Listen Back to this hour long documentary about Bernard Walsh, a young man from Waterford who moved to Tenerife in the late 1600's and built an empire that still exists today. The programme was made by documentary maker Aoibhin Fallon with funding from the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland with the television licence fee. It tells the fascinating story of Bernard Walsh, who was born in Waterford in 1663, but who moved to Tenerife in his early 20's. While there he established himself as one of the most important traders, particularly of wine, in the Canaries and he built a massive empire spanning the entire island.
Bernard's descendants still live on the island and there is much evidence of Bernard and his influence, still visible today. In order to make the documentary, Aoibhin Fallon traveled to Tenerife, where she met with his descendants, visited many of the location relevant to his life and also got an insight into the family archive that contains thousands of personal records belonging to Bernard Walsh, including his 300 year old diary.
Listen back below:
