Big Week on the Farm on RT One

Big Week on the Farm on RT One

RT One announces a special week-long event, Big Week on the Farm, broadcasting live from the Midlands and taking viewers to the heart of the action as nature springs to life.

A fast-paced programme broadcasting at 7pm over five consecutive nights on RT One starting on Monday, April 4th, Big Week on the Farm will come live from a purpose-built studio on a sheep farm on the beautiful shores of Derravaragh Lake in Co. Westmeath.

Presented by ine Lawlor and Ella McSweeney in front of a live studio audience, with Helen Carroll and Darragh McCullough coming live from satellite farms around the country, the show will bring viewers right to the heart of the farm in one of its busiest weeks.

From milking competitions to the secret life of goats, world record sheep shearing attempts to remote controlled tractors, Big Week on the Farm goes in-depth into what makes a modern farm tick in a fun, interactive way designed to appeal to all viewers, both rural and urban.

Every night ine and Ella will be joined by a guest co-presenter including Roz Purcell, Nathan Carter, Anna Geary, Mairead Ronan and Sinead Kennedy as well as a host of special guests including chef Kevin Thornton and rugby player Mike Ross who will be donning their wellies to explore the farm as spring kicks in and nature comes to life.

Presenter ine Lawlor said: "This is such an exciting project and I think people are really going to enjoy it. As anyone who has ever been on a farm will know, there is never a dull moment and we have loads of interesting items lined up for the week. We re going to be giving a real insight into the workings of the farm - people might be surprised by the sheer amount of activity going on as spring brings the whole place to life.

The live studio will be assembled in John Fagan's lambing shed on the scenic shores of Derravaragh Lake in Co. Westmeath. John is a young farmer in his mid-30s, and during the week of broadcast, aided by his partner Claire Marshall, he will oversee the birth of more than 120 lambs. Badgers, swans, pine-martens, cows, sheep and foxes all live on his land. With the help of our presenters, experts and hidden wildlife cameras, the covert world of his farmyard will soon be uncovered.

Each programme will provide intimate insights into the hectic happenings on other farms too. Our location presenters Darragh and Helen will broadcast live from ten farms across the country over the course of the week, including a high-tech tillage farm in Carlow and a fish-farm in Donegal.

Each night on Big Week on the Farm, ine, Ella and their celebrity co-presenters will bring us live studio demos, discussions, stunning animal behaviour short films and features from the previous 24 hours unfolding drama. Evelyn Cusack, Jean Byrne, Siobhan Ryan and Gerry Murphy will be presenting the evening weather forecast live from our farm location every night.

Viewers around the country can get involved too. Big Week on the Farm is a programme for a family audience and we are asking schools and families to take part. Viewers can tweet us @RTEOne using the hashtag #onthefarm or email us at onthefarm@rte.ie where they can send us videos, photographs and messages for broadcast.

RT One channel controller Adrian Lynch said: Big Week on the Farm is a huge undertaking. We're bringing television viewers right to the heart of the action on a working farm in the Midlands at one of the busiest times of year and letting them see, up close and personal, what it's really like on the farm. We'll be covering everything from lambing to remote-controlled tractors and providing the nation with real-time access to what is a fascinating time of year. I hope viewers will come away both entertained and educated.

Big Week on the Farm is co-funded with RT by Science Foundation Ireland. Science and technology are increasingly part of modern farming and food production. Science Foundation Ireland, both through the scientific researchers and the public engagement activities it supports, wants to help inform, and broaden everyone's understanding of the developments in this key sector of our economy, and its potential impact on our everyday lives.

Big Week on the Farm is produced with the support of incentives for the Irish film Industry provided by the Government of Ireland and also funded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the Television Licence Fee.

For more information contact: Gareth Naughton, Press Officer, RT Television, T: 01-2082667; M: 087-9792822; E: gareth.naughton@rte.ie

LINK:	http://www.rte.ie/about/en/press-office/press-releases/2016/0401/77883...
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