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 in West Clare, where we'll soak in the sounds that define not only Irish music, but the specific rhythms from this part of coastal Atlantic Ireland.

Then, we'll see a cozy B&B that just won international acclaim.

And, finally, along the coast, we'll explore Spanish Point, named after the spot where the Spanish Armada wrecked in a horrific storm.

Those that survived made it to shore, and my last name, Londra, and my DNA tell me my lineage is Irish with a wee bit of a España.

♪ ♪ ANNOUNCER: Ireland with Michael is made possible by- ♪ ANNOUNCER: The music, the folklore, and the hospitality.

It's all in Ireland.

ANNOUNCER: Since 1932, CIE Tours has welcomed travelers to discover Ireland's rolling green landscapes, cherished traditions, and Irish hospitality, creating memories that last a lifetime.

CIE Tours, where every journey becomes a story.

♪ MICHAEL: Many who live a frenetic existence are envious of the rhythm of life in Ireland.

One way to capture that cadence is to take in the skills of craftsmen, a generation that is still working to keep a legacy of artistry alive.

It begins in workshops like this, where the integral beat of traditional Irish music begins.

An Irish drum is known as a bodhrán.

♪ Ireland was built on the backs of farmers, so it should come as no surprise to learn that it's believed the early bodhráns were built on the frame of converted farm tools.

MALACHY: When I was younger, I hadn't done well.

I'd gone back to college to do a master's, and I couldn't do it.

I couldn't settle.

And in the madness and roll of that, I moved here, set up bodhrán making.

MICHAEL: Malachy Kearns is a truly legendary bodhrán maker.

He's one of the few full-time dedicated bodhrán makers in the world, and his workshop, Roundstone Music, is located in an old Franciscan monastery in Roundstone, County Galway.

Amongst his many accomplishments, he made the original drums used when I was touring with Riverdance.

So, let's talk about drums.

Let's talk about the bodhrán, one of our greatest instruments.

I wonder if you could kind of dip back into the mists of time and estimate, you know, where this drum came from, how it happened, and how far back do you think it happened?

MALACHY: Well, drumming and mankind go back to the beginnings of man, really, where you had, even with music, the Africans listened to bees humming, and you'd hear that humming in their music.

So, Ireland didn't invent drumming, but in the '40s, '50s, '60s, Ireland invented a unique playing technique for the bodhrán.

Peadar Mercier, in particular, one of the main bodhrán players, the original Chieftains.

And Peadar developed this unique technique where both hands interact together, one tucked behind the skin, and the other with the bone or beater.

It was a bone, the leg of a goat was the start of it, and that leads to a very powerful playing, but also an energy that hits your gut rather than your head and heart so much.

MICHAEL: If you could, describe exactly what a bodhrán is.

MALACHY: Of course.

A bodhrán is a one-sided frame drum made from goat skin, where we never use chemicals to de-hair and de-flesh, because we keep the bounce-back, the energy, the skin, and strength of the skin intact.

The word bodhrán itself means deaf or from deep within, because a bodhrán is made and played in a great way.

It hits your gut mostly, the life center is here, deep within, so deaf or deep within.

MICHAEL: So, we- when you're making the bodhrán, here's your circular frame, and here is the skin of a goat, right?

MALACHY: Oh, yeah.

MICHAEL: What do you do to the skin of a goat to make it worthy to be a bodhrán?

MALACHY: So, we pre-stretch it with heat up to a certain point.

The- it's- it's- the skin- the stretch properties of goat skin are unique, it's fantastic.

MICHAEL: All right.

MALACHY: It holds its tension beautifully, as well MICHAEL: Very good.

MALACHY: And it has a deep, haunting sound naturally, so it's kind of like the Rolls-Royce of materials in- in drum making, instrument making.

MICHAEL: And tell me about the stick.

What- what is it?

What's it made out of?

MALACHY: The stick started as a bone, the leg of a goat.

And, even in old times, when England ruled Ireland, you couldn't be seen with an Irish musical instrument, or your rent was doubled or maybe more.

So they used to have this bone on a dresser and the bodhrán was still stacked with potatoes, you know, at the kitchen table.

MICHAEL: Very good, to disguise it.

MALACHY: You know, we can- we stayed Irish with all these little things, and we love it.

MICHAEL: You hold that little stick like a pen, right?

Because it's- it's a tricky little thing.

MALACHY: Oh yeah, like it's- the way I do it is- is like this, you know.

MICHAEL: Yeah, oh, very good.

MALACHY: Resting on three fingers, because, if it's only two, I tighten it.

MICHAEL: Yeah, oh, very good.

MALACHY: And then it's just one, two, three, four, that kind of- MICHAEL: Yeah, brush up, down, and then of course your- the hand behind the drum, you create the different notes.

Yes, when it's- I totally get it.

♪ Yes.

♪ ♪ MICHAEL: Franjo Reid on bodhrán and Pat Sweeney on banjo represent a living lineage of Irish music.

With an astounding combined 120 years of playing, musical history is captured in their hands and brought to life with every beat and every note.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ MICHAEL: Our scheduled departure this evening, a meal that will take us back in time.

We're about to find our seats on the original Pullman rail cars from the famed Orient Express.

The elegant train once hosted the likes of Sir Laurence Olivier and Winston Churchill.

Now they're permanently stationed here at Glenlo Abbey in Galway City.

You too can sit in the same booths where dignitaries dined in style.

So, put on your Sunday best for a meal that is a trip back to the charm and splendor of the 1930s.

Oh, and, if you're a movie buff, before you come, re-watch Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.

They shot the movie using these original train cars.

All aboard!

♪ MICHAEL: Chef, so, what beauty is right here before me?

What are you making?

ANGELO: We are making the nibbles, as we call them.

MICHAEL: Oh yeah, elsewhere they call it amuse-bouche, here they call it nibbles.

ANGELO: We- we- we are not so pretentious.

MICHAEL: No, I love that.

Tell us, what's- what's in the nibbles?

ANGELO: This is a choux bun, and we fill it with- with cream cheese.

MICHAEL: Very good.

ANGELO: And we top it with some carrot ketchup.

MICHAEL: I didn't even know there was such a thing as carrot ketchup, but I'm all in.

ANGELO: And here's the salad.

The salad is- we call it the bouquet, and everything you see in the salad is coming from the same farm.

So, if it's not in the farm, it's not in the salad.

And we're going to dress it with some aerated apple cider, and we're going to add a bit of the flowers.

MICHAEL: Talk about the flowers.

The presentation has really ele- been elevated in Ireland over the past few years, and I'm noticing flowers are everywhere.

ANGELO: Yes, they are.

MICHAEL: I guess it's the right time.

ANGELO: They're- they're also tasty, very tasty.

MICHAEL: Okay, I don't know whether to paint it or eat it.

It is so gorgeous.

Well done, Chef.

Do I get to taste it now?

ANGELO: Please.

MICHAEL: And taste it I will, with Glenlo General Manager Rónán O'Halloran as my personal dinner guide.

MICHAEL: So, talk to me about this unique experience that is adjacent to the- the hotel itself.

RÓNÁN: Yeah, we are sitting here in the Pullman Restaurant.

Two original carriages from the Orient Express.

Leona, this carriage, was actually used as part of the movie set for Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express.

Absolutely.

So guests will recognize a lot of the fixtures and fittings from their dinner right on the movie screen.

MICHAEL: Tell me about what kind of food you like to present here.

RÓNÁN: Yeah, so, with Chef Angelo here, we have a beautiful seven-course tasting menu, and that will take you right across the very best of produce, like we mentioned, up and down the West Coast.

MICHAEL: All right, I can't talk about it anymore.

Let's eat, Rónán.

Let's eat.

RÓNÁN: Fantastic.

WAITER: So, gentlemen.

So we'll begin with your nibbles this evening.

MICHAEL: Rónán, you should know that I was a- an assistant chef on this.

I also might point out that the flowers make- also make me in a gardener, as well.

So enjoy.

Please enjoy.

RÓNÁN: Bon appétit.

Thank you, Michael.

♪ MICHAEL: Gorgeous right?

RÓNÁN: Delicious.

MICHAEL: Yes, thank you.

RÓNÁN: We might keep you on, yeah.

MICHAEL: Thank you, thank you.

♪ MICHAEL: Ireland's rich art history has evolved through the centuries.

What began as a reflection of how our ancestors saw the world is today alive and well.

The expression of our evolving culture, the reflections of the colors that make up the vibrant Irish landscape, with a respectful nod to our traditions, together, Irish artists continue to explore new interpretations.

♪ MICHAEL: Richard, it's not often that I'm speechless, but I'm overwhelmed to be here in your studio.

I have been such a fan of your work over the past couple of years, and now I get to see it for real.

I'm excited to meet you.

Tell me about you, your past, and how it all came to here.

RICHARD: My family originate from County Mayo, so there was always a real draw to come to the West of Ireland.

And I came to the Burren in 2009.

I've had 16 magical years here, really, in the Burren.

It really feels like home for me.

MICHAEL: So, art collectors can actually come here and make an appointment to visit you in your studio and to look at your art.

So, they would just go to richardhearns.com?

Is that how it happens?

RICHARD: I actually love bringing people to the studio, Michael, because it gives a huge amount of context around the work.

And to be able to spend time with them on the lands that inform the paintings I think is really important.

And I think it's an insightful thing for people who come and visit.

So I just love to share this space with people.

MICHAEL: You have that connection to nature, but it's a very- it's a unique approach to the connection between art and nature.

And I'd love you to talk a little bit more about that, because I really connected with what you say about nature.

RICHARD: Yeah, I- I think I have observed over the years that, from my still life painting, where I'm looking at light falling over objects, there's this sort of transmutation when you're making a painting.

You're elevating the object, but actually what you're doing is you're observing light, you're observing nature fall over the object.

Now I'm no longer looking to nature, but nature is kind of looking through me.

So it's more about the paintings having this dialogue or this correlation with nature.

And that's a fantastic feeling for me because it keeps this surprise, this wonderful surprise in the work where I start to see, actually, there's a parallel between something I've experienced in nature, something that's rudimentary or primordial, and then something that ends up on the canvas here, as well.

MICHAEL: So that art indeed becomes nature.

RICHARD: Exactly, yeah.

The painting is nature, everything is nature.

♪ MICHAEL: When you travel to Ireland, the welcome at a bed and breakfast is a personal touch that is often comforting when you're a long way from home.

The connection you instantly make with the owners can be a relief with their local knowledge and invaluable touchstones.

TripAdvisor says the number one B&B in all of Ireland is here, Sheedy's in Doolin, so let's pop inside for a peek.

♪ MICHAEL: Tell us about Sheedy's Bed and Breakfast.

So, this is a dream of yours, right?

MARIAN: We wanted something that we could have that was personal, but you had your own space and you didn't feel you were living in someone's home.

But at the same time, you got the experience of a local person and that you cared that they- they were with you.

MICHAEL: So, talk to me about a B&B, because I think people, they don't really know what it is or they have an outdated version of what it is.

MARIAN: They do have a very outdated version.

A B&B is no longer living in a person's home.

They're now designed like a small hotel.

MICHAEL: So, tell me about the B&B experience.

So, when you check in here, is it like checking into a hotel, or- ?

MARIAN: No, we have read up on you before you come.

We know what you want.

If you have special dietary requirements, it's all noted.

We give you information on the village, where to eat, where the best music is, where the best walks are, what you shouldn't miss.

You're always- we're always there.

We're never away from the place.

When it's operational, we're always here.

DAVY: It is very possible that you have an ancestor dating back to the 1580s that landed here.

MICHAEL: Ireland with Michael's resident historian Davy Holden is renowned for making the complexities of Irish history accessible.

But can he explain why the Spanish Armada wrecked in Ireland so even I understand it?

♪ Davy, I've been coming to this beach for about, wait for it, 40 years without actually thinking about where the name of this great, famous place comes from.

Tell us about it.

DAVY: Absolutely, yeah.

So this area is called Rinn na Spáinneach in the Irish language.

In English, that would be Point of the Spaniards or Spanish Point.

And it's quite an unusual name, I suppose, for a place in Ireland.

But one thing I would always do, first time visiting a new area of Ireland, is look at the name.

The name of an area in Ireland can tell you so much about that area, whether it's a small village, a town, a city, or a county.

The name, specifically in the Irish language, usually, is one of the most important things to look into.

MICHAEL: It will always tell you that story.

All right, so, regale me with that story.

DAVY: The start of this story really begins in A Coruña.

It's a city in northern Spain.

MICHAEL: Wow, a world away from here.

DAVY: Absolutely, yeah.

So in A Coruña, King Philip II of Spain gave an order to the Spanish Armada.

The Spanish Armada was a fleet of about 130 ships, and they were to set sail from A Coruña heading for Flanders.

The job was they were to escort an army from Flanders to England for an invasion.

But, during their operation, they met with resistance in the English Channel and a battle broke out at Gravelines, and the Spanish Armada received heavy casualties during that battle.

MICHAEL: Right.

DAVY: They got an order to head back to Spain, and this is where Ireland comes into it because the order they were given was to sail north.

So they sailed north, up past the eastern coast of England, over Scotland, then sailed west and then south, deliberately to avoid Ireland.

However, due to stormy conditions, they had navigational issues and they ended up sailing closer to the Irish coast than they planned to.

MICHAEL: Many do.

DAVY: This ended in disaster and, unfortunately for them, they lost about 30 ships.

About 30 ships were shipwrecked off the north and western coasts of Ireland.

MICHAEL: There's a Spanish influence on this area because of it?

I mean, surely some of the people who were shipwrecked ended up here.

DAVY: There definitely was, absolutely.

Especially along the western coast of Ireland for sure.

Those - some people that landed were actually given shelters.

MICHAEL: Right.

So, I'm going to guess that one of those people who were shipwrecked had the last name Londra and I am the result, many, many generations later, of that shipwreck in the late 1580s.

DAVY: It is very possible that you have an ancestor dating back to the 1580s.

MICHAEL: Gracias.

♪ MICHAEL: "Under that Old Clare Moon" is a soulful Irish ballad, whose lyrical beauty describes the area so well.

Cherish the Ladies' Joanie Madden and Mary Coogan, along with Mary's husband, Bruce Foley, all live in this part of Ireland.

So who better to capture the lyrical beauty of this gorgeous song?

♪ ♪ When I was a singer, I had but one song ♪ ♪ Which I wove from the sunlight ♪ ♪ And I'm ramblin' along ♪ I tied it with rushes, freed it with air ♪ ♪ And it swept me along to the old County Clare ♪ ♪ It went Meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ ♪ I chanted in Doolin, I sang at Fanore ♪ ♪ I went ramblin' and scattered ♪ ♪ On the old flaggy shore ♪ ♪ Where the cliffs of Kilkee ♪ ♪ They challenge the sea ♪ And I sang like a thrush ♪ ♪ In the town of Kilrush ♪ I sang Meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ ♪ Yes, meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare Moon ♪ ♪ At old Spanish Point ♪ Where the ships they went down ♪ ♪ The Moon, she rose up ♪ With her bright starry crown ♪ ♪ With a necklace of diamonds ♪ ♪ And white wedding gown ♪ She shed salty tears for the sailors who drowned ♪ ♪ She sang Meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ ♪ Yes, meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ What a wonderful promise, the old County Clare ♪ ♪ There were melodies hanging ♪ ♪ From shelves in the air ♪ There's a maid at the barrels ♪ ♪ A hag at the churn ♪ There's a great flock of angels ♪ ♪ Flying over the Burren ♪ Singing Meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ ♪ Yes, meet me tonight by moonlight ♪ ♪ Under that old Clare moon ♪ JOANIE: Yahoo!

BRUCE: Mm-kay.

♪ MICHAEL: It's almost a rite of passage when you come to Ireland, visit the Cliffs of Moher.

This is a twist on that well-worn route.

So stretch out your muscles, put on your sturdy walking shoes, ideally join a guide, and begin your hike along the stunning cliffs in the tiny town of Doolin.

The views are just as spectacular, and you likely won't see a tour bus.

And, if you're energetic, it'll lead you right to the well-known Cliffs of Moher, about five miles away.

♪ (birds calling) Tell us about that Cliff Walk.

First of all, how long is it?

PAT: We meet down at the Doolin Inn, and we start hiking, go out onto the cliffs.

I only do the Doolin side of the Cliffs of Moher, which is roughly about eight kilometers.

MICHAEL: Right, so that's about five miles.

PAT: About five miles.

MICHAEL: I've been to the Cliffs of Moher a hundred times, but I haven't got that kind of local information.

Now, if anyone's a local, you are.

What do you learn on a cliff walk towards the cliffs?

PAT: Well, you'll- you'll learn not to touch the electric fences.

[laughs] MICHAEL: [laughs] Ye- I suppose you have to jump a little bit high, much like the cows, to get over those.

PAT: I do think that we showcase some of the most amazing views of the Cliffs of Moher that, you know- that are away from- little hidden gems.

MICHAEL: Yes, that nobody else gets to see.

PAT: That nobody else gets a chance to see.

And I think that the local farmers bought into it because we were all farmers.

We all knew the views that were there, and why should we be only looking at these views?

Why can't they be shared?

And that's where it all came about.

(bird calling) MICHAEL: I've been coming to the Cliffs of Moher for maybe 40 years, but I've never seen the cliffs just like this.

(water splashing) MICHAEL: Thanks for joining me on my travels around West Clare.

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

But for now, cheers.

Sláinte.

ANNOUNCER: Want to continue your travels to Ireland?

Your choice of the Ireland with Michael DVD, Seasons 1 and 2 or Seasons 3 and 4, with bonus concert footage is available for $30.

Ireland with Michael, a musical journey CD with songs from Michael and his guest artists, is available for $20.

The Ireland with Michael companion travel book, featuring places to visit as seen in all seasons, is also available for $30.

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: The music, the folklore, and the hospitality.

It's all in Ireland.

ANNOUNCER: Since 1932, CIE Tours has welcomed travelers to discover Ireland's rolling green landscapes, cherished traditions, and Irish hospitality, creating memories that last a lifetime.

CIE Tours, where every journey becomes a story.

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

Come on, let's get a-wavin'!

♪ In my heart, its rightful queen ♪ ♪ Ever loving ♪ Ever tender That's it!

♪ Ever true ♪ Like the Sun, your smile has shone ♪ Go on, Wexford!

♪ Gladdening all it glowed upon ♪ ♪ ♪