this is bbc news, the headlines: ukraine says it has destroyed a second key bridge inside the kursk region of russia. the attack will further isolate russian troops, as ukraine presses on with its kursk counteroffensive. meanwhile russia says it has captured another village in the donetsk region. the us secretary of state, antony blinken is making his ninth trip to israel since the war in gaza began, with hopes he can encourage a ceasefire deal. in gaza itself, the hamas—run health ministry says at least nineteen people — including six children — have been killed in the latest israeli strikes. the french actor alain delon — once described as the most beautiful man in cinema — has died at the age of 88. president macron has called him a french monument, who embodied legendary roles and made the world dream.

now on bbc news...the travel show. coming up on this week's programme. bloom goes in there and ends up getting a gorgonzola cheese - sandwich, which even now it is fairly hip - the groove, you know? there's a seal over there also looking for its dinner. it's night time. not only am i staying in the same house, i am actually going to be sleeping in the very room that he had as a child.

there are no shortage of offers for the ladies here. hello, and welcome to the travel show, where this week we're looking back at some of our favourite stories from the island of ireland. it's a place that tourists have flocked to for years, to enjoy the stunning countryside, a certain brand of stout, best served with a chill taken off. and an even warmer welcome from the locals, who are renowned for their love of language and a good craic. let's kick off our look back at our adventures on the emerald isle with the time i visited dublin to follow in the footsteps of one of the country �*s most well—known authors, whose most famous work is still as acclaimed today as when it was first published more than 100 years ago.

dublin, a unesco city of literature that's produced a host of famous writers, from samuel beckett to oscar wilde. but i'm here publishing one particular novel that's made the irish capital a must visit destination for any book lover. and that book is ulysses byjamesjoyce. now, even though it's widely regarded as one of the finest pieces of literature of the 20th century, it's also notoriously difficult to read. i've tried and i must admit i have failed to, but i am told that if you invest in it and if you flow with its stream of consciousness, it's extremely rewarding. set over a single day, ulysses follows two characters, leopold bloom and stephen dedalus, on theirjourneys across dublin. today, there are guided tours that follow theirfootsteps and help readers

make sense of it all. this is davie barnes�*s pub. it's one of the set pieces in ulysses. bloom goes in there and ends up getting a gorgonzola cheese sandwich, which even now it is fairly hip to the groove, you know? sweeney's pharmacy is one of the landmarks featured in ulysses, and today it's run as one of the volunteers as a tribute to james joyce. they all looked. was it sheet lightning? it was darker now and there i were stones and bits of wood on the strand. a fair, unsullied soul called to him. now is then. no reasonable offer refused. these readings moved online during the pandemic, but even though the shop is open again, they continue to have people tune in from all over the world. the chemist turned back page after page. living all the day amongst herbs, ointments, disinfectants,

all is alabaster lily pots. no idea how i read that, but thanks for listening. that's what we do here. we read it out loud. we have people here from different nationalities and different parts of ireland and you hear in all sorts of music, if you like, and james joyce would have loved that. to make it easy to understand and get into it? absolutely. to grow up with it and know it's difficult, it's nice to sit here and know it's accessible. and if you want tojoin in, you can find more information on the sweeney's website. well, we are leaving the capital city behind now and heading to the county of cork, which has earned a reputation as the place that you will find the best food to eat in the country. a few years ago we asked local girl kate hardie—buckley

to explain why. welcome to west cork. this is the mizen peninsula. the most southwesterly tip of the island of ireland. i've been coming to this part of the world since i was eight years old. people are drawn here by the dramatic scenery, the arts and the great craic. now they're flocking here for the local cuisine. west cork was recently voted ireland's food capital. the history of the area is as rich and diverse as its food. along the coast you will find caves where pirates smuggled their treasures. it's where marconi sent the first transatlantic radio transmission to america. and it was here that the first famine death was recorded, the first of over i million across ireland, with a further 2 million people emigrating.

so, this is the skibbereen saturday market. at the height of summer, i think maybe the best market anywhere in the country. the freshest mozzarella available in ireland right now. it's like lactic poetry. april makes the most astonishing potions. when we think vinegar, we think of something as harsh and aggressive, and that's gentle. obviously i can taste the apple here, but there is a berry taste to it or something like that. you're tasting whisky. a bit early for the whisky! the skibbereen market continues to slowly but organically grow and get better. people, i think, are really realising more and more that the essence of a real experience is when it's grounded in local foods.

that's what you want whether you're in bangkok, tuscany or west cork. i've come to meet the fergusons, who run gubbeen, one of the original irish cheese farmhouses here, and they play a huge role on the west coast cheese scene. they've been making their award—winning trees for the last a0 yea rs. is this where you begin creating the flavours and the texture? in a way, although i think the real start of the story is the soil. and, of course, the big flavour is once the cheeses are made and they start to ferment. this is heavier than you'd think. oh my goodness! smells incredible. there you are, the finished products. i think if you're in new york, or if you're in paris or wherever we export to, and you come across this, what are you going to feel or smell? west cork. that's what i love about this. giana's children are the latest

generation working the land. fingal makes the charcuteries, with over 100 different products. the fergusons and other west cork food makers account for 75% of artisan producers across the country. in west cork, not only do you get to taste great food, but you also get the chance to find and explore new ingredients. it's beautiful down here. here we go. jim and maria kennedy run sea kayaking trips all along the coast, where you get to forage for your own food. out on the atlantic looking for dinner. and we don't have to look far. when you start to investigate they become like friends. youjust see, oh, look, there's the oarweed coming up, and over here the sea spaghetti. it's absolutely amazing.

for ireland's coastal communities, seaweed has long been a staple food. it has everything you need. it has minerals, it has vitamins, all the b vitamins that we spend, you know, 20 or 30 euros buying across the shelf, it's all in here. there's a seal over there also looking for his dinner. hello, buddy. so what is on my seaweed board? we have some dillisk, or dulse. carrageenan, another traditional favourite. we have seagrass, beautiful green, also known as spirulina. i recognise that one. mm—hmm. and then for something completely different, the queen of all seaweeds, or maybe the king, pepper dulse, the truffle of the sea. that's extraordinary. peppery. such a bite to it, such a kick.

even in the famine, people ate seaweed, but i think then it became associated with poverty and hunger. and now people are beginning to rediscover the amazing properties of seaweed. i have a long list of sporting heroes from the beautiful game, but at the very top, alongside pele, is george best. the man from belfast who took the footballing world by storm in the 1960s and 1970s, playing from my beloved manchester united. that is why this next story was like a dream come true, and a little bit surreal, if i'm totally honest. commentator: what a goal! united in the lead! he was a key part of the iconic manchester united team that in 1968 became the first english side to win the european cup.

..president of the european union football association— handed it over. and off the pitch, he wasjust as famous for his glamourous, hard—partying lifestyle which led to the nickname the fifth beatle. george best had changed sides. and it all began here, in belfast�*s cregagh estate, where fans now have the chance to stay at his childhood home. hello, you must be peter. iam. welcome to george best's house. come on in. thank you. wow! so, this is the main room. uh-huh. the bests would have lived in this house from 19118, so we've recently put the house back to as it would've been in 1961, when george first went over to manchester

as a 15—year—old in search of fame and fortune. so, that's his mother. yes, this photograph, then, shows george with his mother, annie, and this photograph was taken on his parents�* 25th silver wedding anniversary, so they would've been stood in this very room. i mean, this is a 20th—century legend, icon and he would've been here and this picture was there. wow. how easy was it to source this kind of furniture? just came from a number of sources, local charity shops, antique dealers, etc. the bests were the only family to live in this house. george's mother, ann, died in 1978 but his father, dickie, lived here for 60 years, until his death in 2008. so, this is the kitchen. this is the kitchen, yes. again, done as it would've been in 1961. it's very much retro—fied, so we have the belfast sink here and even the modern units like the fridge—freezer have got a retro feel about them.

wow! this isn't from 1961, though, is it? no, you can eat those and be safe. the house was bought by a local non—profit group called eastside partnership and, in its new retro—furnished state, is now available as a holiday rental. so, all of the proceeds that we get from the use of this house are used to support other community projects in east belfast. tourists have come here and tell me what their reaction has been like. oh, the reaction�*s been fantastic. a lot of manchester united fans would stay here, but also just local people who just want the opportunity to see the house and stay in the house as well. so, peter's gone and here i am. this retro stuff is incredible.

i mean, this was a guy who i'd pretty well worshipped as a child so to be in his house — this shrine, really — it's throwing me, to be honest with you. this year, the partnership has introduced an audio tour, featuring memories from george's sister, barbara. when mum and dad first moved in, it was much smaller... but peter has gone one better for my stay and organised a visit from barbara herself... there's a picture there. ..together with george's childhood friend, robin. that's me. yeah? yeah. and there is you—know—who. what do you think, barbara, of the idea that people can come here and stay the night? in his later years, george

suffered a very public battle with alcoholism. but up until his death in 2005, this house was always a refuge. 16 burren way here in - the cregagh estate was where he was brought up and this was where he felt safe. - we tried to protect him, and george knew that. when he came here, he wasn't open to the media scrutiny— that he would have been across the water — - isn't that right, barbara? yes, yes, yes, yes. he felt safe, yeah. yes. right, well, it's night—time and it feels a bit intrusive but, anyway, this is obviously one of the bedrooms that the family lived in. but not only am i staying in the same house, i'm actually going to be sleeping in the very room that he had

as a child. it's a kind of medium—sized room, the kind of room that any 12—year—old, 13—year—old boy would have, i guess. i wonder what he would've made of this. hopefully, he would've found it quite funny. right, it's time for me to get some sleep, although i'm not completely tired yet. i need some reading material. and i think this should do the trick. goodnight. that is almost it at our look—back back at stories from the emerald isle, but before we go, here is a story harking back to the old days, long before online dating, when the matchmaker was a key figure in rural ireland, and there is one place in the west of the country where every year, they still are, as christa found out when she went

looking for love. the lisdoonvarna matchmaking festival is europe's largest singles event, attracting up to 50,000 people each year. it has been a local tradition for over 160 years. the festival was originally designed to help find wives for lonely farmers at the end of the harvest season. the past half—century, willie daly has been the town's matchmaker in chief, using skills passed down from his father and grandfather. these days the matching is less about dowries and property and more about finding true love. most of my matchmaking has been a little bit different from my father and my grandfather. and i do enjoy doing it that way. when i introduce people, try to have a little bit of magic there. that when the person is saying this is the person i want to spend the rest of my life with.

it is very much an irish thing, maybe, but certainly people from other parts of the world do join with me, with a lot of people from england, there is a certain amount from germany, quite a lot from america. willie says his secrets are in this book. this book looks like it has seen better days. it has, yes. it's about 150, 160 years old, i think. it is a logbook, and it is a lucky book. if you touch book with both hands, you are going to be in love and married inside six months. if you touch it with just one hand, you're going to be in love. back in town the crowds are arriving, and a little

after 11am, the alcohol is already in full flow. events are held up and down the village, but the main centre of matchmaking activity is here, at the aptly named matchmaker bar. this is where willie sets out his stall. the process is this. would you like to have children, if all goes well? i think so, eventually, yeah. punters fill out their details and tell willie about themselves and what they would like in a partner. then, once the fee of 20 euros is paid, willie will attempt to find than a match. but in the days when many people meet their

future partner online, why do people still put their faith in willie and his traditional ways? i had my doubts, i may still have doubts, but i thought i would give it a whirl, why not? the festival may boost the number of locals finding partners but it is also a serious boost for the local economy. bringing in up to 3 million euros each year. this festival is the lifeblood - of lisdoonvarna, it is like the one month of the year when all the businesses geared - towards this festival. in september it is like the whole place is transformed. _ so a lot of the bed i and breakfasts would be very quiet during the year, there would be nobody here. i they make enough money in september to keep - them going for the whole year. so it has a massivel effect, and it is only getting bigger. not everyone attending the festival is single. many couples who met here in years past returned to celebrate and downs

the night and day away. but most of the folks here are looking for love. we want to find the one. so far we haven't found it, but do you know what, there is such a good buzz, such a great atmosphere. it is brilliant. we would like to find someone with a nice personality. we are not fussy. but you have to find the right match! hey, hey! i think we can gather there is no shortage of options for the ladies here. is there anybody out there? lisdoonvarna provides plenty of opportunity for some drunken fun. but finding love is far from guaranteed.

and willie's success is not guaranteed. after a few minutes, the first couple's eyes have already wandered. but here in the matchmaking capital, lisdoonvarna, hope springs eternal. so i am hoping that by the time i leave here he will keep his word and i will meet someone, because that was the whole reason for me coming here.

hello for many it's been a quiet start for the weekend but it's all—state change for next week. i do think for the first part of monday it should stay dry... but if i show you the rainfall accumulation chance for the week you can see more widely some rain or showers on tuesday and you can see where the heaviest rainfall is are expected in scotland and north wales. front the meantime send a chilly a chilly should start... some fairweather cloud bringing in... it'll feel start... some fairweather cloud bringing in... it'llfeeljust as warm as the winds are lighter. just notice that the temperatures are down a touch or so on saturdays in the north. that's because down in

the north. that's because down in the south we have the as you as high. 0n the south we have the as you as high. on monday it's starting to change, a spell of windy weather coming in... eventually we pick a few showers up in... otherwise it looks like it's going to be quite warm, 2526 degrees. an uncomfortable night without rain pushing eastwards that low pushing heavy showers. both monday and tuesday nowhere near exempt. quite brisk winds with those showers, schooling winds pushing those three. still reasonably warm. temperature is about average for the time of year. as we go through

wednesday we may see the as you as high coming in through wednesday to thursday, this may contain the remnants of the hurricane. above all some tropical air so it is getting warmer. we may... more generally many parts still will catch some rain. quite windy as well. we need to keep an eye on the forecast later in the week because itjust keeps piling up in the north of scotland north and west parts of england as well. again on thursday it might be later in the day before we see some breaks in the cloud and those temperatures popping up. i think it'll feel warm even in the rain because its tropical air. 0n it'll feel warm even in the rain because its tropical air. on friday another area of low pressure follow

suit. it's saying unsettled and we keep that low—pressure risk towards the north and it could be toward southern areas there is less risk of rain. going into next weekend and beyond that, but it's all being driven by a strong jet stream which keeps us in the cooler air and it continues to remain unsettled. it looks as if we will keep temperatures about average. the southis temperatures about average. the south is closer to the high and a better chance of staying dry. a bit.

live from london, this is bbc news. us secretary of state antony blinken travels to the middle east for the tenth time since the start of the war in gaza. ukraine says it's destroyed another key bridge in russia's kursk region, while the russian military claim to they've taken a village on the front line. a second world war bomb dug up at a building site triggers the evacuation of a community in northern ireland. and the french actor alain delon — once described as the most beautiful man in cinema — dies at the age of 88. hello, i'm martine croxall. the us secretary of state is travelling to israel as cautious optimism grows amongst israeli negotiators about the possibility of reaching a deal on gaza.