Ardal O'Hanlon to present his first ever show as Gaeilge

Ardal O'Hanlon's new series Inis na nIontas ( which translates to Island of Wonder roughly) will be the actor's first foray into the world of Irish language presenting.

Inis na nIontas, kicks off on TG4 on 10th January at 9.30pm and will show the comedian and actor exploring the islands of Ireland, "unearthing the history, observing the wildlife and meeting the islanders trying to live sustainably within their extraordinary environment."

The series will emphasise the wildlife and biodiversity of these places, but also the history and culture of these islands, many of which speak Irish.

The first episode will focus on Rathlin Island off Co Antrim, famous for its many birds and, exclusive to the island, the golden hare. O'Hanlon learns about archaeological finds he tastes noodles made from kelp, sustainably farmed on the island. Also in this episode he explores the Donegal islands Tory Island and Arranmore.

Other  islands being explored throughout the series are the Aran Islands, the abandoned Great Blasket Island, Valentia, and Skellig Michael, a UNESCO world heritage site made internationally famous in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In the final episode, O Hanlon will head Cork bound, and explores Garnish Island, Sherkin Island and Cape Clear.

Speaking about the series, O'Hanlon said, "As an Irishman, I'd obviously heard of a lot of these places, but I was quite taken aback by visiting and seeing for myself - I was genuinely moved.

Continuing the comedian said: "We have some of the most breathtaking scenery and wonderful nature. There's truly nowhere like an island, and I now know there's no island like an Irish island."

However O'Hanlon wasn't just emphasising the importance of the islands but the language too, saying: "We need to cherish these places. And I'm especially proud of doing the whole thing in Irish. It just seemed so fitting," he said.

O'Hanlon's mother, Teresa, is a native Irish speaker and with this series, he says that he fulfils a longstanding ambition to practice and improve his Irish and promote its use to a wider public.