Nationwide Revisited in Mullingar

Nationwide Revisited returns to the TV screens this Sunday at 7pm on RTÉ One with a trip to St Finian's College in Mullingar, where the Schola Cantorum was set up by the Catholic Hierarchy in 1970 to train young men in its music conservatoire.Michael Ryan meets some of the scholarship pupils to hear about the magnificent choral singing and musicianship and chats to Fr Paul Connell about the changes through the decades.Girls entered the hallowed halls when the boarding element of the school was phased out and the Schola has produced organists and singers who are involved in parishes all over the world and Ireland.Fr Paul was a pupil when the archive footage of the Schola was shot in 1975 and now has come full circle as principal: "I just couldn't seem to get away," he said.Michael then travels across Mullingar to meet Bryan Peters where 15 years ago, reporter, Mary Fanning visited him at Ladestown House on the shores of Lough Ennell to meet a jackdaw who had become part of the family.When Mary arrived, the bird flew to her shoulder and cameraman Neilus Dennehy rolled and captured her unique piece to camera, with Jack the jackdaw on her shoulder!Michael Ryan finds out what happened to that little bird and whether its descendants are still living on the grounds of Ladestown House.The Revisited team moves on to Belvedere House where the tourism initiatives continue and thrive with one stunning project after another, all supported by Westmeath County Council.Nationwide Revisited, Sunday 27 May, 7pm, RTÉ One