Drenagh Estate: Deep Roots

Two-part series following Conolly McCausland as he restores 70 acres of gardens and builds a café on his family's Drenagh estate. Conolly reveals their tragic recent history as he tries to secure the future for his family.

More than a half of century of neglect has left the formerly beautiful Drenagh Gardens overrun by bamboo, laurel and other non-native species. Conolly has a plan to restore the estate to its former glory and open a new visitor centre and café. However, his renovation and building works coincide with the onset of coronavirus, the fallout from Brexit and the war in Ukraine, and delays and spiralling costs threaten the whole project and the future of the family and their estate.

Alongside the estate renovation, Conolly is researching the history of his Ulster-Scots family and investigating why an ancient Scottish title used by the first McCauslands to arrive in Ireland fell out of use, and whether it could be reinstated.

Conolly McCausland is in race against time to have the walled garden finished before the grand opening and to have paying customers so that he can try and get the estate finances back on an even keel. Alongside the estate renovation, Conolly has been researching the history of his Ulster-Scots family and historian Dr William Roulston reveals whether an ancient Scottish title used by the first McCauslands to arrive in Ireland could be reinstated.