The sparsely populated north-west of Ireland is one of the last bastions of the Gaelic tradition of sheep keeping; sheep are part of everyday life. The secrets of playing the fiddle are passed on from generation to generation. In many places Gaelic is still spoken. In Sligo, Donegal and Leitrim the visitor finds historic ruins, old churches and cemeteries that bear witness of a lively past. But even here, modern age has arrived: In some places women play the popular sport of rugby more passionately than the men - who in turn learn cooking and are taught the culinary specialties of Ireland.