Two prominent Offaly sites feature in latest series of Disney+ documentary
Two locations in Offaly have featured in the newest season of the Disney+ National Geographic documentary, 'Europe From Above.'
Birr Castle and Banagher Concrete make an appearance on the season three of the documentary, which features Ireland in one episode.
Employees at Whitten Haulage safely transport 50 metre long beams made by Banagher Concrete through Birr in the middle of the night. Traffic lights and signs had to be removed in advance of the tricky task.
Steersman Philip Haslam can be seen speaking to the camera and explained: "You have to put 100% into the job because things can be that close and if you make a mistake, you could cause a lot of damage.
"As a steersman, you just have to watch and make sure that you're just gonna keep a couple of inches off the wall to get around because you need every inch and square.
The beams are helping to build a new bridge on the bypass in Macroom and are the largest ever manufactured and transported by road in Ireland and the UK. Viewers can see the load arrive at its destination in Cork.
Birr Castle is also paid a visit to examine the amazing Leviathan of Parsonstown telescope. The telescope was designed in 1845 by the owner of the castle at the time, the third Earl of Rosse, William Parsons.
Radio astronomer Ciara Maguire speaks about the newer addition to the castle, the iLOFAR Telescope which detects low-frequency radio waves from space.
"We're hoping to unravel some really big questions in solar physics that we haven;t been able to unravel previously. Our work involved fixing the array and making sure it's working correctly, so we get the best data from it.
Ciara and her colleague Aoife are also seen fixing the antenna's connections on the iLOFAR Telescope.
National Geographic describe the programme as a "spectacular aerial journey (which) reveals Ireland as it’s never been seen before. Flying cameras uncover the technology buried behind one of Europe’s most high-tech sports pitches, soar above the dramatic spectacle of Dublin’s Deer Rut, and follow a team saving Ireland’s protected grey seals. Alongside the rugged west coast and fractured islands, we’ll uncover the engineering accomplishments that are updating Ireland’s rural countryside."
The six-episode season of the documentary also features episodes on Norway, Croatia, Portugal, Switzerland and Iceland.
Birr Castle will also feature in an upcoming two-part aerial documentary series on TG4, beginning on Wednesday, October 19 at 9.30pm. Rúin ón Spéir offers a breathtaking view of Ireland from above looking down on the natural landscape.
The TG4 series was filmed in autumn at various locations throughout the country including Bull Rock Island, Newgrange, Merrion Square and Boland’s Mills in Dublin, Glendalough, The Rock of Cashel, Limerick’s Living Bridge, The Burren, Clifden and Glenveagh National Park.