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It鈥檚 spring, one of the warmest and sunniest on record and The Glens burst into life. On the farms there is lambing and calving to deal with, ground-nesting birds are beginning to breed on the moors, and training has begun for the camogie season. But then The Glens, like the rest of Northern Ireland goes into lockdown, as the Covid-19 virus hits the UK. The programme shows how the natural spring beauty of The Glens provides a sanctuary for the inhabitants.

The episode begins in early spring as snowdrops appear around Glenarm estate. Adrian the estate manager is checking a leak in the roof of the castle. He talks about the costs involved in preserving a property that鈥檚 hundreds of years old.

On the moors of Glenwherry, Glenarm estate鈥檚 gamekeeper Alex Rodgers is doing a preliminary count of the grouse. Using specially trained dogs, he combs the moor, hoping to ascertain how many breeding pairs of birds he has ahead of the season.

In Cushendall, we meet retired schoolteacher Stephen O鈥橦ara, who runs a story-telling caf茅 with his wife. As customers sip their tea, Stephen regales them with mythical tales of The Glens.

The Glens go into lockdown. Glenarm Castle gardens are now closed to visitors. Caf茅s, pubs and caravan sites are also shut, much to the exasperation of Robert and Tiffany McKay who were getting ready for their caf茅鈥檚 first summer season.

But not all industry can stop and on the Devlin鈥檚 farm in Glenshesk and the McBride鈥檚 farm on Fairhead lambing and calving carry on regardless.

On Glenwherry hill, Alex the gamekeeper is used to self-isolation. The grouse and other ground nesting birds have now laid their eggs and Alex needs to work hard to protect them from predators.

As Covid-19 restrictions begin to ease, visitors are returning to enjoy some late spring beauty, including Islandmagee-based artist Audrey Kyle, who has come to Glenariff to paint the waterfalls.

Unfortunately, the future is looking bleak for Stephen O鈥橦ara鈥檚 storytelling caf茅 in Cushendall. With social distancing restrictions, it鈥檚 difficult to see how his small space can be economically viable. 鈥淚t鈥檚 too soon to tell stories about 2020鈥�, he says.

Richard Weller: Series Director
Veronica Cunningham: Series Producer