0:00:05 > 0:00:10In 1840, one man transformed travel in Britain and Ireland.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12His name was George Bradshaw,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16and his railway guides inspired the Victorians to take to the tracks.
0:00:18 > 0:00:20Stop by stop, he told them where to travel,
0:00:20 > 0:00:23what to see and where to stay.
0:00:25 > 0:00:30Now, 170 years later, I'm making a series of journeys across the length
0:00:30 > 0:00:34and breadth of these islands to see what of Bradshaw's world remains.
0:00:56 > 0:00:57In pursuit of my railway journeys,
0:00:57 > 0:01:00I've once more crossed the Irish Sea.
0:01:00 > 0:01:05When my Bradshaw's Descriptive Railway Handbook
0:01:05 > 0:01:08of Great Britain and Ireland was published in the 1860s,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Britain and Ireland were a single state
0:01:11 > 0:01:13under the reign of Queen Victoria.
0:01:13 > 0:01:17My journey will take me from the rugged beauty of County Kerry,
0:01:17 > 0:01:19across Ireland's rural Midlands,
0:01:19 > 0:01:22and deposit me on the west coast at Galway.
0:01:23 > 0:01:28On today's journey, I'll be sampling this region's Victorian delicacies.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30I will be able to taste butter that has been absorbed through
0:01:30 > 0:01:33- the shell of this egg. - You certainly will indeed, Michael.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Mmm! I certainly do!
0:01:35 > 0:01:40Exploring a stunning landscape shot to fame by rails and royals.
0:01:40 > 0:01:41If it was good enough for the royal family,
0:01:41 > 0:01:43- it was good enough for everyone.- That's true.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46And risking life and limb for the gift of the gab.
0:01:47 > 0:01:51- You have got to be kidding. - Just a little now.- Here goes then.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54I look forward to being eloquent.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59Using my Bradshaw's Guide, I'm on tracks which opened up
0:01:59 > 0:02:03the rich resources of the southern part of the island of Ireland
0:02:03 > 0:02:05to tourists and trade.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I'll then travel north to discover the isle's Victorian heart
0:02:08 > 0:02:12before turning west to finish in picturesque Galway.
0:02:13 > 0:02:17Today's stretch begins in Killarney's National Park,
0:02:17 > 0:02:20then takes me east through Mallow, and on to Cork and the coast.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27My first stop is one of this verdant island's renowned beauty spots.
0:02:27 > 0:02:31With delightful Victorian pomposity, my Bradshaw's says,
0:02:31 > 0:02:34"To the majority of men who rush from smoky London
0:02:34 > 0:02:36"and the cares of business,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40"to feast their eyes upon the beauty and to inhale the fresh air
0:02:40 > 0:02:45"of the fields, lakes and mountains, we recommend a trip to Ireland,
0:02:45 > 0:02:48"and the lovely lakes of Killarney."
0:02:48 > 0:02:50Really, my Bradshaw's
0:02:50 > 0:02:53rarely bestowed such praise as on this place.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11The countryside around Killarney is famous
0:03:11 > 0:03:13for its scenic lakes and mountains.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16And my guide book is lyrical about its silvern beauty
0:03:16 > 0:03:18and wild grandeur.
0:03:18 > 0:03:23Bradshaw's is definitive about where the railway tourist should begin.
0:03:23 > 0:03:25"Whether his day is long or short,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29"the first excursion he should make is to the far-famed Gap of Dunloe."
0:03:30 > 0:03:34I'm heading straight there to meet guide Mike O'Connor. Hello, Mike.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- Hello, Michael. You're welcome to the Gap of Dunloe.- What is the Gap?
0:03:38 > 0:03:41The Gap of Dunloe is a glacial breach.
0:03:41 > 0:03:44The ice moving in a northeasterly direction gouged out this
0:03:44 > 0:03:48wonderful valley for all of us to enjoy today.
0:03:48 > 0:03:49It is a fantastic sight.
0:03:49 > 0:03:52Bradshaw's has five pages on Killarney.
0:03:52 > 0:03:56He says the usual mode of proceeding is to hire a car or pony
0:03:56 > 0:03:58and ride halfway through the pass.
0:03:58 > 0:04:01"By this journey you will be able to see all the most celebrated
0:04:01 > 0:04:03"and remarkable portions of the scenery,
0:04:03 > 0:04:07"and to learn from the civil, well-informed and garrulous guides."
0:04:07 > 0:04:11- I'm hoping that might be you, Mike. - Thank you. I hope it will.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15'Amazingly, I can still tour the gap in a traditional horse and trap.'
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Hello! 'Just as Victorians would have.'
0:04:17 > 0:04:21- All right to jump aboard? - Get on board.- Thank you.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Until the mid-19th century, this landscape was a well-kept secret,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34enjoyed by the locals and landed elite.
0:04:34 > 0:04:35But that was soon to change.
0:04:37 > 0:04:401853, the coming of the railway, it opened up Killarney.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Some say it was like a continental airport opening, brought people in.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But I would say it was like the information superhighway opening.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49The mail could get out,
0:04:49 > 0:04:52the telegraph lines were run along the railway tracks,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54and communications with the outside world,
0:04:54 > 0:04:56that all helped in no small way.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The rails brought visitors to explore this remote region,
0:04:59 > 0:05:03and it was a certain VIP who really brought fame to Killarney.
0:05:03 > 0:05:07It is very clear that Killarney today attracts a lot of tourists.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10That actually has a lot to do with Queen Victoria herself, doesn't it?
0:05:10 > 0:05:15Yes, Queen Vic came in August 1861 and spent three nights in Killarney,
0:05:15 > 0:05:19and, of course, all the newspapers of the day sent over their best
0:05:19 > 0:05:22illustrators and their writers,
0:05:22 > 0:05:25and some of the sketches that went back were definitely a big influence
0:05:25 > 0:05:28in the people travelling to where royalty travelled.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30If it was good enough for the royal family,
0:05:30 > 0:05:32- it was good enough for everyone. - That's true.
0:05:32 > 0:05:37Queen Victoria's visit helped to put Killarney on the map.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41But I don't suppose that she risked her dignity as I'm about to.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47It says here, the guides being generally provided
0:05:47 > 0:05:50with a bugle, produce notes which are echoed back again by the
0:05:50 > 0:05:54Carrantual on one side and the purple mountains on the other.
0:05:54 > 0:05:56And I can't help noticing that you've brought a bugle.
0:05:56 > 0:05:59- Shall we give it a go?- Yes, we will.
0:05:59 > 0:06:03'Unfortunately, today's guides aren't practiced buglers,
0:06:03 > 0:06:05'so testing the echo falls to me.'
0:06:09 > 0:06:11SPLUTTERING
0:06:11 > 0:06:13SPLUTTERING WITH FAINT BUGLE SOUND
0:06:17 > 0:06:19SPLUTTERING
0:06:20 > 0:06:22SPLUTTERING
0:06:22 > 0:06:25BUGLE ECHOES
0:06:25 > 0:06:27That was not so bad.
0:06:27 > 0:06:31Even my bugling can't spoil Killarney's National Park.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33It's 100 square kilometres of mountains,
0:06:33 > 0:06:37woodland and the famous lakes which my guide book ranks amongst
0:06:37 > 0:06:38the finest in the British Isles.
0:06:40 > 0:06:44It says, "Lochs Lomond, Katrine and Windermere, beautiful as they are,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46"do not possess the various attractions
0:06:46 > 0:06:49"of these small but most lovely lakes."
0:06:50 > 0:06:54- Hello.- Morning, Michael.- Morning, Dermot.- Thank you very much indeed.
0:06:56 > 0:07:00Back in 1861, a highlight of Queen Victoria's visit
0:07:00 > 0:07:02was a stately cruise on these peaceful waters.
0:07:04 > 0:07:06Quite a lot of spectators took to the water too.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11There are reports that it was up to 800 boats, but I think that is a lot
0:07:11 > 0:07:14of boats, actually, given the size of our lakes, but there were
0:07:14 > 0:07:16quite a lot of people who actually came out and just rode around.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21The state barge was the biggest boat on this lake itself,
0:07:21 > 0:07:22and it was very elaborate.
0:07:22 > 0:07:26So, Killarney witnessed, in 1861, something of a royal regatta.
0:07:26 > 0:07:30Absolutely. One could say that definitely.
0:07:30 > 0:07:32While touring the lakes, Bradshaw's instructs me
0:07:32 > 0:07:34to look out for the arbutus tree, saying,
0:07:34 > 0:07:38"Nowhere is it found in such rich luxuriance as at Killarney."
0:07:41 > 0:07:44This rare shrub usually grows only in Spain or Portugal,
0:07:44 > 0:07:47but flourishes here thanks to the Gulf Stream.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54In the 19th century, Killarney craftsmen discovered its
0:07:54 > 0:07:57fine-grained wood was perfect for creating intricate inlaid furniture.
0:07:59 > 0:08:02I've come to nearby Muckross House to view its exquisite
0:08:02 > 0:08:04collection with guide, Anne Tangney.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09- Anne.- Hello.- Hello. - Welcome.- Thank you.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13I've been reading about, and indeed seeing, arbutus trees,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17and this table is an arbutus?
0:08:17 > 0:08:20These were made from arbutus and yew wood.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23It was a thriving industry in Killarney in the 1850s.
0:08:23 > 0:08:26And there were about six families involved in it.
0:08:26 > 0:08:29And they employed 40 or 50 people.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33And the lovely features in this are the scenes of Killarney.
0:08:33 > 0:08:35- See here, Muckross Abbey?- Yes.
0:08:35 > 0:08:36The Old Weir Bridge,
0:08:36 > 0:08:40- which I believe you passed by today, when you were on your travels.- I did.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44And again, another featured image, always put on their pieces,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46is the actual arbutus tree itself.
0:08:46 > 0:08:51- So if you can see, look at the fruit of it here.- How lovely.- Lovely.
0:08:51 > 0:08:53These days, Muckross is open to the public,
0:08:53 > 0:08:57but in the 19th century it was the home of the local MP.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01In 1861, the royal party came to stay here,
0:09:01 > 0:09:05and a special piece of furniture was sculpted for the Queen's suite.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So, did Queen Victoria actually stay in these rooms?
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Yes, these three rooms were given over for her complete stay.
0:09:11 > 0:09:13This was her boudoir, her private sitting room.
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Is this piece the gift she was given?
0:09:15 > 0:09:18Yes, this is the piece that three craftsmen worked on for many,
0:09:18 > 0:09:22- many months.- How fabulous. What a perfect gift for a queen.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23A beautiful piece,
0:09:23 > 0:09:26and we're delighted to still have it here in the house.
0:09:29 > 0:09:32I'm now leaving this beautiful landscape to continue my journey.
0:09:40 > 0:09:41I shall long remember Killarney,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45which even on a wet day is mournfully magnificent.
0:09:46 > 0:09:50I'm travelling east, along the line which opened up this region to
0:09:50 > 0:09:53commerce and visitors in the 1850s.
0:09:53 > 0:09:55My guidebook has brought me into County Cork,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58and I'll soon be arriving at the town of Mallow,
0:09:58 > 0:10:00which is known as the crossroads of Munster,
0:10:00 > 0:10:03because this railway line from west to east
0:10:03 > 0:10:06is intersected by another travelling north to south.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Munster is one of Ireland's four historic provinces.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16With the arrival of the rails came day-trippers and holidaymakers,
0:10:16 > 0:10:17hungry for heritage.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22I'm leaving the train at Mallow to explore an imposing
0:10:22 > 0:10:25fortification, irresistible to readers of my Bradshaw's Guide.
0:10:27 > 0:10:30The magnificent, 15th century Blarney Castle.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39Its picturesque ruins chimed with the ideals of romanticism,
0:10:39 > 0:10:41which was popular at the turn of the 19th century.
0:10:41 > 0:10:44And in 1887, a special railway line
0:10:44 > 0:10:46was built to bring visitors to its gates.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52They made a beeline for the tower, to seek the famous Blarney Stone,
0:10:52 > 0:10:54of which my guide book writes,
0:10:54 > 0:10:57"To kiss it, the traveller must be lowered 20 feet.
0:10:57 > 0:11:00"When having kissed it, nobody can refuse you anything."
0:11:06 > 0:11:10Can it really be that you have to be lowered 20 feet to kiss the stone?
0:11:10 > 0:11:11Time will tell.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16Victorian romantics were entranced by the stories which abound
0:11:16 > 0:11:18regarding this famous stone.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Some believe it was the pillow of a Gaelic saint,
0:11:21 > 0:11:24others that it's a sacred rock brought to Ireland
0:11:24 > 0:11:26from Jerusalem during the Crusades.
0:11:28 > 0:11:31Whatever the truth, kissing it is supposed to make you persuasive.
0:11:33 > 0:11:36Dennis Cronin helps tourists to get their lips in position.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41- Hello.- Would you be Dennis? I would indeed, Michael.
0:11:41 > 0:11:44- Well, I've come about this stone. - Yes.- What will it do for me?
0:11:44 > 0:11:48- It will give you the gift of the gab.- I'm very short of that.
0:11:50 > 0:11:52The origins of the ritual are lost,
0:11:52 > 0:11:55but by the 19th century, it was an established tradition.
0:11:55 > 0:11:58Thankfully, my guide book's description
0:11:58 > 0:12:00of a 20-foot drop is exaggerated.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03But even so, kissing the stone requires more dexterity
0:12:03 > 0:12:05than your average snog.
0:12:05 > 0:12:08- What's the method here then, Dennis? - We'll show you very easily.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Be seated with your back to the wall, my good friend.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13- Back to the wall, eh? Well, I'm used to that all right.- And come to me.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17Raise your hands, left and right, please, and hold the bars.
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Drift this way a little. Head back. - You have GOT to be kidding.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23- Just a little now. More. - OK, here goes then.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27I look forward to being eloquent.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32- Very good. Back up to me. - Oh, that's the difficult bit.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35Oh, Dennis, I suddenly feel as though I could speak very
0:12:35 > 0:12:36eloquently in many tongues.
0:12:36 > 0:12:39- And you've enjoyed.- Oh, what a wonderful way to end the day.
0:12:39 > 0:12:41- Thanks.- Bye, friend.
0:12:42 > 0:12:46Since the mid-19th century, the Blarney estate has been owned
0:12:46 > 0:12:47by the Colthurst family
0:12:47 > 0:12:50who built the impressive Blarney House in the grounds.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55- Charles.- Michael. - How good of you to have me to stay.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58- You're very, very welcome. - What a lovely, lovely house.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01Constructed in the Scottish baronial style in the 1870s,
0:13:01 > 0:13:05the house has recently been restored to full Victorian grandeur.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Although it's open to the public, it's a rare privilege to sleep here.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Here we are, we're coming into the North Room,
0:13:13 > 0:13:15which will be your bedroom for the night.
0:13:16 > 0:13:19Turret with a bath, and then out the north window
0:13:19 > 0:13:21we have a very good view of the castle to the north
0:13:21 > 0:13:25and that will be floodlit later on tonight.
0:13:25 > 0:13:28A turret with a bath and a room with a view of a castle.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30I shall sleep very well, Charles. Thank you so much.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32You're most welcome, and I hope you do.
0:13:40 > 0:13:43After a restful night in the shadow of Blarney Castle,
0:13:43 > 0:13:45I'm retracing my steps to Mallow station.
0:13:46 > 0:13:50- Which platform for Cork?- This side, sir. Just here beside us.
0:13:50 > 0:13:51- Thank you. Bye.- Bye.
0:13:53 > 0:13:54My next train will carry me
0:13:54 > 0:13:57south towards the capital of this beautiful region.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12I'm following the Great Southern and Western Railway,
0:14:12 > 0:14:16begun in the 1840s to link the fertile south to Dublin.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19The train from Mallow rolls through beautiful green countryside,
0:14:19 > 0:14:21so typical of Ireland,
0:14:21 > 0:14:24but my Bradshaw's promises me a contrast when we arrive
0:14:24 > 0:14:27in Cork - "A city port and capital of County Cork,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30"and Munster province on the River Lee.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34"The rail reaches the town by a tunnel half a mile long."
0:14:34 > 0:14:37I believe the tunnel is still there, and from what I remember,
0:14:37 > 0:14:41the city bears the marks of its splendid maritime heritage.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44The building of the tunnel was led by William Dargan,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48father of the Irish railways, and Sir John MacNeill.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52It took seven years to construct at the cost of several lives.
0:14:52 > 0:14:56It was finally completed in 1855, ready to carry passengers
0:14:56 > 0:14:58and freight from the city of Cork.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02The end of the half-mile tunnel tells us
0:15:02 > 0:15:05that we have arrived at Cork, at the station known as Kent.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12The current station opened in 1893 but was renamed in 1966
0:15:12 > 0:15:14to commemorate nationalist rebel Thomas Kent,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18executed by the British after the 1916 rising.
0:15:20 > 0:15:21At that time, the city was
0:15:21 > 0:15:24a stronghold of anti-British sentiment,
0:15:24 > 0:15:27but in the 1800s it was a loyal city that had strong links with
0:15:27 > 0:15:29the Empire, forged through trade.
0:15:31 > 0:15:35Cork today bustles with tourists, but my Bradshaw's Guide notes,
0:15:35 > 0:15:38"There's a large export trade to
0:15:38 > 0:15:43"the value of £3 million in grain, cattle, whiskey, provisions
0:15:43 > 0:15:44"and especially country butter."
0:15:44 > 0:15:48And that flow of comestibles laid the ground for the development
0:15:48 > 0:15:52of retail markets to supply the local people with delicious products
0:15:52 > 0:15:54from this fertile land.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00The best place to sample the finest Cork produce is the English Market
0:16:00 > 0:16:02in the heart of the city.
0:16:04 > 0:16:09Local historian Dermot O'Driscoll knows its rich history.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12- Dermot!- Hi.- How lovely to see you. - Good to meet you, Michael.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16- What a beautiful market.- Amazing, isn't it? We're really proud of it.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18Well, you should be. How old is it?
0:16:18 > 0:16:24This market was opened in 1788, so it's 220, 225 years old now.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26And the architecture I'm looking at at the moment,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29- that maybe is not quite as old as that.- Not as old.
0:16:29 > 0:16:32This section of the market was rebuilt in 1862.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35Which is about the time Queen Victoria was visiting Ireland,
0:16:35 > 0:16:36and the time of my Bradshaw's Guide.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40Around the time the market was founded, the rulers of the
0:16:40 > 0:16:45expanding empire were utilising Cork's local bounty to the full.
0:16:46 > 0:16:50The hinterland of Cork, very rich, great for grain growing,
0:16:50 > 0:16:52excellent for beef growing,
0:16:52 > 0:16:56which led to a huge trade in beef for provisioning ships,
0:16:56 > 0:17:00your former colonies in the east coast of America and the Caribbean.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Cork butter had an international reputation from the middle
0:17:03 > 0:17:07of the 18th century, and that was exported around the world.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10Initially, Cork produce was exported by boat.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16But the advent of rail transport gave the city an extra edge.
0:17:16 > 0:17:18Many of those things in the middle of the 19th century,
0:17:18 > 0:17:22they could be picked up from their point of origin by train,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25and brought here to Cork and then sent on by sea.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29From about the 1850s onwards, there were six different rail lines
0:17:29 > 0:17:30radiating out of the city.
0:17:30 > 0:17:32The main one up to Dublin,
0:17:32 > 0:17:36and then others to west and east Cork.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38As the decades went on through the 1850s, '60s and so on,
0:17:38 > 0:17:40they made connections,
0:17:40 > 0:17:43especially with the seaports on the west Cork coast.
0:17:44 > 0:17:46The English Market is so called because its founders,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48the City Corporation,
0:17:48 > 0:17:51were Protestant Conservatives loyal to the Crown.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54The name fell out of favour in the 20th century,
0:17:54 > 0:17:57when the island of Ireland was riven by troubles.
0:17:57 > 0:18:00But in recent decades, tensions have eased,
0:18:00 > 0:18:02and the name has gained currency again.
0:18:02 > 0:18:07In 2011, the market even welcomed the Queen on an official visit.
0:18:07 > 0:18:10You've lived through troubled periods, as I have.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Were you not astonished by the idea that the British Queen
0:18:12 > 0:18:14would be able to visit the Republic of Ireland?
0:18:14 > 0:18:15Did you see that one coming?
0:18:15 > 0:18:21Attitudes have changed on all sides. People understand the past better.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25We are all more open now and maybe more forgiving,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and it's better to look forward than to look back all the time.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32The modern market offers some local specialities,
0:18:32 > 0:18:36born out of necessity in the days before refrigeration.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38I'm keen to try so-called battleboard,
0:18:38 > 0:18:42dried salt fish that got its name from its plank-like appearance.
0:18:42 > 0:18:45Now, Michael, here's some of the battleboard,
0:18:45 > 0:18:49and an old battleboard here, Pat O'Connell, who's the fishmonger.
0:18:49 > 0:18:50THEY LAUGH
0:18:50 > 0:18:51Pat, very good to see you.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53Hello, Michael. Very pleased to meet you.
0:18:53 > 0:18:55And this is the stock fish of the battleboard.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58It looks incredibly salty. Incredibly salty.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01It is incredibly salty, but it tastes really, really good.
0:19:01 > 0:19:03The secret is that you soak it overnight.
0:19:03 > 0:19:04Because if you take it like this,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07you're going to end up an alcoholic in a very short time!
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- May I try some, please?, - Come over here and we'll have a try.
0:19:12 > 0:19:13I'll give you a little taste.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18Well, I must say, it looks a great deal better now
0:19:18 > 0:19:20than it does over there.
0:19:20 > 0:19:22It is a little bit. Spot the difference!
0:19:22 > 0:19:23You're going to do Mother, are you?
0:19:23 > 0:19:25I'll do Mother, yeah.
0:19:26 > 0:19:31Now this is the old traditional way, where you soak it overnight.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35You boil it up, change the water the next morning,
0:19:35 > 0:19:39and then you boil it up with some onion and some good Irish potatoes.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41Very important.
0:19:46 > 0:19:51- That's good.- It is powerfully salty still, isn't it? But it is lovely.
0:19:51 > 0:19:53That is the nature of it.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56Well, thank you very much, and your very good health, sir.
0:19:56 > 0:19:57Slainte!
0:19:57 > 0:19:59That's what I meant to say!
0:20:00 > 0:20:03Salting fish is just one way in which locals preserved
0:20:03 > 0:20:05food in Victorian times.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Thrifty farmers' wives had a clever method for keeping eggs fresh.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11Michael, this is Gerry Moynihan,
0:20:11 > 0:20:13and we're here to sample some buttered eggs.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16- Very welcome to our market, Michael.- Oh, thank you.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18- Now, buttered eggs, that does sound intriguing.- Yes.
0:20:18 > 0:20:19May I try one, please?
0:20:19 > 0:20:22Sure, we'll give you this nice fresh one here, nice and freshly boiled.
0:20:22 > 0:20:24Thank you very much. So, what is a buttered egg?
0:20:24 > 0:20:26Has it got butter inside it?
0:20:26 > 0:20:30Well, no, there is butter inside it, but the shell is covered
0:20:30 > 0:20:32with butter and it's done when the egg is very, very fresh.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35The old theory was that the egg should be actually taken
0:20:35 > 0:20:37before the hen missed the egg, as such.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40It's coated with butter, it seals the shell of the egg,
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and it preserves the egg at that level of freshness.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44So I will be able to taste butter,
0:20:44 > 0:20:46that has been absorbed through the shell of this egg.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49You certainly will indeed, Michael.
0:20:49 > 0:20:51- Mmm! I certainly do.- Very nice.
0:20:51 > 0:20:54Now this one may catch on.
0:20:54 > 0:20:57In the 19th century, with the prime cuts of
0:20:57 > 0:21:00beef and pork being reserved for export and affluent customers,
0:21:00 > 0:21:04the less well-off locals had to get creative with what was left.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06This is Kathleen here, at O'Reillys.
0:21:06 > 0:21:08Hello, Kathleen. Very nice to see you.
0:21:08 > 0:21:10Makers and sellers of drisheen and tripe.
0:21:10 > 0:21:13- Kathleen, what is drisheen? - It's a pure blood pudding.
0:21:14 > 0:21:16It's just the blood from the cow or the sheep.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18And what do you serve it with?
0:21:18 > 0:21:22We serve it with the tripe, and you can have some potato with it,
0:21:22 > 0:21:24or some bread, but we just serve it with the tripe here.
0:21:24 > 0:21:25Well, let me have a go then.
0:21:29 > 0:21:31So, the white bits are the tripe?
0:21:31 > 0:21:36- Cooked in milk with onions, isn't it?- That's right.
0:21:36 > 0:21:40- Now I'll go for this.- The drisheen. That's the real taste of Cork now.
0:21:42 > 0:21:44Mmmm!
0:21:47 > 0:21:50It's quite mild, actually, isn't it? It's quite mild.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53- Now you're longing for some, aren't you, Dermot?- Yeah, can't wait!
0:21:53 > 0:21:55THEY LAUGH
0:21:55 > 0:21:57Thank you so much for that.
0:21:57 > 0:21:59'After a true taste of Victorian Ireland,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02'I'm full of energy for the last leg of my journey.'
0:22:08 > 0:22:10I'm taking a short hop down to the coast,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13to the harbour that brought Cork its wealth.
0:22:15 > 0:22:18This beautiful waterside railway is leading me towards Cobh,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21and my Bradshaw's says, "The noble harbour surrounded
0:22:21 > 0:22:25"by hills on all sides is five miles long,
0:22:25 > 0:22:29"having room and water enough for hundreds of vessels of any size."
0:22:29 > 0:22:33And I have a feeling that a port of such dimensions must have played
0:22:33 > 0:22:36a substantial part in Irish history.
0:22:40 > 0:22:42My guide book refers to Cobh as Queenstown,
0:22:42 > 0:22:46so named in honour of a royal visit in 1849.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51The harbour that Victoria and Albert saw was thronged with
0:22:51 > 0:22:54vessels, from battleships to pleasure craft.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57"Cobh...", my Bradshaw's tells me, "..is situated on a steep terrace
0:22:57 > 0:23:03"on Great Island, with its yacht club and pretty bathing rooms."
0:23:03 > 0:23:06Yacht club? That sounds both historic and exclusive.
0:23:06 > 0:23:07I shall investigate.
0:23:09 > 0:23:13This small seaside town has played a big role in maritime history.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I'm meeting Eddie English, who hails from a long line of Cobh sailors.
0:23:17 > 0:23:18Eddie, hello.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22- Cead mile failte!- Thank you so much, it's very nice to be welcomed here.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25I'm interested in your yacht club, because my Bradshaw's mentions it.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27Very historic, is it?
0:23:27 > 0:23:31This is the oldest yacht club in the world, the Royal Cork Yacht Club.
0:23:31 > 0:23:33Founded in the early 18th century,
0:23:33 > 0:23:36the club claims to be the oldest still going today,
0:23:36 > 0:23:40and has its current headquarters in nearby Crosshaven.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43But in Victorian times it was based here in Cobh,
0:23:43 > 0:23:48and in 1854 its members moved into this grand Italianate clubhouse.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51That is a very fine building for a yacht club,
0:23:51 > 0:23:53so I'm beginning to think that yachting is not
0:23:53 > 0:23:56just about being on a boat, there's also a social side of things.
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Well, the social life was very important,
0:23:58 > 0:24:00but, more so than other clubs, the Royal Cork Yacht Club was
0:24:00 > 0:24:03always a sailing club and they went sailing.
0:24:03 > 0:24:05So you had big, huge yachts racing here,
0:24:05 > 0:24:09they'd go off out the harbour, way off, a 50-mile course, come back,
0:24:09 > 0:24:14finish here, celebrations here, and in the big houses around the town.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17I get the impression that Cobh absolutely bristles with history.
0:24:17 > 0:24:19May we take a tour and find out more?
0:24:19 > 0:24:21We certainly can. Step this way.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24Eddie's letting me take the helm as we explore
0:24:24 > 0:24:26this lovely stretch of water.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32I'll just put it back in the middle. That's it.
0:24:33 > 0:24:35We're pushing that way.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36As well as being long,
0:24:36 > 0:24:39the harbour is also deep enough for even the biggest vessels,
0:24:39 > 0:24:44including some which pushed the boundaries of Victorian technology.
0:24:44 > 0:24:47My Bradshaw's tells me that the Sirius, under Captain Roberts,
0:24:47 > 0:24:51was the second steamer to cross the Atlantic,
0:24:51 > 0:24:54leaving Cobh on the 1st June, 1838,
0:24:54 > 0:24:57and taking 17 days to reach New York.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00Yeah, well, she crossed the Atlantic, and as you mentioned
0:25:00 > 0:25:04Captain Roberts, I met his great, great, great grandson today,
0:25:04 > 0:25:09who's a friend of mine, and they're very proud of their heritage.
0:25:09 > 0:25:11And, in fact, she crossed the Atlantic twice.
0:25:11 > 0:25:14She was chartered from the City of Cork Steam Packet Company,
0:25:14 > 0:25:19and was the first passenger vessel to cross the Atlantic under steam.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24Very soon, steamships like the Sirius were to carry
0:25:24 > 0:25:28unprecedented numbers of passengers, seeking to escape to a new life.
0:25:32 > 0:25:36Now, following the great Irish Hunger of 1848, millions emigrated,
0:25:36 > 0:25:39and Cobh was one of the main places they left from, wasn't it?
0:25:39 > 0:25:40It certainly was.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44Cobh was very well connected, especially when the railways came.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46It was connected with the railways in 1862,
0:25:46 > 0:25:49and from then on people just poured into Cobh from all
0:25:49 > 0:25:53corners of Ireland, and indeed from England, because they could
0:25:53 > 0:25:57get the mail packet across, and then get the train down to Cobh.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Huge numbers went from Cobh to several different
0:25:59 > 0:26:04destinations on the east coast of the States and also Canada.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07It's a very poignant thought, isn't it,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09to think of those people so desperate,
0:26:09 > 0:26:11and yet also so full of hope?
0:26:11 > 0:26:13Right up until the 1950s,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16Cobh was this island's most important emigration port,
0:26:16 > 0:26:18and it also played a role
0:26:18 > 0:26:21in two of maritime history's most terrible disasters.
0:26:21 > 0:26:23What's the connection with the Titanic?
0:26:23 > 0:26:27Well, Cobh, was a major port of call for the transatlantic liners,
0:26:27 > 0:26:31and then the Titanic, a major occasion, came here, her last
0:26:31 > 0:26:35port of call before the unfortunate disaster with the iceberg.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38A couple of years later we had the terrible tragedy
0:26:38 > 0:26:40of the sinking of the Lusitania.
0:26:40 > 0:26:41It was due here into Cobh,
0:26:41 > 0:26:43a regular caller, and a much-loved ship,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45and huge connections with Cobh.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48- Sunk by a German U-boat. - That's correct.
0:26:48 > 0:26:49Yes, just 20 miles from here.
0:26:51 > 0:26:55The advent of air travel spelled the end of the great ocean liners,
0:26:55 > 0:26:59but Cobh hasn't entirely lost its link with adventure on the sea.
0:27:00 > 0:27:02The railway's still there,
0:27:02 > 0:27:04and I think it's a much happier operation now,
0:27:04 > 0:27:08because it's the people, the holiday makers on cruise liners, they
0:27:08 > 0:27:12get off the ships and they get on the railway and they go up to Cork.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14So, the connection is still there.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19It's good to know that Victorian tracks provide continuity
0:27:19 > 0:27:21with this region's past.
0:27:21 > 0:27:24But, thankfully, some things have changed for the better.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29Queen Victoria was awed by the beauty of the lakes
0:27:29 > 0:27:32and mountains of southern Ireland.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34But just a short time after her last visit here,
0:27:34 > 0:27:38this country fought for and won its independence.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39When I was in politics,
0:27:39 > 0:27:43the idea that Queen Elizabeth II might make an official visit
0:27:43 > 0:27:46to the Republic of Ireland would have seemed like fantasy.
0:27:48 > 0:27:50But the beauty of time passing
0:27:50 > 0:27:52is that it makes the impossible possible.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00On my next journey, I'll learn the ancient art of butter making.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04It's exquisite, Eamonn. It's a taste of the Irish rain.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Thank you very, very, very much.
0:28:07 > 0:28:10I'll tackle the basics of Ireland's oldest game.
0:28:10 > 0:28:12So what's the first thing I should learn?
0:28:12 > 0:28:15- It's to bounce it on my hurley? - Yeah.
0:28:15 > 0:28:16Oops!
0:28:16 > 0:28:20And I'll ride the Duke of Devonshire's Victorian Irish Railway.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23In case the Duke of Devonshire is watching,
0:28:23 > 0:28:27I want to thank your ancestor, sir, for giving us this lovely railway.
0:28:55 > 0:28:59Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd