MICHAEL: Hello and welcome to Ireland with Michael.

I'm Michael Londra, and in this show I get to tell you everything I love about my home country, the best way I know how, through music.

Today, we're straying somewhat from the beaten path to a remote and dream-like corner of the Emerald Isle, the Iveragh Peninsula, furthest edge of the Ring of Kerry, where untouched scenery meets old school luxury and Hollywood once holidayed.

So join me as we get away from it all and discover the extraordinary singing and statesmanship this peninsula has produced.

♪ ♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Ireland with Michael is made possible by... ♪ ANNOUNCER: Whether traveling to Ireland for the first time, or just longing to return, there's plenty more information available at Ireland.com.

♪ ANNOUNCER: CIE Tours, sharing the magic of Ireland for 90 years.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Aer Lingus has been bringing people home since 1936.

If you are thinking about Ireland, Aer Lingus is ready when you are to take you home.

(birds calling) ♪ MICHAEL: Seven miles off this peninsula, just behind me are the Skellig Islands.

Derived from the Irish, Sceilig, meaning a splinter of stone.

They were once part of a mountain range extending from the mainland but were cut off by the rising ocean millions of years ago.

They are sharp, steep and inhospitable, which to some sixth century monks made them perfect for a monastery.

The striking beehive structures they built are totally out of this world.

But today they're home only to a variety of wildlife, bright puffins and gray seals, which find their refuge on and around the craggy slopes and in the clear, colorful waters all around the peninsula.

A trip out is hazardous, weather dependent and they're closed at the moment for ecological preservation.

But to me, the winning view is from right here.

♪ Just down the coastline tucked into Ballinskelligs Bay is a town that's easy to miss, and let me tell you, it'd be a true pity if you did.

(waves crashing) Welcome to Waterville, a seafront village of no more than 500 people on the western edge of Ireland.

But small, though it may be, Waterville knows how to take care of its guests, offering accommodations here for over 200 years.

And yes, the seafood is first rate and the golfing, world class.

But the real reason to come is the setting and the stillness.

It'll be a day well spent watching the light and the half-light fall across this landscape and being in the heart of the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve.

When night comes, the star gazing is totally unmatched.

(birds chirping) There's really no better time nor place to unwind with a pint of Guinness or a warming hot whiskey.

♪ And so unwind at the pub we will, with the mesmerizing Aoife Scott, a Dub who's toured all over Ireland and captures the feeling of this amazing coastline with her own beautiful song.

♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ I'm counting down the days ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ ♪ I'm 60 years in Nova Scotia ♪ ♪ Waiting for the day ♪ The day that we're returning homeward ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ I'm counting down the days ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ ♪ ♪ Remember when we went to Bunbeg ♪ ♪ The shipwreck in the bay ♪ ♪ We sat and watched the north-west sunset ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ (seagulls crying) ♪ ♪ The time that we went skinny dippin' ♪ ♪ Down in Derrynea ♪ Smelling Galway's salted ocean ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ ♪ ♪ The time that we met Willie Clancy ♪ ♪ Piping in Malbay ♪ We sang and danced 'til the early morning ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ I'm counting down the days ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ (seagulls crying) ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ I'm counting down the days ♪ ♪ When will you bring me, my love ♪ ♪ All along the wild Atlantic Way ♪ (waves crashing) ♪ MICHAEL: It's those idyllic scenes that have made Waterville a haven for more than a few famous faces.

English born and made famous in America, a remote seaside town in Ireland might seem like a strange place to encounter one Charlie Chaplin, but it was Waterville's quiet hospitality, which so charmed the Walt Disney that he reported it to his friend, the one and only Tramp, who showed up at the Butler's Arm Hotel, just down the road here, for a visit, totally unannounced and without a reservation.

As such, he was at first turned away, but the proprietor drove after him at high speed and making it up to him with tea and scones assured that Hollywood royalty kept coming back for years to come.

Spending his time here in relative anonymity, the star blended right in with locals on fishing expeditions and walks along the beach with his family, expecting no special treatment.

A grateful town built the statue.

And so, Chaplin always has a place here in Waterville.

♪ Here on the main stretch hometown hero, Mick O'Dwyer has his likeness immortalized in bronze.

In Ireland, Mick O'Dwyer is a household name, a legendary Gaelic football player and manager.

Now, we've covered Gaelic football on the show before, but if you need a refresher, it's like the American version crossed with the European, only faster and much rowdier.

Introduced to the game by his schoolteacher, Mick managed the County Kerry team, fierce rivals to Dublin, in 10 all Ireland finals in 12 years, winning eight of them and earning his place in the history books.

Just don't look into his eyes.

(waves crashing) ♪ With all these celebrities, you start to wonder where to stick them all.

The rich and famous require plenty of maintenance, trust me.

And well, so do I.

(waves crashing) ♪ This, the Butler Arms is the hotel that charmed Disney, Chaplin and more recently, Mark Hamill and the cast and crew of Star Wars when they came to film here on the Iveragh Peninsula.

What's the secret to the place?

It's upscale service with a laid-back atmosphere.

It's a hospitality learned from nearly 150 years of experience.

With a guest registry dating back to 1884, they've kept it in the family all that time.

Passing the place down through four generations, into the hands of the Huggard sisters today.

It's made me into their latest celebrity regular.

♪ (bell ringing) ♪ But you know me, what's really important is the food and drink.

And as it happens, there's a special connection between this kitchen and the White House.

This elegant old-world dining room once hosted the famous financier, JP Morgan, who by the way has my mortgage.

The multi-millionaire was so impressed by his meals that when he returned to America, he brought with him the hotel's head chef.

Kathy Buckley born up the road in Listowel, returned to Morgan's mansion in Hartford, Connecticut, where in 1923 she served dinner for Calvin Coolidge just months before he took the oath of office as President.

Himself taken by the food, he stole her once more, and Kathy Buckley became head of the White House kitchens, a position she retained under Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Not bad for a small- town Kerry girl.

For all its excellent food, views and hospitality, (seagull crying) you might expect Waterville to be bustling and crowded, but it really is the same quiet village that Chaplin fell in love with.

Somewhere to get away from the rest of the world, even when all the rest of the world's information was passing through.

(rapid beeping) (rapid beeping) ♪ Sleepy as it may be, 100 years ago, Waterville was the center of global telecommunications.

Really.

In 1884, the Commercial Cable Company laid two new telegraph cables across the Atlantic Ocean.

2,399 miles of cables connected North America to Britain and France.

And it all came through Waterville.

This new connection broke up the monopoly, making transatlantic communication cheap and accessible to average people for the first time.

Fine new Victorian buildings were constructed to house the 300 new residents of Waterville, all employees of the telegraph company.

With them, they brought their own pastimes.

And so in 1889, a 9-hole golf course was built on the sand dunes nearby.

And Waterville Golf Links was born.

The station here remained operational all the way until 1962.

But as for the golf, well that's here to stay.

(golf club smacks the ball) ♪ ♪ The dunes aren't the only product of the sea.

Its influence is also felt and tasted at the Skellig Distillery just outside nearby Cahersiveen and a stone's throw from the wide Atlantic.

MICHAEL: Carhill, I had an Ireland with Michael tour group come through the Skellig Six 18 Distillery about a week ago.

They raved about it.

What makes a S- a Skellig Gin so unique?

CARHILL: So what we do, Michael, is we start with a base gin of traditional botanicals.

MICHAEL: Right.

CARHILL: And then we add in four separate distillates of local botanicals, Yarrow, Douglas Fir Needle, Birch Sap and Dulse Leaf.

MICHAEL: I guess I know those, I've heard of those, uh, ingredients before.

What's- what is particular to this area?

CARHILL: So they all the Yarrow... MICHAEL: Oh.

CARHILL: The Douglas fir, those four are indigenous to this area.

MICHAEL: I'm gonna taste it, is that all right?

CARHILL: Cheers.

MICHAEL: I have the worst job in the world, don't I?

(Carhill laughs) ♪ Oh, the citrus really hits you.

CARHILL: That's the Douglas Fir needle.

It gives you those beautiful grapefruit tones.

MICHAEL: I can imagine drinking this now with a load of tonic on a summer's evening.

It's gorgeous.

CARHILL: Beautifully refreshing.

MICHAEL: So tell us, Carhill, what are you up to here?

CARHILL: So Michael.

MICHAEL: While Carhill was showing me around, he let slip a little secret.

CARHILL: The guys we'll be getting our whiskey stills from.

MICHAEL: If you knew me a bit better, you'd know that I really want to hear more about your plans for whiskey.

CARHILL: Big plans for whiskey, Michael.

(claps) And I have just the man to talk to you about that.

MICHAEL: Oh, let's go see him so.

CARHILL: Let's go.

So Michael, this is Tony.

MICHAEL: Tony, how are you?

TONY: Hi Michael, how you doing?

MICHAEL: You're the whiskey guy, are you?

TONY: You could call me the Whiskey Guy, yeah.

MICHAEL: In Ireland obviously, we- you know, we call whiskey Uisce Beatha, the Water of Life.

TONY: Yeah.

MICHAEL: But you have the story about how we actually got Uisce Beatha in Ireland.

TONY: As far as we know, it was brought to Europe by the Moors of North Africa.

♪ The Moors invaded and conquered Sicily and Southern Spain.

At the time, Europe was in the- the midst of the Dark Ages.

So Irish monks had set off from Ireland, they'd set up monasteries all over Europe, to gather, preserve, and share knowledge.

The Moors were quite scientifically advanced, but what were they doing with distillation?

They were Islamic people.

They weren't making it for enjoyment.

They were looking for medicine.

Ironically enough, they were looking for a cure for kidney, stomach and liver problems.

(Michael laughs) A little bit off the mark.

But eventually the Moors were driven out of Southern Europe by Christian armies and the science and stills of distillation were handed to Irish monks.

They brought it home.

And from the Latin Aqua-Vita, it became Uisce Beatha, the Water of Life.

That got shortened to Fuisce, which became Whiskey.

MICHAEL: Whiskey.

TONY: It's an Irish drink.

It's first recorded in Irish history in 1405 in the annals of Clonmacnoise, a full 90 years before it's recorded in Scotland.

So we can lay claim to it.

It's our drink.

MICHAEL: So Tony, is this the part where you let me taste your whiskey?

TONY: I would love to.

But Irish whiskey is like champagne, brie cheese, manuka honey.

You can't just put something together and call it an Irish whiskey.

(Michael laughs) It has to be matured for a minimum of three years and not a day less, in Ireland, then bottled in Ireland and then you have an Irish whiskey.

MICHAEL: Right, well, I'll come back in three years and then I'll taste it.

TONY: By all means do.

We'll close the doors and get the feet up and have a good old tasting for ourselves.

MICHAEL: I'm looking forward to it.

TONY: Good, man.

♪ MICHAEL: Now that I've had a drink, I think it's a good idea to find the tallest pile of stones I can find and climb around on it.

As it happens, that's exactly where we're headed.

What could possibly go wrong?

♪ This rather impressive round stone wall surrounding me is Cahergall, a pristine example of an early medieval Irish ringfort, of which there are still some 40,000 across the country in various states of disrepair today.

There's a certain air of mystery about these forts as their exact purpose has been obscured by history.

To some, they were known as fairy forts and certain sites were called the Homes of Giants.

Well, you can see why.

In any case, it's clear they were meant to defend their occupants in an age of raiders and lawlessness.

And they're large enough to house all the important things, including the cows, not to mention the in-laws.

(birds chirping) ♪ The view from the top here is all encompassing of the countryside around it, and it is truly spectacular, if not more than a bit terrifying.

Important for defense, yes, but also a clear signal of one's wealth.

No easy feat stacking stones this high after all.

As the medieval texts Grith Gablach reads, "It is then that he is a king when ramparts of vassalage surround him."

Well, I prefer to be a king surrounded by ramparts than on top of them.

So I think I'll be making my way back down now really slowly.

(birds chirping) ♪ With my feet firmly on the ground again, it's time to head into Cahersiveen itself.

GAVIN: So this is Che Gelida Manina.

MICHAEL: Where I'm so excited to meet a great friend of mine, Mr. Gavin Ring.

(sings in foreign language) Now, we've already had movie stars and footballers, but would you expect to meet way out here, an opera singer?

(sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) (sings in foreign language) MICHAEL: Gavin, I relate to you so much because you come from an Irish rural background and now you have created this amazing career as a singer, internationally.

And what I want to know is, how does a town- a- a- a small-town boy, who lives in the middle of Kerry (Gavin laughs) end up being our greatest opera singer today?

(Gavin laughs) GAVIN: You're way too kind.

You're far too kind.

MICHAEL: Well, I'm true.

GAVIN: Who paid you for that kindness?

(Michael laughing) Oh, well, I suppose, look, you know music is frontline and center in this part of the world.

I grew up with traditional music.

That was the first sort of foray I had in to making music, experiencing music.

Traditional music, it just lends itself to such a freedom of expression that, you know, it just- it was such a lovely place to- to- to experience music, a lovely way to experience music.

And- and it kind of set me up then for a, I suppose, an attitude or an approach to music, which was incredibly open, incredibly sort of, you know... MICHAEL: It's quite the jump from... GAVIN: Yeah.

MICHAEL: From trad music to opera.

GAVIN: For sure, absolutely.

But you know, it was always sort of bubbling in the background, my love affair with opera.

MICHAEL: Oh.

GAVIN: I remember when I was five-years-old, myself, my mom, we were going to Killarney.

She had just gotten a tape from a friend of hers of The Three Tenors.

And they had sort of risen to prominence at the time because of Italian 90 and all that type of thing.

So she stuck this on.

She says, "Oh, I want to listen to this."

And I think it was Nessun Dorma or one of them that was being played, and I was just starstruck spellbound from that moment on.

I was like, what is this sound?

So much so that the following morning, my mom tells me, I was up in the bed trying to sing like Pavarotti because I was just so struck and so taken by what this sound had to offer.

I mean, music was always number one for me.

Although at one stage, all right, it was a tossup between football and music, I- I- I found it hard to serve those two masters because I was obsessed with football.

MICHAEL: Well, lemme tell you, I'm glad that the singing won out.

(Gavin laughing) GAVIN: Listen, football is glad too that the singing won out.

(Michael laughs) Let me tell you.

MICHAEL: Would you do me a favor?

GAVIN: Go on.

MICHAEL: Would you show me around the town?

GAVIN: I would- I would be delighted to show you this town.

MICHAEL: All right, let's go have a look.

GAVIN: All right.

♪ MICHAEL: When you come to County Kerry, you do not expect to see a building that looks like this.

How come you get something that looks like we're in the middle of Austria here in Cahersiveen?

GAVIN: This barracks was built towards the latter end of the 19th century.

So under British rule.

So, in the halls of power, in the halls of Westminster, there were two barracks being planned.

There was one being planned for Calcutta in India and one for Cahersiveen here in County Kerry.

And apparently the plans got mixed up.

So the barracks for Calcutta got built in Cahersiveen and the barracks for Cahersiveen got built in Calcutta.

But I'm very happy that that occurred.

MICHAEL: Yeah.

GAVIN: If indeed it did.

MICHAEL: I think you got lucky, I love it.

GAVIN: I think we got very lucky, Michael.

(Gavin laughing) ♪ MICHAEL: So it seems Gavin, that we have another connection, in looking at these trawlers here.

GAVIN: Oh yeah.

So your- your- your family were fisher people.

MICHAEL: They were.

GAVIN: And so were mine.

So, my great-grandfather was a pretty renowned fisherman around these parts, fishing, boating, the sea.

Maritime, it's- it's- it's absolutely fundamental to who we are down here.

And, yeah.

MICHAEL: So what- what about the Iveragh Peninsula... GAVIN: Yeah.

MICHAEL: Is different to the rest of Kerry?

GAVIN: Somewhere like Cahersiveen is relatively untouched as it were, and it has so much more to offer in terms of unique, kind of a bespoke experience.

There's a kind of a conveyor belt of reasons to feel proud of this area.

It's because we have so much history, we have so much heritage.

Like the first Irish opera was written by a guy from Cahersiveen.

MICHAEL: OH.

GAVIN: A guy called Thomas O'Brien Butler.

It's that sort of thing.

It's that sort of- sort of, you know, oddity as it were that comes out of the ground here and that it's just you're- you're constantly discovering new things about this incredibly fantastical magical area.

MICHAEL: Before we get blown off this pier.

(Gavin laughing) GAVIN: It's all right, I'll save you Michael.

I'll save you.

MICHAEL: Thanks very much.

I suggest that we head into the pub.

What do you think?

GAVIN: You know what I wouldn't mind a few pints.

MICHAEL: Ah, sure we will.

Let's go.

GAVIN: Yeah.

♪ MICHAEL: In truth, Gavin is only Cahersiveen's second most famous native son.

In 1775 just outside the town, Daniel O'Connell, The Liberator, was born.

In the US the name may not be as well known, but Daniel O'Connell is an Irish and especially Catholic hero.

At a time when Catholicism was heavily persecuted, he was the first of his faith to become a member of Parliament and fought throughout his life for Ireland to have its own government.

He organized meetings of hundreds of thousands to hear him speak and then rally for their rights.

His philosophy of nonviolent demonstration would go on to influence the likes of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.. And in his own lifetime, he would meet with Frederick Douglas when the latter fled to Ireland.

A lawyer and a politician, the church here is the only one in Ireland, not named for a saint.

♪ As a local, Gavin has a passion for The Liberator and really, well, all things South Kerry.

MICHAEL: I thought it'd be apropos to ask you to sing a local song for me.

GAVIN: Right, okay.

MICHAEL: Would you- would you give us... GAVIN: Be delighted to.

MICHAEL: Something from the area?

GAVIN: So Sigerson Clifford is the most famous poet from this area.

And his most famous poem has been set to music.

It's- it's- it's known all over the world now.

This is The Boys of Barr na Sráide and it is the anthem of South Kerry, the anthem of Iveragh.

So sin a Bhfuil.

(Gavin clears his throat) ♪ Oh the town that climbs the mountain ♪ ♪ And looks upon the sea ♪ In sleeping time or working time ♪ ♪ 'Tis there, I long to be ♪ ♪ To walk again that kindly street ♪ ♪ The place my life began ♪ ♪ With the Boys of Barr na Sráide ♪ ♪ Who hunted for the wren ♪ There's about 20 million more verses.

So you'll have to come to Cahersiveen and South Kerry to hear them.

(slaps his knee) (both laughing) MICHAEL: Thanks for joining me on my travels around the Iveragh Peninsula.

I'm Michael Londra and I hope to see you next time on Ireland with Michael.

But for now, sláinte.

Cheers.

ANNOUNCER: Want to continue your travels to Ireland?

A deluxe Ireland with Michael DVD featuring all episodes of Season One plus bonus concert footage is available for $30.

Season Two plus bonus concert footage is available for $30.

A copy of the Ireland with Michael Companion Travel Guide featuring places to visit, as seen in Seasons One and Two, is also available for $30.

ANNOUNCER: This offer is made by Wexford House.

Shipping and handling is not included.

MICHAEL: To learn more about everything you've seen in this episode, go to IrelandWithMichael.com.

ANNOUNCER: Ireland with Michael was made possible by... ♪ ANNOUNCER: Whether traveling to Ireland for the first time, or just longing to return, there's plenty more information available at Ireland.com.

♪ ANNOUNCER: CIE Tours, sharing the magic of Ireland for 90 years.

♪ ANNOUNCER: Aer Lingus has been bringing people home since 1936.

If you are thinking about Ireland, Aer Lingus is ready when you are to take you home.

MICHAEL: OK, put your hands up in the air!

Come on, let's get a-waving.

♪ In my heart its rightful queen ♪ ♪ Ever loving, ever tender ♪ MICHAEL: That's it.

♪ Ever true ♪ Like the Sun your smile has shone ♪ MICHAEL: Go on, Wexford.

♪ Gladdening all it glowed upon ♪ ♪