TG4 series to feature those who have made Donegal islands home from home
Trasna na dTonnta will explore the stories of people from outside Ireland who have chosen to make their home on two of Donegal's offshore islands
The stories of people from outside Ireland who have chosen to make their home on two of Donegal's offshore islands are to be explored in a new documentary series for TG4.
Trasna na dTonnta is an intimate and compelling four-part documentary series for TG4 that follows the lives of the “New Irish” who have chosen to make Ireland’s offshore islands their home.
Produced and directed by Helena Ní Ghallachóir of HG Productions, an Arranmore island native, the series explores the remarkable journeys of people who have travelled from across Europe and beyond to settle in some of the country’s most remote islands.
Filmed over twelve months, from January 2025 to January 2026, the series follows immigrants from Ukraine, South Africa, Nigeria, France, Scotland and Germany as they build new lives on five offshore islands: Arranmore and Tory as well as Sherkin, Bere and Dursey Islands in County Cork.Trasna na dTonnta offers a unique perspective on migration, identity and belonging.
The series airs their extraordinary stories of journeys across countries and continents, retracing the routes, transport and life-changing decisions that ultimately brought them to Ireland’s western seaboard.
For many, life on an island is an entirely new experience; some had never travelled by boat or lived beside the sea before arriving.
In Episode 1 Ukrainian refugees Krystyna and Diana share their story of finding sanctuary on Tory, while in Episode 4 Father John from Nigeria has become a valued part of community life on Arranmore as the local priest.
In Episode 2 - On Sherkin, Nina reflects on rebuilding her life after fleeing the war in Ukraine. In Episode 3 Sasha makes an emotional return to her homeland of Ukraine.
Trasna na dTonnta is a powerful exploration of home, community and the enduring human capacity to embrace change, forge connections and create a sense of belonging in the most unexpected of places.
The series begins on Monday, September 14 on TG4.