Camden Fort features in Ireland's Fittest Family

 By Ciara O’Brien

A TOURIST attraction in Cork was chosen as a location for one of Ireland’s top TV shows. 

Cork County Council was delighted to welcome Ireland’s Fittest Family to Camden Fort Meagher in Crosshaven earlier this year to film the latest series, which started on RTE 1 last Sunday. 

Ireland’s Fittest Family has been running since 2014 and has been putting each of the competing families through some fairly rigorous obstacle courses ever since.

Camden Fort Meagher was featured in the opening episode of the new series. The 400-year old military fort was an ideal location for the show. The underground tunnels proved to be very challenging in the time trials and the eliminator round that followed may be one of the toughest to date. 

Located on a 45 acre site with extensive ocean views, Camden Fort Meagher comprises a sizeable number of buildings and a vast underground infrastructure.

This has been the second time that Cork County has been chosen as one of the locations for the show. 

The second series featured nearby Spike Island. The island gave the competing families a chance to participate in gruelling obstacles overlooking Cobh and Cork Harbour.

This year, three out of the four coaches are Cork athletes. 

Last year’s winning coach, Cork camogie player Anna Geary, and Irish Sprint Hurdles record holder Derval O‘Rourke, are joined this year by a new coach. Donncha O’Callaghan, Munster and Irish Rugby legend, is joining the team for the first time. 

Of course the coaching team would not be complete without everyone’s favourite Banner man, Davy Fitzgerald, who also has a series three win under his belt.

‘Cork County Council continues investing in Camden Fort Meagher to make it one of Cork’s major tourism attractions,’ said a spokesperson for Cork County Council.

The Council also revealed that JCA Architects Cork have been appointed to prepare a masterplan for the future use, conservation and restoration of the fort. ‘This masterplan will be the first step in achieving this goal and will build on the wonderful work already completed by Cork County Council, the volunteers and the wider Crosshaven community,’ the spokesperson added.