Offaly to come under spotlight on RTÉ show next week

An RTÉ show exploring Ireland's building and engineering achievements will focus on Offaly in the next episode of its new series next Tuesday (July 28).

Building Ireland returns to RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player at 7pm.

The episode, the second of a six-part series, looks at how Offaly has been shaped over centuries by water.

In the episode, engineer Tim Joyce retraces the major engineering works that transformed the Shannon into a navigable waterway, from Thomas Omer’s pioneering eighteenth-century canals to the vast lock, weir and bridge systems of the nineteenth century.

Visiting locations including Clonahenogue Canal, Victoria Lock and Meelick Weir, Tim uncovers both the ingenuity and miscalculations behind these ambitious projects.

Architect Orla Murphy reveals how the Shannon’s importance extended far beyond trade and transport. At Fort Eliza in Banagher and the Napoleonic fortifications that straddle this section of the river Shannon, she uncovers a defensive network built to protect key crossing points during a volatile chapter of European history. These riverside structures reveal how control of the Shannon once carried enormous military significance.

Geographer Susan Hegarty examines the modern challenge of managing water levels on the Shannon, meeting ESB engineer Declan Quille to understand the realities of flood mitigation. From hydroelectric infrastructure to the vast catchment feeding the river, Susan discovers why managing the Shannon remains a complex balancing act, and why flooding continues to threaten homes and livelihoods along the river.

Together, their journeys reveal a river that has shaped Ireland for centuries, while continuing to challenge those who live and work along its banks. From navigation and flood defence to ecology and conservation, the Shannon remains both a vital resource and a powerful force that demands respect.

Previously on the programme, architect Orla Murphy traced Athlone's evolution from an early strategic crossing point into one of Ireland's most important inland market towns.