's a man come to see you. Yes.
0:08:28 > 0:08:29Give us a kiss.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Yes, you're my baby, aren't you? - Amazing.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35These are normally so timid, these creatures, aren't they?
0:08:35 > 0:08:37That's right. I hand-reared her, and...
0:08:38 > 0:08:39She actually lives with the dogs,
0:08:39 > 0:08:42her and the two deerhound-wolfhound cross.
0:08:42 > 0:08:44Big dogs, I have, in the house, there.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47They are all best friends.
0:08:47 > 0:08:50So, yeah. Aren't you?
0:08:52 > 0:08:53Jana has secured a role
0:08:53 > 0:08:56in a forthcoming Ridley Scott sci-fi film.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00But for Kenny, this is more than just a sideline.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03In difficult times, it's helped subsidise his farm.
0:09:05 > 0:09:07I'm not a modern farmer, and modern techniques -
0:09:07 > 0:09:12I'm working with the old breeds because it is a passion that I have
0:09:12 > 0:09:16and it is not as profitable, either, so sometimes,
0:09:16 > 0:09:18I'm on a hiding to nothing,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but I love the animals, and it's just...
0:09:21 > 0:09:24The joy and the comfort and the solace they give you
0:09:24 > 0:09:26at times is unbelievable,
0:09:26 > 0:09:28especially when you have to calm them down
0:09:28 > 0:09:31and work them, and when you take them out onto the set
0:09:31 > 0:09:35and they do the things that even the directors and the producers can't...
0:09:35 > 0:09:37They just can't believe it,
0:09:37 > 0:09:39when you bring what is really a wild animal
0:09:39 > 0:09:41out on set and you take it into the middle of a forest,
0:09:41 > 0:09:44that normally, it should run away, and it just stands there,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46or it lies down.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50'And Kenny doesn't just represent stars of the small screen -
0:09:50 > 0:09:52'he also has a few award winners.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Bafta winners. - Bafta winners, yeah.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57CHEEPING
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Boogaloo.- Boogaloo?
0:10:00 > 0:10:02What are you going to call yours, Malachy?
0:10:02 > 0:10:04Graham.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07Well, there's Boogaloo.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09If I can get Boogaloo...
0:10:09 > 0:10:11Is Jana allowed in there, yeah?
0:10:11 > 0:10:14She'll come in. She'll probably chase them.
0:10:14 > 0:10:15Graham, come here.
0:10:16 > 0:10:18- Oh, dear...- Careful.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20That's Graham.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24Boogaloo was a wee bit lighter in colour.
0:10:24 > 0:10:25You didn't!
0:10:26 > 0:10:28You washed that chicken in my good sink?
0:10:28 > 0:10:30Well, how am I supposed to wash him, Mummy?
0:10:30 > 0:10:32You're not so quick to wash yourself!
0:10:32 > 0:10:34We had to have them pretty quiet,
0:10:34 > 0:10:36because if you saw Boogaloo and Graham,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38the two wee lads had to handle them,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40so they walked down the street on their shoulder.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Smells fine.
0:10:44 > 0:10:45Come on, big man.
0:10:45 > 0:10:47Go on, there is a man here to see you.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50Come on. Down that way. Go on, come on.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52Come on, Logan.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54'I started this herd up about the mid '90s.
0:10:54 > 0:10:57'I love the breed.'
0:10:57 > 0:11:00They are thought to be the animals
0:11:00 > 0:11:03that are depicted in the old cave drawing.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I'm walking about through them here, they're great -
0:11:06 > 0:11:07I had them on Blandings.
0:11:10 > 0:11:12Oh, look at that.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15Isn't that good, boy? Eh? Yeah?
0:11:15 > 0:11:17Sure, look at that, eh? Sure, he just loves it.
0:11:17 > 0:11:19Look at his lips.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21He is drooling, he's liking that so much.
0:11:22 > 0:11:23He loves it, doesn't he?
0:11:26 > 0:11:27Higher or lower, big man?
0:11:31 > 0:11:34I was asked to train a pig to go on a lead.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38This boar was actually in Dani's Castle as a little pig,
0:11:38 > 0:11:39eight weeks old.
0:11:39 > 0:11:40When the chips are down,
0:11:40 > 0:11:43you can always count on your own flesh and blood.
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Now, he's three years old.
0:11:46 > 0:11:47He is a bit bigger.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49He's a lot bigger.
0:11:49 > 0:11:51He hasn't been on a lead lately, so...
0:11:51 > 0:11:55And bearing in mind he looks quite relaxed, we'll see how it goes.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58- We'll see how it goes, will we? Will we try it?- We'll try it.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Squeaker? Mr Squeaker, come on, boy.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03Come on, Grunter, come on. Up you get, come on.
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Hello? Wakey wakey!
0:12:05 > 0:12:08How are you doing, boy? Are you all right?
0:12:08 > 0:12:09He WAS doing all right!
0:12:09 > 0:12:11He's still all right. What about you?
0:12:11 > 0:12:14How are you doing? Look at his tusks, look.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16Get up, come on, you lazy, big brute!
0:12:16 > 0:12:18Up you get, come on!
0:12:18 > 0:12:20All right, do you remember you used to be on a lead, boy?
0:12:20 > 0:12:21Do you remember that?
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Remember as a wee piggy, we had you on a lead?
0:12:23 > 0:12:25We are going to try you again.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Here, come over to the side.
0:12:27 > 0:12:28Here, you take him.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32I'll try - I'm sorry to get you up. I know you were resting, there.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36You're the Barbara Woodhouse of the pig world.
0:12:36 > 0:12:37Walkies!
0:12:37 > 0:12:38Come on, big fella.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40- Walk on.- Walk on.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44So...tell me about those days, working for the BBC.
0:12:45 > 0:12:47What was it you were on again?
0:12:51 > 0:12:55Well, the birdlife along these shores is healthy and clear to see,
0:12:55 > 0:12:58but what about elsewhere along our coastline?
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Ruth has been to the Copeland Islands
0:13:00 > 0:13:03off the North Down coast, to take part in a quay survey.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12'I am at Bangor Marina,
0:13:12 > 0:13:16'where I am meeting my skipper for the day, Shane Wolsey.'
0:13:16 > 0:13:17Come in the boat, here.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19- Thank you. - Take care, it's a bit slippy.
0:13:19 > 0:13:22'We are off to the Copeland Islands
0:13:22 > 0:13:25'to do a once-in-a-decade survey of nesting sea birds
0:13:25 > 0:13:27for the British Trust of Ornithology.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32So, Shane, tell me a bit more
0:13:32 > 0:13:34about what the British Trust of Ornithology,
0:13:34 > 0:13:36the BTO, actually do.
0:13:36 > 0:13:41Well, the BTO is actually a science organisation
0:13:41 > 0:13:43as opposed to a conservation body.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46So what we do is collect data
0:13:46 > 0:13:48and we collect data mostly about birds,
0:13:48 > 0:13:53but we also collect data for mammals and other things as well.
0:13:54 > 0:14:00The data feeds into conservation and environmental policy-making.
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- And environmental planning, management.- Yeah.
0:14:06 > 0:14:08There are three Copeland Islands -
0:14:08 > 0:14:11Big Copeland, Mew and Lighthouse.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15And they're around three miles off the north Down coast.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17While few of us will ever visit them,
0:14:17 > 0:14:19they're teeming with bird life.
0:14:20 > 0:14:26- What are we looking for?- It's really any birds at all on the shore
0:14:26 > 0:14:30or on the sea. Flying in there.
0:14:30 > 0:14:32So birds like curlew and oystercatcher,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34which are waders, that's the primary
0:14:34 > 0:14:39reason we're surveying but we'll record any other ducks or any gulls.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Also shore birds, sea birds and wildfowl
0:14:43 > 0:14:45on the rocky shore.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49You're counting all these by eye and writing them down individually
0:14:49 > 0:14:51but when you've got a big flock of birds like we just had over
0:14:51 > 0:14:53there, what do you do?
0:14:53 > 0:14:56A lot of it's down to experience.
0:14:56 > 0:14:59It's using methods to try and count those birds quickly.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03I've been doing this so long so you know what ten birds looks like
0:15:03 > 0:15:07so you can quickly go, 10, 20, 30, 40 or 20, 40, 60.
0:15:07 > 0:15:09You get an approximation.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15Curlews, lapwings and terns have been in severe decline over
0:15:15 > 0:15:17the past 30 years in Northern Ireland.
0:15:17 > 0:15:21So these ten-year surveys off the coast are crucial.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26There's a large flock of curlew on the rocks there.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Curlew, now that's pretty special.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31A lot of the birds here will use these islands for roosting.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33They have declined as a breeding species.
0:15:33 > 0:15:36The lapwing has declined as well.
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Is it encouraging to see so many curlews especially?
0:15:41 > 0:15:43It is and it isn't, because at this time of year
0:15:43 > 0:15:48a lot of the birds aren't actually from here.
0:15:48 > 0:15:53- They're from Scotland and from other parts of Northern Europe.- Yes.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55In actual fact...
0:15:56 > 0:15:59It's good to see that the numbers are still high
0:15:59 > 0:16:01but it doesn't really relate to our population
0:16:01 > 0:16:07because our populations are really so small they they're insignificant
0:16:07 > 0:16:12compared to the birds that are still coming in from other areas.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15Is that not to do with figures in Northern Ireland?
0:16:15 > 0:16:18It just means Northern Ireland is still a very important
0:16:18 > 0:16:20wintering spot for these birds.
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Places like this are important because there are precious few
0:16:25 > 0:16:31places like that now left where you can go and you'll not see anybody.
0:16:33 > 0:16:38Sea birds like guillemots, lapwings, tern all nest on the ground
0:16:38 > 0:16:39and often in burrows.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43And, unusually, the birds in the Copeland Islands have no
0:16:43 > 0:16:44natural competition.
0:16:46 > 0:16:54None of the islands have rats, cats, ferrets, mink, foxes, dogs,
0:16:54 > 0:16:57those predators. And so for sea birds,
0:16:57 > 0:17:01ground nesting sea birds, it is an absolutely fabulous place.
0:17:01 > 0:17:05How the Copelands have got away with a history without any ground
0:17:05 > 0:17:09predators, I do not know.
0:17:09 > 0:17:10It's incredible.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12Presumably as well,
0:17:12 > 0:17:16because it's an undisturbed place for nature, it must be a great
0:17:16 > 0:17:19barometer of which birds are doing well and doing badly because
0:17:19 > 0:17:23if they're not doing well, they're unlikely to do well anywhere.
0:17:23 > 0:17:24That's right.
0:17:25 > 0:17:27Once we've finished at the Copelands,
0:17:27 > 0:17:31we nip up the coast to see if we can find more nesting birds.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34But it's not long until we realise we've got company.
0:17:34 > 0:17:36There he is.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45The dolphins are coming straight for us. Absolutely beautiful.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49Just here off the coast of Northern Ireland, it's incredible.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52So close to the boat, just wonderful creatures, wonderful creatures.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55Amazing.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Dolphins do swim off the coast here but it's rare to get so many.
0:18:07 > 0:18:09Especially when there's a camera crew in tow.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13Oh!
0:18:13 > 0:18:14SHE LAUGHS
0:18:19 > 0:18:24- This is amazing. Is this unusual?- It is astonishing.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27And with bottlenose dolphins, this is just fantastic.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30- I've never seen such a display before.- Really?
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Brilliant, absolutely brilliant.
0:18:35 > 0:18:39So, Shane, how has today gone?
0:18:39 > 0:18:43We have got the sections of the coast that I wanted to survey,
0:18:43 > 0:18:45surveyed.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48So we did that and we saw some quite interesting bits,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50a lot of duck out on the island.
0:18:50 > 0:18:54Some peregrines there at the cliffs.
0:18:54 > 0:19:00But also to have had the privilege of seeing those bottlenose
0:19:00 > 0:19:03dolphins today has been unbelievable.
0:19:03 > 0:19:07Absolutely unbelievable. It's been superb.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11I'm very pleased that I've been made by the survey to get off my...
0:19:13 > 0:19:16..rear end and go and do something. It's been brilliant.
0:19:20 > 0:19:24We're a good bit into May now and it does feel a little bit milder.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Let's see what the forecast has in store for the week ahead.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Now, the Mourne Mountains attract thousands of visitors each year
0:20:07 > 0:20:11but with all the footfall, many of the paths and dry stone
0:20:11 > 0:20:12walls are suffering.
0:20:12 > 0:20:16So I joined a special group of volunteers to help repair
0:20:16 > 0:20:17the damage.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26The dry stone walls that wind along the Mourne Mountains
0:20:26 > 0:20:29are a distinctive part of the landscape here
0:20:29 > 0:20:31and a treasured part of its heritage.
0:20:33 > 0:20:37Stretching for hundreds of miles, the Mourne Heritage Trust takes
0:20:37 > 0:20:39a lead role in their preservation.
0:20:40 > 0:20:42John, this is a perfect example of one of the
0:20:42 > 0:20:44many walls around the Mournes.
0:20:44 > 0:20:47Absolutely and you can see over the passage of time,
0:20:47 > 0:20:49you can see this bulge. If you look
0:20:49 > 0:20:53here, you can see the stones are now leaning out towards the lane.
0:20:53 > 0:20:58Is that one of the big problems you face, these walls starting to...?
0:20:58 > 0:21:01Over the passage of the next few years this will fall.
0:21:01 > 0:21:02And then once it...
0:21:02 > 0:21:05It's like dominoes, it'll just keep falling and falling.
0:21:05 > 0:21:08So that's where we come in and try and get, get it done at an
0:21:08 > 0:21:10early stage and get those all... Those all fixed up again.
0:21:10 > 0:21:15- It's maintaining it and spotting the problem, really...- Yeah. - ..before it gets, gets too much.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17The problem is, it's a big stretch on resources
0:21:17 > 0:21:20but...most of these are all owned by farmers or land managers
0:21:20 > 0:21:23or mountain trustees and they will be trying their best
0:21:23 > 0:21:27to continuously take down and repair different sections each year
0:21:27 > 0:21:30and try and keep on top of all this but the problem is, there's that
0:21:30 > 0:21:32much of it and, as you know, the stone walls in the Mournes
0:21:32 > 0:21:34are one of the most iconic features we have,
0:21:34 > 0:21:37right up through to our Mourne Wall which spans the entire length of the
0:21:37 > 0:21:41Water Commissioner's land, owned by Northern Ireland Water.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47So an extra pair of hands is always welcome.
0:21:49 > 0:21:53Today, I'm joining a project that gives migrants and asylum seekers
0:21:53 > 0:21:55the opportunity to volunteer and help repair
0:21:55 > 0:21:59and maintain these walls. You come from Colombia, what do you make
0:21:59 > 0:22:01of all this?
0:22:01 > 0:22:05You know, in my city we had a small mountain, not like that,
0:22:05 > 0:22:07so I think this is beautiful.
0:22:07 > 0:22:12I've found this is a peaceful place for me. So, yeah, I like that.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- And different from your life in Belfast?- Yes!
0:22:15 > 0:22:17SHE LAUGHS
0:22:17 > 0:22:20Because I live in the south, so this is big houses...
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Not a lot of space for green space, yeah.
0:22:24 > 0:22:29- So is this something you're going to keep up?- Yeah.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32- I am learning a lot. - SHE LAUGHS
0:22:32 > 0:22:36And I suppose...there's nothing better than...
0:22:36 > 0:22:38a bit of hard work.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It's not hard work! We are just helpers. Not a hard job.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43It's hard work for me!
0:22:43 > 0:22:45LAUGHTER
0:22:45 > 0:22:47'These volunteers are here as part of the Amal Project,
0:22:47 > 0:22:49'run by Mediation Northern Ireland.'
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It is getting out of Belfast, it is being in somewhere beautiful.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57It is having a conversation with someone who sees you
0:22:57 > 0:22:59as, you know, another human being who
0:22:59 > 0:23:02has a right to be here as much as anybody else.
0:23:02 > 0:23:05And it's making a contribution, the same as anybody else.
0:23:05 > 0:23:08But life is still difficult, because in the end of the day what
0:23:08 > 0:23:11most of the people who come to Amal want is
0:23:11 > 0:23:14to be able to have a job... To be able to, you know...
0:23:14 > 0:23:18To integrate here, to have friends, to rebuild some sense
0:23:18 > 0:23:20of family or community.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25- It's...- Good.- Is that OK?
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- No... - SHE LAUGHS
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Er... - HE EXHALES
0:23:29 > 0:23:32- ..probably... - You're being very diplomatic here.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Flat face to the front.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37The more stones you use, the worse your selection gets.
0:23:37 > 0:23:41'Thankfully, a local stonemason is on hand to keep me right.'
0:23:42 > 0:23:45Whenever you're building the front of the wall...
0:23:45 > 0:23:47- there's the back of the wall to build as well.- Uh-huh.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50- There's two sides to the wall. - It looks fabulous on the other side.
0:23:50 > 0:23:53- You get this bit looking nice... - Like a dog's dinner.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55You have to get the other side looking nice as well.
0:23:55 > 0:23:59- Even though the sheep wouldn't be as fussy.- So let's take a step back and...
0:23:59 > 0:24:00admire.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06Dry-stone walling at its finest.
0:24:06 > 0:24:07Huh?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10Oh, there we go, there we go.
0:24:10 > 0:24:12Sold?
0:24:14 > 0:24:17Mohamed is originally from Algeria
0:24:17 > 0:24:20and has been living here for two years.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22I worked as a police officer in my country.
0:24:22 > 0:24:27- Uh-huh.- And I had some trouble
0:24:27 > 0:24:31and I leave my country and I came here...since two years.
0:24:32 > 0:24:35- Two years, yes.- Difficult decision to have to leave?
0:24:35 > 0:24:38Yes, yes, it's very hard.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40It's, you know, it's look like...
0:24:42 > 0:24:43You are newborn.
0:24:43 > 0:24:47Totally, totally newborn.
0:24:47 > 0:24:51You come here, you haven't friends. You know, in my country I had
0:24:51 > 0:24:55- nearly 1,000 friends and...- You're trying to make a new life here?
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- Yes.- So, does something like this help, can you get to meet people?
0:24:58 > 0:25:01Yes. I think, yes, it's very helpful.
0:25:01 > 0:25:03But why did you have to leave home?
0:25:04 > 0:25:09- Is it too personal to ask? - I had a problem with my government,
0:25:09 > 0:25:14- a very serious problem. This is why. - Life-threatening?- Yeah.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18And...they tried to kill me.
0:25:20 > 0:25:26It was... I had just one night to have a good decision.
0:25:26 > 0:25:32I leave everything, my home, my parents, my friends, everything.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34- To come here?- Yes.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37Hard to imagine.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42HE SIGHS
0:25:42 > 0:25:46- It's not easy. - Difficult to talk about?- Yes...
0:25:48 > 0:25:50It's not easy.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54Whenever you do begin to understand some sense of what their life
0:25:54 > 0:25:57has been like, you can't help but be touched and
0:25:57 > 0:26:00understanding that, well, you know, we're all human
0:26:00 > 0:26:03and some people have it tougher than others.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- Nearly there. Final stone, Mohamed. - Yes...
0:26:17 > 0:26:19There we go.
0:26:19 > 0:26:21Perfect. Happy?
0:26:21 > 0:26:23Happy enough.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25That's a good morning's work.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31Perfect, Mohamed, just another 200 mile to go.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33LAUGHTER
0:26:37 > 0:26:42- I have to say, I am very impressed with your handiwork, there. Well done.- What are you laughing at(?)
0:26:42 > 0:26:46What are you laughing at? That dry-stone wall will never be the same but...I'll take the compliment.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50- LAUGHTER - Listen, if you're heading to the Balmoral Show this week,
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- we'll see you there. - That's it for this episode.
0:26:52 > 0:26:55Next week, we're back at our usual time of 7.30. We'll see you then.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Bye-bye.