Fr Ted and Derry Girls actor Ardal O'Hanlon comes to Rathlin in new Irish language series

From Rathlin in the north to Cape Clear in the south, the islands off the coast of Ireland have long been a source of inspiration and of myth. But they’re home to a rich diversity of wildlife too – and a wide range of people.

In a new TG4 series ‘Inis na nIontas’, actor and comedian Ardal takes us on a fascinating journey, unearthing the history, observing the wildlife and meeting the islanders trying to live sustainably within their extraordinary environment.

‘Inis na nIontas’ is Ardal O’Hanlon’s first Irish-language show. His mother, Teresa, is a native Irish-speaker and, in this series, Ardal fulfils a longstanding ambition to practise and improve his Irish and promote its use to a wider public.

The first episode will be broadcast on TG4 on January 10 at 9.30pm. It focusses on the north, beginning on Rathlin Island, famous for its countless seabirds and, unique to the island, the golden hare. Here, Ardal learns how an astonishing archaeological find has rewritten Irish history, and he tastes some noodles made from kelp, sustainably farmed on the island.

From Rathlin, Ardal travels to remote Tory Island off Donegal, where he learns of its musical tradition and its mystical past, and we see how farming practices are being fashioned to encourage the endangered corncrake.

"It was remarkable for me to witness the extraordinary diversity of our islands and to meet such a range of astonishing people. As an Irishman, I'd obviously heard of a lot of these places, but I was quite taken aback by visiting and seeing for myself,” said Ardal.

"I was genuinely moved. We have some of the most breath-taking scenery and wonderful nature. There's truly nowhere like an island, and I now know there's no island like an Irish island! We need to cherish these places. And I'm especially proud of doing the whole thing in Irish! It just seemed so fitting.”

Northern Ireland viewers can see TG4 on Sky: channel 163; Virgin Cable: channel 877; Freeview: channel 5.