Conolly McCausland restores Drenagh Estate in new Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund series
Date Posted: October 31, 2022
Drenagh Estate: Deep Roots, a new Ulster-Scots Broadcast Fund series, follows Conolly McCausland as he restores 70 acres of gardens and builds a visitors’ centre on his family’s Drenagh Estate, outside Limavady. Conolly reveals their tragic recent history as he tries to secure the future for his family. The two-part series produced by NPE Media and Speed Motion will begin on Monday 7th November at 8:30pm on BBC One Northern Ireland.
Alongside the estate renovation, Conolly is researching the history of his Ulster-Scots family and investigating why an ancient Scottish title used by the first McCauslands to arrive in Ireland fell out of use, and whether it could be reinstated.
More than a half of century of neglect has left the formerly beautiful Drenagh Gardens over-run by bamboo, laurel and other non-native species. Conolly has a plan to restore the estate to its former glory and open a new visitor centre and café.
However his renovation and building works coincide with the onset of Coronavirus, the fallout from Brexit and the war in Ukraine, and delays and spiralling costs threaten the whole project and the future of the family and their estate.
Drenagh Estate: Deep Roots airs on Monday 7th November at 8:30pm on BBC One Northern Ireland.
