‘Aerfort Dhún na nGall’ is set to air on TG4 tonight

The story of ‘Aerfort Dhún na nGall’ is told by the colourful characters who fly in and out and the airport team responsible for getting them from A to B.

The intimate and revealing four-part documentary gives viewers a unique insight into the running of a small regional airport, told through the intimate stories of the passengers flying in and out and the airport staff responsible for their safety and keeping this vital airport alive.

In episode one of ‘Aerfort Dhún na nGall’, we meet legendary musician Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh of Altan as she recounts how the airport changed her life and made touring internationally possible from Donegal. Local taxi driver Charlie Mac shares his celebrity stories. The Mullachdubh band perform at the annual St Patrick’s Day parade and emotions run high as families are reunited after the pandemic.    

Episode two of ‘Aerfort Dhún na nGall’, which will air next Thursday depicts COVID-19 complicating life in the airport, a passenger travels to Dublin for medical treatment, a 5K charity run on the airport landing strip, airport intern Cathal Mac Giolla Easbuic packs his bags for 6 months of training in Spain and student Leah Ní Ghairbhigh prepares to return to DCU following her summer break. 

In Episode three, Cathal Mac Giolla Easbuic is halfway through his Air Traffic controller training in Spain, emigrant Grace Rodgers flies in from Washington DC on a private plane, returning home to Tory island, Julio Diana flies to Sligo for lunch and we join music fans at Sult Festival in Gaoth Dobhair.

In Episode four, the Rescue 118 helicopter arrives to provide essential training to the airport staff, while the airport caters to a host of passengers; including Tom Marry on his regular commute to London, Lawyer Simon Gillespie at the High Court in Dublin and RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta presenter Michelle Nic Grianna is off to see a gig in Dublin. 

Filmed over 18 months, from 2021 to 2022, with exclusive behind-the-scenes access, we witness the daily challenges of the airport team as they navigate the pressures of managing a rural airport, overcome the stringent health and safety measures that COVID-19  brought and accommodate secretive celebrity landings. 

The first episode of the new four-part series will air tonight at 8 pm on TG4 and it will run for four weeks. The series is funded by TG4 and Coimisiún na Meán.