Keepers of the Lough focuses on Strangford

THE UTV series Keepers of the Lough comes to an end on Thursday night, with the final of the six episodes bringing viewers more delights from the enchanting part of the Northern Irish countryside that is Strangford Lough.

Narrated by Patrick Kielty, the series has revealed what life is like in and around the lough through the eyes of those who work, play and depend on it and its surrounding areas.

In this final episode, we meet more new people and, along with some now-familiar faces, we see what they are all up to as the summer draws to a close, as well as the changes in the lough as autumn sets in.

First off, we’re in Greyabbey, where volunteer Dot Blakely from Bangor counts the Brent geese who have arrived from Arctic Canada. She and other volunteers count once a month from September to March.

Back in Portaferry, we meet Edward McDonald, who has been a skipper on the Strangford Ferry for 30 years. He is Strangford born and his father brought the very first ferry to the lough in the 1960s.

Gillian Cassidy and her family have moved down to Strangford Lough from Bangor. The back garden of the house runs down to the shores of the lough. As she watches over her kids as they kayak and row in the water, she explains how they all are learning how to adopt to lough life.

We’re back at Exploris with Cloddagh McVeigh from Kircubbin, who has been working at the aquarium for three years. She’s clearing unfertilised eggs from the Ray tank and she helps lead keeper Mark Bolland weigh the seal pups in the rescue sanctuary.

Not far from Portaferry we meet Tim Ferries from Belmont in Belfast, who volunteers with the National Trust on a regular basis. As he picks ragwort weeds at Barr Hall near Portaferry he explains how his other interest is in the landed gentry. He writes a blog under the name Lord Belmont.

Valentine Hodges, who some may remember from another UTV series, Rare Breed, from Greyabbey, talks about her campaign to save the native Irish black bee and how living on the shores of Strangford Lough helps that task as bees do not like to fly over large expanses of water.

The St Ayles Skiff, originally launched in Scotland to encourage rowing in the communities, has become popular on the lough. Gillian Thompson, who won a gold medal at the skiff world championship last year, talks to us as she trains for the Sketrick Club in Whiterock. Then Cathal Quinn and Sally Reilly talk to us as they compete at the juvenile skiff races at the Strangford Town Festival.

Clive Lyttle, from outside Portaferry, talks about his willow sculptures and how he and his wife grow willow on their premises. Clive also talks about the importance of hedgerows and how we could do with more around Strangford Lough

At the end of the summer John Scott steers a yacht onto a trailer to bring it in for the winter. As the series ends, he talks about how much the lough means to him.