Ballyduff guesthouse owners, Trevor Riches and his partner Lynette, had their premises, Ard na Ciúin, featured on the popular RTE television programme Nationwide this week.

Presenter Damien Tiernan visited the guesthouse at Toornageeha on Friday last to speak with the owners about their business which they established four years ago. They put in a hot tub which has proved popular with guests and then, 3 years ago, developed further, putting in a swimming pool and running swimming classes. Trevor says they teach people to swim in five days.

He was asked in the programme what had made him move to Ballyduff from his native Bedfordshire. His reply was “the people and the community.” While it was almost a case of sticking a pin in a map when he decided he wanted to move here, Trevor says, he fell in love with Ballyduff because of the friendliness of villagers and the strong community spirit.

Indeed as part of the footage for the Nationwide programme, Trevor asked that shots of the village be included. Part of the segment was filmed in the local Ballyduff Hardware and Angling Shop as the virtues of fishing the Blackwater river were discussed. Some Booley House performers were also filmed. The programme aired last night, (Wednesday, March 13).