Life

TV review: Iarnrod Enda is distinctly Irish television

Billy Foley

Billy Foley

Billy has almost 30 years’ experience in journalism after leaving DCU with a BAJ. He has worked at the Irish Independent, Evening Herald and Sunday Independent in Dublin, the Cork-based Evening Echo and the New Zealand Herald. He joined the Irish News in 2000, working as a reporter and then Deputy News Editor. He has been News Editor since 2007

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny explores the Waterford greenway
Former taoiseach Enda Kenny explores the Waterford greenway Former taoiseach Enda Kenny explores the Waterford greenway

Iarnrod Enda, RTE 1, Monday

The obvious comparison is Michael Portillo’s railway journeys, but Iarnrod Enda is a distinctly Irish television creation.

Former taoiseach Enda Kenny cycles along defunct train lines and chats to the locals along the way about history and tradition.

I can’t quite imagine Theresa May doing it, but all things are possible with Donald Trump, although I think the former US President would be driving a US Army tank or some such rather than a humble push bike.

In episode one, Enda took us along the greenway from Waterford to Dungarvan. The train line was closed in 1967 but converted to a 48 km paved track four years ago.

Similar to the experience in Westport, it is remarkable what a car free cycling route through rolling Irish countryside with sea views will do for the local economy.

Up to the start of the pandemic, the Waterford greenway had attracted almost 300,000 visitors.

The Westport greenway, 42kms to Achill which opened for walkers and cyclists in 2011, brings 250,000 people to the area annually, spending money on accommodation, food and drink.

As in his days as taoiseach (2011-2017) and Fine Gael leader (2002-2017), Enda isn’t the most dynamic presenter but there is certainly an attractive honesty and warmth to him.

I can’t imagine you’d be rolling out of the pubs if Enda was your travelling companion, but I’m sure it would be a pleasant trip.

And so was the first episode of his inaugural TV travel show.

It was gentle meander (as Gaeilge) to Mount Congreve Gardens, Kilmeadan and Durrow Tunnel.

He met the local historian, the original proposer of the conversion scheme, the railway master who closed the gates after the last train in 1967 and Dungarvan business people thriving on the new tourists.

It was low key, functional, but unexciting. A bit like an Enda Kenny premiership.

***

Intruder, Channel Five, Monday to Thursday

A couple of decades ago it was believed that television drama was almost dead. A few series a year were created by the terrestrial broadcasters and the quality was mostly poor.

Things have changed so dramatically that it’s impossible now to keep up with the amount of made for television drama.

The BBC, ITV and even RTE churn out new work, never mind the hordes that arrives from Netflix, Amazon and Sky.

There was a time when you treasured a recommendation from a friend, now you dread them.

Channel Five, trying to compete in this crowded market, this week gave us the four-part Intruder.

The set-up is sensible enough. A middle-class party in the most expensive house in a village is watched by two teenage burglars, anxious for the revellers to go to bed and the stealing to begin.

Unfortunately, Sam, a journalist, retreats to his office room to do some work before bed and confronts the intruders.

He catches one as he tries to flee through the laundry room window and inexplicably (although he was high on cocaine) stabs him in the back and kills him.

To save Sam, his wife Rebecca and her best friend Elaine agree to an elaborate plot where the body is moved to the living room and a knife put in the teenager’s hand. Rebecca tells detectives she stabbed the intruder because he was attacking Sam.

Elaine backs all this up and the cops buy the tale, but Sam’s great plan has two giant holes. Firstly, he missed that there was a second intruder who stole his laptop and secondly Elaine, his former mistress, now has all the power.

It’s not the worst, but I wouldn't be adding it to your list if a friend tells you about it.