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Lives in a Landscape

Factual: Life Stories

Documentary series telling original stories about real lives in Britain today

Lives in a Landscape: Series 10

Lives in a Landscape: Series 10: Episode 3: Driving change in Portrush

Episode 3

Episode 3: Driving change in Portrush

Series 10

Driving change in Portrush

BBC Radio 4 - Lives in a Landscape, Series 10, Driving change in Portrush

Alan Dein is in Portrush in Northern Ireland as the town tidies up for the Irish Open.

The Irish Open golf tournament is coming to Portrush in Northern Ireland. Alan Dein visits, as the seaside town put its best foot forward with a major tidy up.

Golf has put Portrush on the map once again. The seaside town in Northern Ireland is home to two stars of the sport, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke. Their names are proudly displayed on the 'Welcome to Portrush' road signs. 

Along with fellow Northern Ireland player, Rory McIlroy, the two men have reinvigorated the local sports scene, so much so that the Irish Open golf tournament is coming to the Royal Portrush Golf Club at the end of June 2012. For four days the town will turn into a golf lover's paradise. Most of the hotels are booked out and people are renting out their houses. 

The Irish Open was last held at Royal Portrush in 1947 when the town was a popular holiday resort. But the advent of package holidays and affordable foreign travel eventually lead to a slow-down in the local tourism trade. For this Lives in a Landscape Alan Dein is in Portrush as it carries out a major spring-clean. Derelict buildings, described as 'eyesores', are one legacy of the recent property boom and bust. Now an injection of cash from the government is paying for their demolition and many of the town's buildings are being repainted. Some in Portrush fear this will be a temporary patch-up job and that once the big sporting event ends, and the world's TV cameras depart, things will return to normal. Others are hoping the Irish Open will breathe new life into Portrush.

Alan meets residents as they prepare for the eyes of the world to fall on their town.

Producer: Claire Burgoyne.

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Episode 3: Driving change in Portrush

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