Shot against the backdrop of the unique natural beauty and culture of the West of Ireland, over the course of six half-hour episodes, a new series entitled 'Moving West' on TG4 will follow the lives of six families who have moved or are in the process of moving to the west of Ireland.
Mary Kennedy meets families and couples who have made the big decision to do so, while also shining a light on all the West has to offer in terms of lifestyle, outdoor amenities, food culture and quality of life. The series is funded by the Western Development Commission and ties in with the ‘More to Life’ campaign.
Produced by Dundara Television & Media, this motivational and inspiring six-part series will bring viewers on a journey of discovery to show that life, and in particular your career, won't take a step back by moving to the west of Ireland.
Each episode will take an in-depth look at the opportunities and challenges involved in moving West and throughout the series, viewers will see that the region is populated with major national and global companies, with a thriving start-up ecosystem whilst yet retaining its natural charm and beauty.
The Covid-19 pandemic gave people the opportunity to re-assess their lives in many ways. Remote working and the hybrid model of work have suddenly become very real options.The show follows the families on their relocation journeys and in each episode the viewer gets to take a peek behind the curtains of the county, the local communities and those driving the region into the future.
Mary begins the series in Galway wheres she meets many people who have made the decision to move west, including Carol Ho from Hong Kong who runs her company Baseworx along with her husband Keith based in Galway's Portershed hub. In Sligo, Mary meets Aoife Porter who has moved from Cork and runs Bua Marketing in Strandhill.
In Mayo, she meets Louis Freiter and Caitriona Gray. Caitriona, from Dublin, and Louis, from Kent, moved to Louisburgh during Covid. Because of the pandemic, Caitriona now works from home full time, while Louis has just opened The Seven Wanders Cafe in Louisburgh.
Mary Kennedy’s love of the west of Ireland is also compelling and she spends quite a bit of time with her sister Deirdre who lives on Inis Meáin. "I think the series is very timely and I think it fits in very nicely with a different way of thinking about living and working which developed during the pandemic," said Mary.
"I’m a Dub, but I just love rural Ireland. The series is in a bilingual format in Irish and English and I just relish having the opportunity to use my Irish, a language I love. I really enjoyed filming with Enda and the team and meeting such inspirational people who had made the move west. It’s a very genuine and lovely series."
The Western Development Commission [www.westerndevelopment.ie] is a state agency that promotes the Western Region, provides policy analysis, is leading the development and rollout of the National Hubs Network (www.ConnectedHubs.ie ) and manages the €75m Western Investment Fund dedicated to supporting business growth in the region.
