Building Ireland explores the River Shannon region from Leitrim to Limerick in a new series

Join geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy as they explore Ireland's building and engineering heritage

21 July at 7pm on RT One and RT Player

Building Ireland returns for another series with a six-part series, this time exploring the heritage and natural environment that have helped define the River Shannon region from Leitrim to Limerick. The new series begins on Tuesday 21 July at 7pm on RT One and RT Player.

Geographer Dr Susan Hegarty, Engineer Tim Joyce and Architect Orla Murphy investigate the topography of the Shannon's river basin, patterns of human settlement through history, socio economic development, and the rich diversity of natural environments and wildlife which helped build the identity of the people and places on the River Shannon.

Tim Joyce is a leading engineering hydrologist with a lifetime of practical experience who now supervises engineering masters students in UCD.

Orla Murphy is a part-time Assistant Professor of Architecture at UCD and Deputy Co-Head of the School of Architecture Planning and Environmental Policy (APEP), founding Co-Director of the UCD Centre for Irish Towns (CfIT), and owner of Custom Architecture.

Dr Susan Hegarty is a Professor in Physical and Environmental Geography at the Department of Geography at DCU - a lecturer, field geographer and published academic author.

Over the course of the new series, Orla Murphy explores Athlone's historical and evolving relationship with the River Shannon and the centuries of adaptation at one of Ireland's most significant river crossings. She also reveals how a remote monastery on the banks of the River Shannon became St Ciaran's Shining City' through its architecture, craftsmanship and strategic position on ancient trade and pilgrimage routes.

Tim Joyce retraces the engineering interventions that made the River Shannon fully navigable, from pioneering canals and lock systems to major flood-relief schemes. He also examines the stories of the engineers, power station workers and the communities they helped build, while retracing the ingenuity and determination that turned peat from the Midland bogs into electricity for a nation.

Dr Susan Hegarty wonders how a remote corner of Leitrim became one of Ireland's industrial powerhouses as she explores the evolution of the Lough Allen Canal from its origins in the age of mining to its role in the region today. She also investigates how a small creamery in rural Limerick became the turning point for Ireland's dairy farmers. She follows the origins of Ireland's cooperative movement in the late 19th century and traces how a local experiment grew into a nationwide movement that transformed rural communities and helped build the modern dairy industry.

The six-part series Building Ireland begins Tuesday 21 July at 7pm on RT One and RT Player.

-ENDS-

Mikie O' Loughlin, RT Communications Lead

LINK:	https://about.rte.ie/2026/07/15/building-ireland-explores-the-river-sh...
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