Nationwide visits Westmeath as part of Royal Canal special

(Above) Nationwide presenter Bláthnaid Ní Chofaig with Claire Crinnegan outside the lock house in Coolnahay.

Some well known local faces will be appearing on Nationwide next week as the RTE 1 institution throws its spotlight on the Royal Canal and its recently opened greenway.

Starting next Monday evening, Nationwide presenters Anne Cassin and Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh take a journey along all 146 kilometres of the canal.

Beginning at opposite ends, Anne starts her journey in Dublin, heading west, and it’s all aboard in Clondra for Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh, going east towards Mullingar where the two presenters meet. All along the way, presenters Anne and Bláthnaid will meet the communities for whom the canal is of great importance.

Anne takes a barge trip from Dublin through the unique landscape of the Deep Sinking, to Leixlip, and rambles on to Maynooth, where the Royal Canal Greenway begins. From there she visits an art gallery in Kilcock, she runs with Na Fianna running club in Enfield and meets some canoeists at Ribbontail.

While all that is going on, Bláthnaid goes to Strokestown House and learns about the National Famine Way, she visits the Tidy Towns winning village of Abbeyshrule, joins a rambling group in Ballynacargy and meets Coolnahay's Claire Crinnegan, who was born in a lock house on the canal.

Nationwide all next week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.