The second series of Tarrac na Farraige, the RTÉ documentary following the lives of Ireland's fishing communities, begins on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Tuesday, 24 November, at 7pm. The four-part series, produced by Red Shoe Productions, returns to the fishing industry at a time of continuing uncertainty over its future. Afloat.ie reported the commissioning of the second series last November.
Filmed at sea and ashore around the coast, the new episodes explore the risks, losses and everyday pressures faced by fishermen, alongside family traditions, younger people entering the industry and happier occasions, including weddings.
Fishing Families and the Next Generation
Among those featured is Ciarán Doherty, chairman of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation and skipper of the Áine. His experience reflects changes in the industry and their impact on the Donegal fishing port. Doherty has previously spoken to Afloat.ie about the challenges facing the Killybegs fleet.
Domhnall Greene, 28, followed his grandfather into fishing and now operates a family crab-fishing business with his two brothers as crew. After his boat ran aground last September, leaving the crew needing rescue, he faced the task of rebuilding his livelihood.
Seventeen-year-old Muireann Kavanagh, from Arranmore Island, has grown up fishing for pollock with her father and uncles aboard a boat built by her late grandfather. When restrictions on pollock fishing threatened the family's livelihood, she wrote to the Minister for Fisheries, attracting attention online. Afloat.ie previously covered her intervention at a Donegal fishing industry campaign meeting.
In West Kerry, Seánín Mac Eoin looks back on a lifetime in the fishing community as he prepares to retire, bringing the experience of an older generation into the series.
Stories from Around the Coast
The production travelled from Magheraroarty to Skibbereen, and from Ballydavid to An Rinn. Other participants include the Casey, Sweeney and Kavanagh families, Eimear Coll and Maurice Condon.
Producer and director Maggie Breathnach again draws on her connection with Ireland's coastal communities, with cinematographer Seamus Hayes returning to film life aboard working fishing boats. Hayes previously discussed his fishing background and work on the programme with Seascapes.
The first four-part series, broadcast in May 2025, was praised for its portrayal of the industry and subsequently nominated for Best Factual Series at the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards.
The new series arrives as fishing industry representatives continue to call for measures to safeguard the long-term viability of Irish fisheries. Against that backdrop, the programme focuses on the people and families behind the industry's economic and political debates.
Tarrac na Farraige begins on Tuesday, 24 November 2026, at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, continuing on Tuesdays.
