Joe paints the perfect picture to end ‘Lough Foyle’ series

Joe Mahon concludes his travels around Lough Foyle and its hinterlands on Monday night, (23rd November) in this final episode where he explores the area through the paintings of local artist Pat Cowley and words of historian Ken McCormack, and retired GP, poet Dr Michael Healy.
By The Newsroom
Published 18th Nov 2020, 07:25 BST
Dr Michael Healy and Joe at Holmes Farm on the banks of the Culdaff RiverDr Michael Healy and Joe at Holmes Farm on the banks of the Culdaff River
Dr Michael Healy and Joe at Holmes Farm on the banks of the Culdaff River

The lives and lifestyles of these three men have been inextricably linked to the river and the countryside around it.

Pat Cowley has been painting every aspect of this landscape - from city embankments to highland streams, and from wooded valleys to mountain lakes - for more years than he cares to remember. Joe joins him on the riverbank on the old Letterkenny Road, to admire his craft certainly, but also to talk about two particular series of paintings for which he was specially commissioned.

The first series was to illustrate local historian Ken McCormack’s book “Following the Foyle”. From early childhood Ken has been developing a special relationship with the river and Joe spends a few pleasant hours with him on the banks of the Mourne as he reminisces about his travels on “shank’s mare” along the Foyle’s many tributaries. Wherever he went he gathered up enough local lore and legend to fill several books, and he is well used to relating some of these fascinating stories to willing audiences, which he does with all the skill of a born storyteller.

Author Ken McCormack shares stories from his book Following the Foyle with Joe Mahon on the banks of the River MourneAuthor Ken McCormack shares stories from his book Following the Foyle with Joe Mahon on the banks of the River Mourne
Author Ken McCormack shares stories from his book Following the Foyle with Joe Mahon on the banks of the River Mourne

Another series of Pat Cowley’s paintings was done for his friend and lifelong fishing companion Michael Healy. Michael is a retired GP who writes poetry, but he does a few other things besides. He bought a small farm on the banks of the little Culdaff River some years ago, and he now spends a great deal of his time looking after his sheep, maintaining a beautiful traditional cottage and learning to live with the floods that visit him with dependable regularity. Joe joins him for a tour of the farm while he chats about flood plains, pedigree rams and poetry!

‘LOUGH FOYLE’ was a ten-part television travelogue series featuring the history, natural environment and cultural heritage of the Foyle catchment area, with particular emphasis on Ulster-Scots elements of the hinterland. Joe spent several months, both pre and post lockdown, exploring the unique watery environment of Lough Foyle, and the series has been taking the viewer on a fabulous journey on one of the greatest river systems in the island of Ireland.

Throughout the series, Joe spent time with government bodies, agencies and charity groups whose main aim is to ensure the lough and surrounding areas, and its many natural inhabitants are all looked after.

One of the great attractions of this series was the stunning aerial photography which shows off the dramatic land and seascapes of the North West region as they have never been seen before.

Artist Pat Cowley shows Joe Mahon how to capture the light on the banks of the FoyleArtist Pat Cowley shows Joe Mahon how to capture the light on the banks of the Foyle
Artist Pat Cowley shows Joe Mahon how to capture the light on the banks of the Foyle

LOUGH FOYLE was produced by Westway Film Productions for UTV, supported by Northern Ireland Screen’s Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund. The series was sponsored by House Proud Furniture.

You can watch this final episode on Monday, 23rd November at 8pm on UTV and on catch up on www.itv.com/utvprogrammes.

Joe returns with the final three episodes of Ulster Giants on Monday 30th November.

Related topics:FoyleIreland