'Building Ireland' returns to Athlone to explore Shannon Callows and Clonmacnoise
An RTÉ show exploring Ireland's building and engineering achievements will return locally in the next episode of its new series next Tuesday.
Building Ireland will be shown on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player at 7pm.
Tuesday's episode, the fifth of a six-part series, looks at Clonmacnoise's past as a busy centre of trade, craft and innovation, and the Shannon Callows, one of Western Europe’s largest natural wetlands.
Architect Orla Murphy explores how the geography, architecture and building technologies of Clonmacnoise shaped its development. Built on a raised esker above the surrounding bogland and floodplain, the settlement was both protected from the river and ideally positioned to attract travellers, pilgrims and patronage.
Through the site’s cathedral, churches and iconic round towers, Orla traces the craftsmanship and architectural ambition that helped establish Clonmacnoise as a powerful spiritual and cultural centre. These structures were not simply devotional, they projected wealth, prestige and status across medieval Ireland.
Engineer Tim Joyce investigates one of the most remarkable and least visible feats of engineering associated with the site: Ireland’s oldest known bridge. Discovered beneath the waters of the Shannon, the ninth-century timber bridge stretched more than 160 metres across the river and may have been among the longest timber structures in Europe.
Tim uncovers the scale of labour, organisation and technical sophistication required to build the bridge in the compnay of the Underwater Archaeological Unit of the National Monuments Service and explores evidence suggesting the monks may even have employed Roman-influenced milling and saw technology.
Geographer Susan Hegarty examines the Shannon Callows, one of Western Europe’s largest natural wetlands. Shaped by seasonal flooding for millennia, this unique ecosystem has long supported both farming and biodiversity. Susan explores how generations of farmers have worked with the rhythms of the river, and how modern conservation schemes are helping protect endangered bird species while sustaining traditional land management.
It is Westmeath's second appearance on the series, with the county also appearing in episode one of the series, which looks at how Athlone has been shaped over centuries by water.
The episode saw architect Orla Murphy traces Athlone's evolution from an early strategic crossing point into one of Ireland's most important inland market towns.
On the episode, she looks at the way in which locks, railways, and bridges transformed the town’s growth in the nineteenth century, strengthening its role as a vital commercial hub before later development gradually shifted attention away from the river at its centre.
Engineer Tim Joyce, meanwhile, investigates one of Athlone's oldest and most persistent challenges: flooding.
Meeting OPW engineers behind the town's flood alleviation scheme, he reports on the complex challenge of protecting homes, businesses and public spaces from the threat of an overflowing river.