TV3’s ‘The Park’ heads into autumn on its seasonal journey through Killarney Park.

For further information:

Sharon McHugh
TV3 PRESS OFFICE
+3531 419 3430 / 087 922 4143
sharon.mchugh@tv3.ie
publicity@tv3.ie

Ciara Byrne
+353 1 419 3329 / 087 3199732
ciara.byrne@tv3.ie

TV3 GROUP RELEASE                                                                               

IMMEDIATE: Thursday 20th March, 2014.

 

 

TV3’s ‘The Park’ heads into autumn on its seasonal journey through Killarney Park.

 

The second episode sees Ireland’s largest national park captured in arguably the most beautiful season of the year in the region; autumn.

 

The red deer mating season begins and we witness the stags battling for supremacy.

 

We also meet the park’s hibernating Lesser Horseshoe Bat population, which are important from a conservation point of view and have to be regularly monitored.

 

‘The Park’ episode 2 airs Sunday 23rd March 2014 at 8pm on TV3.

 

Interviews with Dick Warner available on request

 

Video link to view the third episode is available on request

 

Filmed over a two-year period, this epic four-part series opens up the world of wonder that resides within Ireland’s oldest National Park in Killarney - a living archive of some of our most precious scenery, plants and wildlife.

 

Narrated by Irish environmentalist, writer and broadcaster, Dick Warner, episode two sees Ireland’s largest national park captured in arguably the most beautiful season of the year in the region; autumn.

 

The easy days of summer are now in the past. There are tougher times ahead for the Park's wildlife. The bustle and activity of the past few months have settled down.  It's as if everything is conserving energy for the struggle that will come. But for one animal, autumn is a season of intense activity as the park’s largest mammal develops a new belligerence. The red deer mating season begins and we witness the stags battling for supremacy - a drama that has been played on this stage over many thousand autumns.

 

We also meet the park’s hibernating Lesser Horseshoe Bat population. The park's bat population is important from a conservation point of view and it has to be regularly monitored. Identifying bats in a wood at night isn't easy.  But the invention of bat detectors has vastly increased knowledge of them in recent years.

 

‘The Park’ on TV3 is sponsored by the world-renowned, multi-award winning Europe Hotel & Resort in Killarney.

 

‘The Park’ was funded by the BAI's 'Sound & Vision' scheme.

 

‘The Park’ episode 2 airs Sunday 23rd March 2014 at 8pm on TV3.

 

Images have been sent to your picture desks

 

ENDS

 

For further information
Ciara Byrne

Press Officer

01 419 3329

087 319 9732

 

Sharon McHugh
Head of Press & Publicity

087 922 4143

publicity@tv3.ie                        
www.tv3.ie

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NOTES TO EDITOR:

 

About Dick Warner

Dick Warner has over 90 broadcast television documentaries to his credit. As well as writing and presenting the original 24 programmes of Waterways (which won the Jacob’s Award) and the 2011 sequel (which won two IFTAs) he wrote and presented 18 Voyage programmes about Ireland’s coastal waters. He did the same for the 8 programmes of the RTE/Channel 4 co-production Spirit of Trees and wrote Wood from the Trees for Time Horizon/RTE. He presented Ironing the Land, 8 documentaries about Irish railway history, as well as numerous one-off documentaries for Agtel/Independent Pictures and Tile Films. He has also written and voiced a number of David Shaw-Smith’s documentaries, including his recent Cots and Cotsmen.

 

In addition he has a huge portfolio of non-broadcast work, much of it about water of one kind or another, for clients such as the Central Fisheries Board, The Loughs Agency, The Office of Public Works, the National Botanic Gardens and Tourism Ireland. He also writes for print media and has published several books, the latest (2008) being The Liffey - Portrait of a River. He writes a weekly wildlife column for the Irish Examiner and features for a number of magazines.

 

Episode 1 - Summer

Killarney National Park is alive with colour and life as many of the Park’s species are mating or taking care of newborn young. With footage of some of Ireland’s rarest and most beautiful insects that have never before been caught on camera, this series begins with the raucous beauty of summer, the busiest time of year for the park’s wildlife.  We also meet Paudi; the first white tailed eagle born in Ireland in over a century.

 

Episode 2 - Autumn

Ireland’s largest national park is captured in arguably the most beautiful season of the year in the region; autumn. With the Park’s palette changing to russet tones, its largest mammal develops a new belligerence as the red deer mating season begins and we witness the stags battling for supremacy. We also meet the park’s hibernating Lesser Horseshoe Bat population.

 

Episode 3 - Winter

An eerie silence appears to descend on Killarney National Park in this, the third episode of the series. With stunning vistas of snow-capped mountain ranges, this programme captures how the animals of the park battle to stay alive in its most difficult season. However, the breeding season for the Atlantic salmon brings vibrant life back to the waterways of the park as the programme explores their journey upstream.

 

Episode 4 - Spring

This final episode of the series shows the renewal of life and hope for the future as Killarney wakes from the cold winter and new life sweeps through the park. Witness the almost invisible changes, through to the most energetic transitions; spawning begins in the frog ponds, buds swell through the valleys and a magnificent pair of white tailed eagles attempt to breed in the park again.