RTÉ's Summer Show visits Mayo this weekend

RTÉ'S The Summer Show will be visiting west Mayo this Sunday evening, July 17.

The series sees presenters Nuala Carey and Derek Mooney take one pilgrim path around the country in each episode, as well as inviting well-known walkers to highlight their favourite walking spots and mythical heroes along the way.

In Sunday's episode, Nuala is in Louisburgh where she meets Mairead Staunton and other women from Mná na Mara. She gets to swim for the first time in over 30 years in Irish sea-waters and hears all about the benefits of sea-swimming.

Mairead is well-known for her passion in keeping local beaches clean and shows Nuala some of the things she has found. Her collection includes ceramics, part of a sperm whale and sea glass which reminds her of jewels.

Her prize find, however, was a letter, a message in a bottle, which she found on Carrowmore Beach.

The letter told the love story between Randy and Melinda Sansbury who met in 1977. He had a love of the sea since childhood, and they passed this onto their own children. As a family they always put messages in bottles.

After Melinda's untimely death, Randy released seven bottles into the sea. It was his hope and prayer that whoever would find the bottle would have many blessings.

The bottle travelled some 5,000 kilometres across the ocean from North Carolina on the Gulf Stream to Clew Bay, where Mairead found it. They have been emailing since.

During the programme, Randy and Mairead meet for the first time over video call and he tells Mairead and Nuala all about Melinda.

The Summer Show airs at 6.30 p.m. on Sundays on RTÉ One, with an eclectic mix of stories from around the country showcasing Ireland’s natural beauty, heritage and biodiversity.