(upbeat music) - My name is Darragh McCullough.

I'm a writer and farmer from County Meath.

I'm interested in absolutely everything that's around me and I do love showing my homeland off.

You know that saying, "Do something you love and you'll never work a day in your life?"

Well, here I am presenting a TV show where I curate a money-can't-buy trip for different writers that I'm going to show around.

The thing about us writers is that we're a curious bunch.

We're able to string a sentence together and we love getting out of the house.

So join me as I get to see what's around me through authors' eyes as we follow the "Writer's Way."

In this episode, I'm thrilled to be curating a trip for the wonderful Maura McHugh.

Maura is a world fantasy award-winning author of science fiction, horror, and fantasy fiction who also writes for the interplanetary "2000 AD" comic.

As someone who's clearly an expert on illustrated manuscripts, I've based Maura in the Headfort Arms Hotel in Kells because the "Book of Kells" is one of the greatest illustrated books of all time.

It was created here in the Monastery of Kells over 1,400 years ago, back when Ireland was at the forefront of global learning.

Ireland back then was a Christianity-exporting powerhouse, producing both artifacts like the "Book of Kells" and the monks to spread the word.

Today, the "Book of Kells" is something people come from all over the world to see just two pages a day of in Trinity College, Dublin.

The smart folk come to the Headfort Arms in Kells, where a very rare copy is stored.

Is there any inspiration that you can draw from, I suppose, our own heritage in this type of medium that you can bring into the modern day culture?

- If you think about it, even in a church, you tell stories in windows, right?

So the very early visual storytelling that was told to people was in this kind of medium.

So you have a story in every panel.

So it's a kind of an illustrated comic.

Back in the day, people were illiterate, so that's how you told stories.

- [Darragh] Gotcha.

Oral or visual.

- [Maura] Yeah, exactly.

Ireland was very in the oral tradition.

And then you have the monks who were educated, but they were the elite.

- But wasn't it always a thing that the monks had a bit of fun, a bit of craic as well- - Absolutely, absolutely.

- With what they were doing?

- [Maura] I mean, even look at this little chap here and, you know, he's worked into the knot work.

It's incredible.

It's really lively, and there's little animals, and then you've got this little soldier sitting here at the end.

He's just like, "Well, I'm guarding the page," you know?

- [Darragh] 1,400 years ago, Meath was at the center of sending knowledge around the world.

But today, Meath is at the center of an Irish food revolution.

It's hard to exaggerate just how important this one food story is because it's the base of Sheridans Cheesemongers, who, over the last 30 years, have built up a cheese and fine foods distribution network that has transformed the availability of fine foods in Ireland.

So much great tasting Irish produce is available because of Sheridans and the work of people like Kevin Sheridan.

- Fantastic.

I was so happy when I heard we were coming here, the HQ now.

- Yeah, yeah, it is.

- You've a huge range of food here, although, I must admit my eye is being drawn towards the alcoholic options here.

- We do have a little bit of wine, yeah.

- The other thing that's catching my eye here is another great- - The bottom shelf.

- Local producer, Cockagee.

- I know.

But this guy is as good as the best wine producers in the world.

- Yeah, Maura, we were with Mark.

- Wow.

- He's grown 128 different varieties of apples.

- Incredible.

- [Darragh] There isn't anything about cider or apples he doesn't know about, and this stuff, highly recommended.

- So the cider apple grown is quite different to the table apples.

You know, this wouldn't be acceptable in a (indistinct) market, you know?

Makes no difference for cider really.

These are wild orchards there.

You know, I like to refer to them as Darwinian orchards.

Survivalists.

Everything here is handpicked.

So that's quite labor intense.

So we drop them onto the ground and then you're on your hands and knees picking them up.

- [Darragh] That's fun.

- That's fun in October.

I'd be lucky at full production to get 10 tons an acre here.

Lucky, probably more- - Compared to?

- Up to 40 tons in cider apples.

- [Darragh] Take me back to the beginning, Mark.

Like, did you grow up as a cider maker or on a cider farm or how did you get into this?

- No, not at all.

I was a stain glass artist, believe it or not.

- How did you get into cider as a hobby?

- I started making apple juice first for the kids when they were small.

I got kind of obsessed with identifying the apple trees and what they were and all that kind of stuff and then just making apple juice, and apple juice naturally wants to turn into cider.

- [Darragh] Did you accidentally create some cider?

- No, no, purposely.

(Mark and Darragh chuckle) When I first started, I was a dab hand at making really nice battery acid, you know?

But it got better over the years and just friends and family, "Geez, you need to start selling that," you know?

This is my little tasting room and museum, I guess.

- Oh, lovely.

I like it.

Gorgeous.

- This is my signature one that I started off with, the Cockagee cider.

- [Darragh] Beginner question, Cockagee, Cockagee?

- I think the correct one is probably Cockagee, but a lot of people pronounce it with a soft G.

- [Darragh] Irish Keeved cider.

What does that mean?

- That's the kind of old traditional way cider was made 200 years ago.

It's just basically kind of a natural way of making cider.

We're wine making, but with apples instead of grapes, you know?

And that's what true cider making is.

A lot of your commercial ciders might only have 30, 40% apple juice in them.

These are all 100%.

Fascinating history that's just been lost.

In the 19th century, Cockagee champagne cider was being sold into the royal household for four times the price of fine French wine.

- All right.

(glasses clink) Well done.

(sighs) Tastes like more.

(Mark and Darragh laugh) - Mark is, he's one of the best artisan producers of anything in Ireland.

Like, he's a true artisan.

And, you know, we talk about great wines a lot, but this, you know, with some Boyne Valley cheese is pretty much as good as you're going to get.

- This is just one of a whole range of local producers that you've been championing for decades at this point.

- I don't think people realize just how many brilliant artisan producers are in County Meath.

It's about people who are producing food.

They're really obsessed most of the time with what the food that they produce and making it better, making it more interesting, and relating it to the place.

I mean, really what's the most interesting thing is how these foods can represent a specific place in Ireland, you know?

And they really speak of that place and the people that make it and translate it into something that we can eat or drink.

I find it incredible, you know?

- Does that mean you spend all your time hanging out with obsessives?

- Oh, absolutely.

Yeah, no time for anybody else.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

(gentle music) - [Darragh] Right beside the Newgrange monument is nestled a family farm where they have a sheep-to-jumper sustainable business.

Sheep are reared, shorn, their coats are woven into wool, and that wool is used to create gorgeous jumpers and a wool crafting class, all helmed by Alison Gogan.

- [Alison] So you can see the difference in it.

- Oh, amazing.

Yeah, gosh.

- But because you've only washed it in the washing up liquid, it's actually retained the natural oils.

So then anything made from it is 100% waterproof.

So it's just like the sheep in the field when they're sitting in the rain.

They're not getting wet.

It soaks in so far, hits the barrier of the lanolin, never actually gets to their skin.

So it's the same now with the wool.

Once it's knit up, it's 100% waterproof.

- And that's why people wore, in Ireland- - Absolutely, absolutely.

- Wear these items.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Yeah.

- [Alison] This is it.

So we're going to make one of these guys here.

Roll it into your hand, into your fist.

- I'm making quite a plump sheep here.

- That's all right.

There's no two sheep in the country look the same.

- Hopefully.

(Alison chuckles) - There is more sheep in the country than people, but there's not two the same.

So now if you just keep your finger on the seam where it's joined and you put that down now on the sponge.

Press it down along the seam.

- [Maura] Okay.

(gentle music) - So now if you take your finger off where the seam is, you'll see that you're actually sealing it.

So now we're going to work along just in a straight line all the way across.

So it's just pushing all the fibers together.

- [Maura] I'm not going to be as fast as you.

- [Alison] That's okay (chuckles).

As long as you don't get your fingers, that's all right.

- [Maura] Well, that's what I'm paying attention to.

Is this a popular event?

- It is.

It's very popular with all ages actually.

Yeah, I've had 10 year olds right up to 80 year olds doing this activity.

And everybody loves the idea of making something and to bring it home and hang it on the Christmas tree each year and they have the memory then of being in the Boyne Valley and a sheep farm and, yeah, it's wonderful.

And it's all natural materials.

So it's wonderful.

I work on the farm then as well during lambing time.

So I get the best of both worlds.

You get to see the lambs and the rebirth and the start of spring and then I get to come in then and create.

Now we're just going to fold the end in because what we're going to try and do now is make a flat surface because that's where we're going to put the face of the sheep.

You just take your wool and just wind it up in your hand.

- [Maura] Okay.

I can feel the oil.

- The oils, yeah.

You can feel it, yeah.

(gentle music continues) There, Maura.

Well done.

- Aw, thank you.

- Your very own sheep.

- Oh my God (chuckles).

I love it.

Thank you so much.

- You're very welcome, Maura.

(upbeat music) - So welcome to Emerald Park.

This is not just one of Meath's biggest attractions.

It's one of Ireland's biggest tourist attractions because they have a hundred acres here stuffed with everything you can imagine.

So we're in amongst lemurs here.

They have a whole zoo basically.

But the big attraction, I hope you can handle the adrenaline because these guys do rollercoasters like nowhere else in the country.

Have you done rollercoasters before?

- I have.

I have.

I love them.

- I don't know if I should have had the full breakfast this morning.

- No, I didn't eat.

- Oh, did you not?

- No.

- Oh, you came prepared.

- Yes.

- Well done.

Well done.

(Maura chuckles) Yeah, because I don't fancy tasting my breakfast a second time.

- No.

- Well, if you haven't had your breakfast yet, then we should get going, get through this ride one way or another.

- Yeah, I'm for it.

- And then we can relax and have a snack.

- [Maura] Yeah.

- Behold Na Fianna Force at Emerald Park.

With a track above rider's heads, speeds of up to 90 kilometers, this is a coaster only for the worthiest of warriors.

Not sure if we're really ready for this.

I need my head checked.

This thing goes upside down and all we've got a little bar going around us.

Why?

In the front row?

What do we hang onto?

- Here we go.

Woo!

(riders cheer) (rollercoaster clatters) - [Darragh] It's this bit I think is the bit that freaks everyone out.

- [Maura] I don't know.

It's very comfortable I think at the moment.

(Maura cheers) (riders scream) (riders scream) - [Maura] Whoa!

- [Darragh] I'm trying to keep my hands up.

- [Maura] No way.

(rollercoaster squeals) (Maura chuckles) - Are you okay?

- Just about.

- What is wrong with ourselves that we subject ourselves to that?

- That was amazing (chuckles).

I can hardly walk straight.

- That is insane.

I mean, you're going down, you're freaking out because I thought my legs were going to catch the walls, and I was trying to keep my hands in the air and- - I didn't bother with hands in the air.

- My brain was freaking- - You were braver than me.

I was like- - My breakfast was coming at me and, yeah.

- Well, I didn't eat this morning.

- Smart move.

Smart move, yeah.

I'm practically hoarse after all the screaming.

- Oh, no, I screamed my head off the whole time.

- I was like, "What is happening?"

- I was like, "Yay!"

- Na Fianna have a lot to answer for.

- No, we are brave.

We are Na Fianna.

(Maura and Darragh roar) (Maura laughs) - After Na Fianna Force, I needed a stiff drink.

So I brought Maura back to the Headfort Arms in Kells where they make their own gin.

The award-winning Kells Gin was created by brother and sister Vincent and Olivia Duff, who also own and run the hotel.

- Oh, hello, Darragh.

- How art thou?

- I'm great, and we're going to be better in a moment now when I feed you- - Oh, that's what we're talking about.

- A Kells Gin.

How are we?

- Fantastic.

- Here we have it.

- I thought you'd never come.

- Well, this was our lockdown project here.

During COVID, as a family business, I suppose, the front doors were shut and we were looking to innovate once again.

And Kells being the brand it is, now you're going to enjoy Kells Gin.

- So this was the mischief that you got up to behind closed doors.

I mean, is gin gin or were you particular about the type of gin that you put your name to?

- No, gin is not gin.

When you live in such a rich place as the Boyne Valley, it's inherent in your bones that you love everything that it gives you and food and drink is really part of everything we do here.

We spent 14 months, yes, during the lockdown days when- - [Darragh] That is a lot of gin.

- Yeah, it was.

No, it was a lot of tasting.

A lot of tasting.

And so it's unique to us.

We've been blessed to have won two global awards with it already.

- Wow.

Well, on that note- - Cheers.

- Cheers to that.

- Cheers.

Slainte.

- Slainte.

- Slainte.

(bright music) - Olivia, your roots in Kells, how deep do they go?

- Oh, gosh, as far as I know.

Well, my dad was always from Kells and (indistinct) and my mom was just from down the road and they met in London and they came back and bought the hotel in 1972.

So we're 53 years in as a family business.

- [Darragh] They were doing brilliantly in London, but the pull of- - Well, Dad used to always say there's a magnet in the cross.

And, actually, locals would say that.

There's a magnet in the cross.

- [Darragh] So that's the ancient... How old is the cross?

- So it's from the 800s as well and it tells the story of the Bible.

- And so it wasn't just your dad's theory.

This is a- - Yeah, - Urban myth.

- Yeah, you may go, but you'll always come back.

- Yeah?

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.

There's a joke here as well that we have so many longstanding members of staff here that we say here is Hotel California too.

You can check out, but you never leave.

And maybe that's something to do with the magnet in the cross too, I don't know.

- [Darragh] Or the gin.

- Yeah, well, absolutely.

Well, I hope the staff aren't drinking the gin.

- [Darragh] After re-fortifying ourselves in Kells, I've arranged for Maura to be given a one-on-one tour of a place in Meath that's as important as Newgrange.

(singer singing indistinctly) Loughcrew is home to a group of ancient tombs from around 5,000 years ago that are amongst Europe's finest.

- Well, Loughcrew is made up of four hills.

So they would've all looked like this originally and then down through the years were torn apart.

The stones were removed, used to build other structures in the area.

- [Maura] Yeah.

- So these monuments were constructed just over 5,000 years ago by the first farmers on our shores, Neolithic, Stone Age farming people.

Now, when they arrived on this island, Ireland would've looked very different than what we see around us today.

Now we see agricultural fields all around us, but back then, Ireland was a forested landscape.

Over 70% of this island was covered by trees back then.

So you can imagine that type of landscape as they moved into this island and bringing with them agriculture, wheat, barley, cattle, and sheep.

So they began clearing some of the land, some of the forests, to grow their crops, rear their animals.

And then they started building these monuments to house the remains of their dead.

We refer to these as passage tombs simply because inside these large mounds, you have a passageway leading to a chamber into which you find the cremated remains of those Neolithic people.

Yeah, so come on in, Maura.

So welcome into what we call Cairn U.

- Oh my goodness.

- Yeah, so you can see this gives you a great idea of the layout of these passage tombs, or why we call them a passage tomb.

You can see we've got this narrow passageway.

It opens out into this chamber, and off the chamber, you have these compartments, what we call recesses.

Now, if you can imagine, this would have been a cairn just like the one behind me, what we call Cairn T. But down through the years, the stones from this one were taken away, reused to build walls, other structures around the area here.

So if you can imagine coming down this passageway, it's quite a low, quite a narrow passageway.

You emerge into a chamber here.

This chamber would have had a corbelled ceiling, this dome-shaped ceiling.

So the passageway itself you can see is quite low and quite narrow as well.

- We would have- - Yeah, we'd have a little bit of an issue coming in here, yeah.

And perhaps that was a deliberate feature.

You know, this is a tomb, a burial chamber.

So you have to stoop down, perhaps show reverence as you come in.

We're not sure.

We don't know what these people believed in or how they practiced their beliefs.

The only funerary practice we know of is cremation.

Now, along with the burnt bone fragments, there were also some non-burnt bone.

- Okay.

- And from that, over the last few years, scientists have been able to extract DNA analysis and that analysis has told us that the ancestry of these people is from Anatolia.

So that's down around present-day Turkey.

So over many, many generations, these people gradually migrate through the Mediterranean, worked their way up along the Atlantic coast of Europe, and eventually arrive here on our shores here in Ireland.

- My goodness.

- These monuments are found dotted right the way along the Atlantic coast of Europe.

Here in Ireland, we've just under 300 of these passage tombs and there's four major Neolithic cemeteries as we call them.

There's two in the west in County Sligo and then the two here in County Meath, where we are, Loughcrew, and then Bru na Boinne, which is over on the east coast, which houses Newgrange now.

- [Darragh] Before Maura bids farewell to Meath, I have one more treat for her, a meeting with Oisin Leech, one of Ireland's finest singer-songwriters.

I've arranged for Maura and Oisin to meet in Bermingham's Pub, a Navan institution that wows all who enter it.

♪ I was far from my mind ♪ ♪ I was so far behind ♪ ♪ The autumn light in my eyes ♪ ♪ I was rollin' home ♪ ♪ Adrift and alone ♪ ♪ Late for the day like a skimmin' stone ♪ ♪ October sun ♪ ♪ What have you done ♪ ♪ You'd make a fool ♪ ♪ Of each and every one ♪ ♪ October sun ♪ ♪ Where will you run ♪ ♪ Now that you've broken rank ♪ ♪ With each and every one ♪ (bright harmonica music) - Navan's kind of a quietly very cultural place.

There's a lot of great musicians around the town that play here, play all over.

You know, a lot of great music.

People here, they love music, they love art, but it's in a very beautiful kind of quiet, supportive way.

The people I find are very loyal, especially to local artists, or if an artist comes in from out of town, people will make the effort to go and support them.

♪ I'm closer now than I've ever been ♪ ♪ October sun ♪ ♪ What have you done ♪ ♪ You've made a fool ♪ ♪ Of each and every one ♪ ♪ October sun ♪ ♪ Where will you run ♪ ♪ Now that you turned your back ♪ ♪ To go again ♪ - [Darragh] Thanks so much to Maura McHugh for being such a great companion to have with me along the "Writer's Way."

♪ Turned your back to abandon each and every one ♪ - So, Maura, that's Meath.

- Wow.

- Yeah.

- I'm impressed.

- Yeah?

- Yeah, yeah.

- Any highlights?

Any favorites?

- I think- - The bit where you got off, stumbled off the rollercoaster?

- Yes, the screaming and terror (chuckles) and enjoyment on the rollercoaster, yeah.

- There's a fine line though, isn't there, between, like, enjoyment and terror.

- Yeah, even though it was so much fun.

I haven't been on a rollercoaster in years.

And also Loughcrew.

Its magnificent, you know, megalithic structure, and there's so many of them here in County Meath and that to me is the reminder of who we are.

So we've got both ends.

We've got our ancient sort of tourist attractions and then the modern ones, you know?

Both ends.

- Quite a combination, isn't it?

- Yeah.

It's like Meath has everything.

- [Darragh] Thanks a million for watching this episode.

I hope you enjoyed the very special journey that I got to curate.

And see you very soon for more voyages along the "Writer's Way."

(upbeat music)