TG4’s landmark series on Irish townlands and their communities visits Mayo village

With over 60,000 townlands in Ireland, they remain one of the pillars of modern Irish life. In Bailte on TG4, presenter Síle Nic Con Aonaigh explores the resilience within our rural communities and reveals the deep connection people have with their townland and how local landscapes and traditions remain a constant influence on our daily lives.

This Thursday (March 30), Síle visits Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, a village nestled between the shores of Lough Mask and the Partry Mountains in south Mayo.

A picture postcard scenery of gentle rolling hills and lake views disguises a turbulent history of local persecution and our nations fight for independence. The world-renowned Lough Mask has for generations sustained the local community and Síle learns of the immense local pride connected with the lake. Síle explores the generational effects of emigration but also meets with a younger generation who intend to once again return to their native village.

The series is a celebration of hard working and vibrant communities working to ensure their community is more than just a mere layby and a pretty spot on the Wild Atlantic Way.

With the spectacular backdrop of rural Ireland and an honest telling of contemporary life, Bailte gives a distinctive portrayal of life in Ireland. Each week a different townland and community is visited to learn what life is like for local people.

Some townlands Síle visits have hundreds of locals, while others have much fewer, while one townland has just the one family.

As well as the many advantages of living in rural townlands, the series also shares the difficulties living in remote area, such as rural depopulation, lack of basic services, unemployment and the uncertain futures of both the farming and the fishing industries. The series finds the pulse of rural Ireland.