Farmer Mikie O'Shea turns to yoga RTE
“Mikie Shea is far from idle these days” - and thus begins one of those instantly memorable RTE News segments.
Reporter Séan Mac an Tsíthigh traveled to South Kerry for this uplifting dispatch that shows how farmers in the county are taking to yoga, not just for its health benefits, but to cope with rural isolation too.
Many of the men at Lesley MacLean’s Wednesday night yoga class are involved in heavy physical labor, meaning a chance to unwind on the mat and realign themselves is a welcome addition to a working schedule that can be lonely.
Shea tells Mac an Tsíthigh that the chance to immerse himself in the activity helps keep him connected to his community and his own strained form after some back-breaking work on the farm.
You can watch the full video below.
A grand stretch in the evenings - farmers in Co Kerry embrace yoga pic.twitter.com/lepSD00OJi
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) February 26, 2018
Video journalist Mac an Tsíthigh has a knack for his human interest pieces. One might remember he previously interviewed these West Kerry farmers about their stolen sheep: a piece that subsequently went viral for the men’s hard to understand accents.
Read More: Irish farmer's amazingly difficult accent has gone viral
Here are the best Twitter reactions to Shea and his fellow South Kerry farmers' love for yoga.
That South Kerry crowd are well able to look after them selfs.Different breed here in westkerry
— Shaun McCarthy (@grassmac) February 26, 2018
Isn’t it nice that they are getting out & meeting up.
— Annette Barry (@annettelaoise) February 26, 2018
They are very supple. I can't sit down on my ankles like that in child's pose even though I am doing yoga for over a decade.
— orl (@cnocdua) February 27, 2018
Where in South Kerry is this face dog down goin down?
— Michael Clifford (@Mickcliff) February 26, 2018
I was watching it, Kerry farmers are very hip?
— Anne Murphy (@annemur3) February 26, 2018