Lesser Spotted Ulster comes to Dundrum

Lesser Spotted Ulster comes to Dundrum

1 October 2014

DUNDRUM will feature in this Friday’s edition of Lesser Spotted Ulster on UTV.

As well as exploring the ruins and history of the Anglo-Norman castle that overlooks the bay, presenter Joe Mahon hears the tale of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s famous steamship, the SS Great Britain, which ran aground on a sandbank at Dundrum in 1846.

Locals from the village regale Joe with vivid childhood memories of the busy, cosmopolitan harbour, before he visits the Murlough Nature Reserve at the edge of Dundrum Bay.

Once there, he meets Jo Whatmough who has been involved in maintaining the site since the 1960s and discovers a legacy left behind by the Normans which has become a vital element of the Irish countryside. 

Joe discovers the scientific importance of the Murlough reserve as he goes on the hunt for some elusive Exmoor ponies who were introduced to stop the scrub from spreading and keeping the area in shape.

Finally, Joe investigates a moth trap that has uncovered the largest population of moths in Northern Ireland as well as some other unwelcome visitors.

Viewers can join in the conversation by tweeting ‘@utv’ during the show using the hashtag #LesserSpotted.

Lesser Spotted Ulster is on Friday, October 3, at 8pm on UTV.