PIWeek 21May 21 - May 27, 2011

Get back to nature with BBC NI’s Wild Week Live Wild Week Live is a celebration of our rich wildlife from around Northern Ireland

Get back to nature with BBC NI’s Wild Week Live Page 3Wild Week Live is a celebration of our rich wildlife from around Northern Ireland BBC NI gears up for the NW200 Page 5BBC Sport Northern Ireland is putting bike fans on pole position with its extensive NW200 coverage across TV, radio and online

The Championship returns on BBC Northern Ireland Page 8The Ulster Championship kicks off with Donegal v Antrim on BBC Two NI

Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais Page 11Irish Language documentary investigating the explosion of a World War II sea mine in the Gaeltacht village of Ballymanus in 1943

BBC Broadcasting House celebrates 70th birthday with Open House Page 13BBC Northern Ireland hosts a week of activities to celebrate the landmark birthday of BBC Broadcasting House

2

Programme Information New this week

3

Get back to nature with BBC NI’s Wild Week Live

Darryl Grimason & Donna Traynor

A celebration of wildlife on BBC NI across TV, radio & online

Wild Week Live is a celebration

of our rich wildlife from around

Northern Ireland. Throughout the

week (Saturday May 21 to Satur-

day, May 28) BBC NI will uncover

the rich flora and fauna which ex-

ist in this country and encourage

audiences to go out and explore

their great outdoors.

The week long TV and radio extravaganza

will kick off on BBC Radio Ulster on Satur-

day, May 21 at 8am with a special Your Place

And Mine. The programme will broadcast

live from Church Bay in the heart of Rathlin,

as Anne Marie McAleese meets residents

young and old and discovers what makes

island life so special, while Darryl Grimason

delves deep into Rathlin’s unique natural

history. It will feature puffins, shy golden

hares and rare orchids, thriving communi-

ties of common and grey seals, and an enor-

mous, raucous seabird colony.

Then from Monday to Friday (May 23 to 27)

there will be five 15 minute special live BBC

Radio Ulster programmes each morning at

10.15am with presenter Etta Halliday. We

will go to the places which are often for-

gotten like the Montiaghs, close to Lough

Neagh, which is a haven for the wonderfully

iridescent dragonfly; or the Correl Glen in

Fermanagh. Mark Patterson from BBC Ra-

dio Foyle has been tasked with diving with

basking sharks and whales off the coast

of Donegal. Etta Halliday is really excited

about the project: She says: “I will get to see places that I never knew existed and also – just as exciting – to revisit places from my childhood!”

On television there are also five half hour daily programmes from Monday, May 23 to Thursday, May 27 on BBC One NI at 7pm which will come live from the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Centre at Castle Espie near Comber and various other outside broad-casts will feed into the main programme

Wild Week Live is running from Saturday, May 21 to Saturday, May 28 across BBC NI TV, radio & onlne

4

from around Northern Ireland. The week will culminate in a special hour long pro-gramme at 7pm on Friday, May 27. Presented by Donna Traynor and Darryl Grimason these programmes will celebrate our diverse wildlife by showcasing nature from all parts of Northern Ireland. We will see badgers, bats, foxes and ancient forests alongside starlings, pine martens, hares and red kites. The programme will also meet the people who have a passion for the great outdoors. Each night Donna and Darryl will be en-couraging the audience to undertake some wildlife projects of their own. This will in-clude Moth Night where they will show people how to attract and observe moths in their own back gardens with a moth hunt in Londonderry with Gerry Anderson. There will also be tips on how to get the best from the wildlife in your own back gar-den and advice on the best places in North-ern Ireland to see wildlife at its best.

Throughout the week we shall also see a host of other familiar BBC NI presenters like Lynette Fay who will be spending the night searching for badgers and Mark Car-ruthers who will be travelling to County Fermanagh to find out more about the pine marten. Gerry Kelly will be at Tollymore with some, increasingly rare, red squirrels. Dan Gordon will be checking out the urban foxes in Belfast.

The programme will also show footage from live webcams which will be filming new life emerging at Castle Espie in the

Radio presenters, John Toal, Etta Halliday & Anne Marie McAleese

hatchery, nest boxes and a swallow’s nest throughout the week. Audiences will be able to access this footage throughout the week at bbc.co.uk/ni

Darryl Grimason says: “This is a golden op-portunity to celebrate this lovely corner of the world that we share with some incred-ible wildlife. I am having a ball at the mo-ment filming inserts for the programme. I have been swimming in Strangford Lough with the biggest conger eels ever seen here – 130lbs and about 7ft long - have climbed 100ft up an oak tree to see eye to eye with resting herons and we have even captured NI’s rarest wild flower on camera.”

Donna Traynor says: “Often we are oblivi-ous to the wonderful wildlife that’s right on our doorsteps. This week gives us the op-portunity to explore that world up close. We want everyone to get involved to redis-cover what’s wild where they live.”

Throughout the week, BBC Radio Ulster will also have several Wild Week specials including a special Morning Service on Sun-day, May 22 at 10.15am. In this programme Rev Willis Cordner, Rev Elizabeth Hanna and Father Martin Magill will be visiting places which have special significance for

them to reflect on how the natural world relates to spirituality.

In Gardeners’ Corner on Saturday, May 28 at 9am Cherrie McIlwaine will be visiting gardens where wildlife and gardeners live in harmony. Birds, bees, butterflies and lady-birds are just some of the small creatures that add to the rich tapestry of gardening and Cherrie will be finding out what gar-deners can do to ensure wildlife is protect-ed in both urban and rural gardens.

The Sounds Classical on Sunday, May 22 on BBC Radio Ulster will also feature music inspired by the Natural World.

The week will finish with a live broadcast from BBC Radio Ulster’s Saturday Magazine at 10am from Castle Espie. John Toal will be taking time to feed the ducks whilst reliving his adventure canoeing along the Strangford to Newry trail and Saturday Magazine’s chef Paula McIntyre will be making an irresistible picnic if you’re out and about exploring the Northern Ireland countryside. Wildlife fans can also follow the BBC Barn Owl, ‘Ollie’, on twitter as well as upload your own local wildlife photos onto the BBC Wild Week flickr and Facebook sites.

BBC NI is once again putting bike fans in pole position for this year’s NW200

BBC NI gears up for the NW200

Stephen Watson at the NW200

BBC Sport Northern Ireland

is putting bike fans on pole

position with its extensive NW200

coverage across TV, radio and

online at one of the most famous

and prestigious motorsport events

in the world.

The comprehensive coverage will ensure

that fans don’t miss any of the high-octane

action with previews, all the news from

the pit lane, live race coverage, reports

from behind-the-scenes, interviews and

features on the riders, the fans and the

people who make it one of the sport’s biggest

attractions.

On TV, up to 30 cameras will capture

what’s happening on the circuit including

onboard cameras, heli-camera and kerb

cams. The TV coverage starts with a preview

programme on BBC One Northern Ireland

on Friday night (May 20) from 10.35pm

with Stephen Watson and Steve Parrish

live from the Triangle with special guests,

5

features and the latest news from the

North Coast. BBC Newsline will also come

live from the North West during the week

with special reports from the circuit.

Live race streaming, practice, interviews

and results through the dedicated website,

bbc.co.uk/nw200 will offer fans

comprehensive coverage. There will be

practice sessions on Tuesday, May 17 from

Stephen Watson interviews John McGuinness for BBC Newsline at the NW 200

7.00pm to 9.00pm, Thursday, May 19 from

10.00am to 2.00pm and all six races on

Saturday, May 21 from 11.00am to 6.30pm.

The first two races on Saturday (May 21)

will also be live behind the red button from

10.30am.

BBC Radio Ulster starts its coverage

with commentary of Thursday’s practice

session, getting underway at 10.00am on

MW with Michael McNamee and Joel

Taggart presenting all the action from the

practice races with Chris Kinley and Adrian

Coates heading up the commentary team.

On Friday night at 7pm, Joel and Michael

are joined by Jackie Fullerton and Liam

Beckett for a look ahead to the NW200

with a special preview programme on BBC

Radio Ulster MW from the Paddock.

On Saturday, attention turns to live

coverage of all the race day action

starting at 10.30am presented by

Michael McNamee and Joel Taggart with

commentary from Chris Kinley and

Adrian Coates. Richard Petrie is joined at

Ballysally by Jeff McMullan and Dave Moore

completes the team from his commentary

position at Metropole. There will be build

up and commentary of all races plus pre

and post race interviews from the start /

finish grid.

Anyone who misses the action will be able

to catch up with all the highlights in two

6

one-hour specials on BBC One Northern

Ireland with part one on Sunday, May 22 at

10.25pm and part two on Monday, May 23

at 10.35pm presented by Stephen Watson

with commentary from Keith Huewen,

Philip McCallen and Steve Parrish.

For 2011 there will be a dedicated Pit Cam

for the live action stream, lap times and race

week video reports, and the BBC NW200

web site puts fans on the grid wherever

they are watching at bbc.co.uk/nw200.

Steve Parrish in the commentary box for BBC NI with Philip McCallen at the NW 200

Fans can also follow via dedicated site on

Facebook and twitter and can send a text,

picture or even a short video clip from

wherever they are watching the racing. Text

MYNW200 followed a space and then your

contribution to 60011 (texts cost 10-15p).

Pictures and short videos can be sent

in (up to 50MB in size) via MMS. Simply

ensure that MYNW200 is the first thing

in the text component of your multimedia

message, then send it to 60011 (multime-

dia messages cost 20-65p network charges may vary).

Fans can also email the team at nw200@bbc.co.uk

BBC Sport Northern Ireland’s Ceefax (page 390) service will also provide the latest news and information during the NW 200 festival week and if fans miss any of the coverage on TV and radio they can listen and watch again via the BBC’s iPlayer

facility, bbc.co.uk/iplayer.

7

8

The Championship returns on BBC Northern Ireland

Austin O’Callaghan presents The Championship

The Championship, starts with Donegal v Antrim, Sunday, may 15, BBC Two NI, 3.15pm

The Ulster Championship kicks off with Donegal v Antrim on BBC Two NI

The Championship is back and

this year the action kicks off

on Sunday, May 15 with live

coverage from Ballybofey at 3.15pm

on BBC Two Northern Ireland as

Donegal play Antrim in the first

of this year’s games in the Ulster

Championship.

BBC NI will also have exclusive live

television coverage of the game between

Armagh and Down, on Saturday, May 28

and will have live coverage of both semi

finals and Ulster Championship final.

BBC NI will provide deferred television

coverage of the game between Derry v

Fermanagh on Sunday, May 22, Tyrone v

Monaghan on Sunday, June 5 and Cavan v

Donegal or Antrim on Sunday, June 12

All matches involving Ulster counties in the

All-Ireland quarter finals, semi finals and

final will be live on television and BBC

Radio Ulster MW will have live coverage of

all games in the Ulster Championship, and

the qualifiers and in the All-Ireland knock

out stage which involve Ulster counties.

Shane Glynn, Editor, BBC Sport NI said:

“The Ulster Championship is viewed

with envy and regarded as the most

competitive of the provincial titles to win.

This year, it’s looking really hard to call, with

Derry and Donegal showing improved form

in the McKenna Cup and National League,

Down hoping to build on last year, and of

course you can never rule out Armagh and Tyrone.

“We’re delighted with the coverage we’re going to be offering GAA fans across the

9

Thomas Niblock presents the coverage on BBC Radio Ulster

summer. BBC NI television will have five

live matches from the Ulster Championship

and the other three games will be shown

deferred just a few hours after they finish.

BBC Radio Ulster will have live coverage of

all Ulster Championship games. All games

at the All-Ireland knock-out stages involving

Ulster counties will also be live on TV and

radio, while Radio Ulster will also have live

coverage of the qualifiers involving Ulster

teams.

“It’s all set for an exciting summer of GAA

action, and BBC NI will take fans right to

the heart of it.”

Páraic Duffy, GAA Director General said: “It

is hard to believe that championship action

is upon us again and after the excitement

of last year’s competition GAA followers

everywhere will be looking forward to the

activity planned for the coming months.

“Down’s run to last year’s final helped to illuminate the 2010 competition and it

will be interesting to monitor how they progress in the ultra competitive Ulster Championship.

“This year a slightly smaller number of games will be broadcast live across all television platforms in an effort to free up some time slots and assist our clubs in the organisation of their competitions.

“Nonetheless I look forward to the in-depth analysis which will accompany the games on BBC NI, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC online all of which will add to

supporters’ enjoyment of the games.”

Austin O’Callaghan will present the

action live throughout the Championship

Thomas O’Kane will be reporting from the sidelines

and will be joined by a host of former

Gaelic stars throughout the series and

Mark Sidebottom will be in the

commentary box with guest

commentators joining him during the

games.

On the sideline former GAA stars will join

Thomas Kane to offer to expert analysis on

the action and Thomas will present a round

up of all the action from the Ulster Minor

Championship.

Denise Watson will be at the grounds to

reflect the colour and passion amongst the

crowd for the fans watching from home.

Sportsound on BBC Radio Ulster MW

will also broadcast live coverage of all the

games in the Ulster Championship. Thomas

Niblock introduces the action starting with

Donegal v Antrim on May 15 at 3pm. Owen

McConnon will be in the commentary

box with analysis during the season from

Adrian McGuckin, Brian Canavan, Paddy

Bradley and Oisin McConville. Listeners can

contact the programme by texting their

views to 81771.

Fans can also keep right up to date with

all the latest news, reports, analysis and

reaction on The Championship’s own

dedicated online site at

bbc.co.uk/ni/championship which also

includes details of the comment board

and a picture gallery. Log onto the website

for live audio streaming of all the games

available on BBC Radio Ulster. Fans can

also follow all the action on the dedicated

Facebook and Twitter pages and can send

their thoughts on the championship blog.

Log onto bbc.co.uk/sportni for more

details.

BBC Sport NI, At The Heart Of SportMark Sidebottom will be in the commentary box

10

Irish Language documentary investigating the explosion of a World War II sea mine in the Gaeltacht village of Ballymanus in 1943

Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais, Sunday, May 22, BBC Two NI, 8.30pm

Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais

Dónall Mac Ruairí and Pat Gallagher

In this new Irish language

documentary for BBC NI Dónall

Mac Ruairí investigates the events

surrounding the explosion of a

World War II sea mine in the

Gaeltacht village of Ballymanus in

Donegal in 1943, in which 19 young

men lost their lives.

Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais on BBC Two NI on

Sunday, May 22 at 8.30pm meets the few

remaining eye witnesses of the event and

presenter Dónall asks the critical questions

- what exactly happened on the 10th May

on Ballymanus Strand? Is there any truth

in the local view that it could have been

prevented and that the authorities took

steps to cover up the incident afterwards?

One of the contributors is Pat Gallagher

who lost his father and two uncles in the

explosion and only found out about what

happened when he was a teenager. He

has since been central to attempts to

keep the memory of the incident alive and

has written a short booklet on the affair

having found previously hidden material in

the national archives. He represented the

11

12

families of those killed when seeking an

official apology from representatives of the

Dublin government in December 2010.

Presenter, Dónall Mac Ruairí is from

nearby Rann na Feirste, and grew up hearing

stories and rumours about the Ballymanus

mine disaster. He was fully aware of the

scale of what happened, but knew less

about why it happened, and why it had been

relatively under reported afterwards. Dónall

sets out on a journey to uncover, once and

for all, the full story. He interviews the

remaining eye-witnesses, most of whom are

in their eighties and nineties, and, guided by

Pat Gallagher, he takes us through freshly

uncovered archive documents that relate

to the case.

Pat Gallagher at the site where his father and two uncles were killed

In the first part of the programme we hear

eye-witness accounts of the lead up to the

explosion, and of the horrific events that

unfolded that night. The second part of the

programme questions how the incident

was allowed to occur, and queries how the

second biggest loss of life in the ‘emergency’

period in the Irish republic has remained

hidden from view for so long.

Programme presenter, Dónall Mac

Ruairí said: “I thought it was crucial that an

attempt be made to get the full facts of

the Ballymanus mine disaster before the

few remaining eye-witnesses are gone.

It’s a terrible story of an incident that

devastated a small Gaeltacht community, a

community that has always felt that 19 lives

were lost needlessly, and that their views on the matter were ignored or dismissed. I have struggled to understand why the story was not more well known in the wider Donegal community and indeed throughout the country as a whole. The Ballymanus mine disaster deserves a much wider audience, and a much clearer understanding of what happened.” Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais is a Westway Film for BBC NI with support from Northern Ireland Screen’s Irish language Broadcast Fund.

Tubáiste Bhaile Mhánais, Sunday, May 22,

BBC Two NI, 8.30pm

BBC Northern Ireland hosts a week of activities to celebrate the landmark birthday of BBC Broadcasting House

bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast celebrates its 70th birthday this year

Seventy years ago, BBC

Broadcasting House on Ormeau

Avenue, Belfast, opened its doors

to reflect life in Northern Ireland.

This month, to celebrate this

landmark birthday BBC

Northern Ireland is throwing open

the doors of Broadcasting House

for a celebration of the building’s

past, present and future.

From Monday, May 23 through to

Friday, May 26, BBC Northern Ireland will

host an Open House event, a week of

activities to mark the 70th birthday of BBC

Broadcasting House, which was formally

opened with a low-key ceremony during

the Second World War on May 5, 1941.

For this unique event, BBC Broadcasting

House’s main studio will be transformed

into an interactive space where visitors

can experience what life was like in 1941

BBC Broadcasting House celebrates 70th birthday with Open House

13

Belfast with recreations of a radio studio

and living room from that period.

There will also be an exhibition on the

history of radio and a showcase of some

of the new technologies helping to develop

the BBC’s output and relationship with its

audiences.

Visitors to the Open House week will

have the opportunity to record their own

war-time BBC news script and go on a

behind-the-scenes tour of BBC

Broadcasting House to see how television and

radio programmes are made and meet BBC

Northern Ireland talent and staff.

There will also be two special events taking

place in the studio during the course of the

festivities. On Wednesday, May 25, acclaimed

local historian Dr Jonathan Bardon will give

With Open House, BBC Northern Ireland is holding a week of activities and events inviting the public to experience the past, present and future of Broadcasting House

an illustrated talk on the history of BBC

Broadcasting House, discussing its role in

the local community and relationship with

the people of Northern Ireland. To coincide

with this talk an outdoor photographic and

video exhibition will be projected on to the

walls of the building.

And on Thursday, May 26, BBC Radio

Ulster’s Hugo Duncan will be holding a

special tea dance-themed live broadcast

from 1.30pm with guests including Foster

and Allen, Muriel Day, Billy McFarland, Ann

Breen and Crawford Bell.

Peter Johnston, Director BBC

Northern Ireland, says: “Broadcasting House

has a long-established role at the heart of

community and cultural life in Northern

Ireland. It has been a theatre, debating

chamber and meeting place – reflecting

local diversity in all its different aspects for

audiences at home and around the world.

“We hope that people will join us as we

celebrate the history of Broadcasting

House and look to broadcasting’s fast-ar-

riving digital future.”

For further information about BBC

Northern Ireland’s Open House activi-

ties and events and how to join in visit

bbc.co.uk/showsandtours

Details on how to attend Hugo Duncan’s

live broadcast will be announced on his

BBC Radio Ulster programme, broadcast

from 1.30pm-3pm, Mondays- Fridays.

BBC Radio Ulster’s Hugo Duncan will hold a tea dance themed live broadcast to celebrate the iconic building’s 70th birthday

14