Images of the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare were beamed live to over 6 million US TV viewers today (Tuesday 1st May ’07) when the iconic Cliffs were featured on the NBC ‘Today Show’, the most popular TV breakfast show in America.
A crew from NBC were filming the hugely popular ‘Where in the World is Matt Lauer?’ series for ‘The Today Show’ which has become known all over the US. Each year NBC co-host Matt Lauer and his crew film from a secret location known only to a handful of people. The idea is for the US based presenter and viewers in the US to guess where in the world Matt is filming from.
Work on the series began a number of months ago when the first of a series of NBC Producers arrived in Ireland to scout for possible locations.
“Shannon Development met with NBC Producer Mary Alice O’Rourke in February and showed her a number of possible film locations in the Shannon Region, including the Cliffs of Moher. It was a few weeks later that we were delighted to learn that the Cliffs had been selected as part of the programmes. It is a fantastic opportunity to promote County Clare to millions of potential US holidaymaker ” said Nandi O’Sullivan, Senior Tourism Press Officer, Shannon Development.
“ Matt Lauer is a household name in the US and his ‘Where in the World’ shows continues to attract a growing TV audience. This has been a unique opportunity to put Ireland centre stage in the minds of million of potential US holidaymakers. ‘Where in the World is Matt Lauer’ is also featured on the NBC website with additional viewers worldwide given the opportunity to follow Matt’s journey on the web,” Ms. O’Sullivan added.
The studio presenter and viewers were given a series of clues to solve the mystery. Ireland was this year’s location and the Cliffs of Moher featured prominently as Matt Lauer filmed a spectacular views of the Cliffs from a helicopter. He then went on to interview well-known economist and TV presenter, David McWilliams, about the booming Irish economy.
“Here at the Cliffs, we have been working very closely with the NBC crew to ensure that the broadcast went smoothly. This involved a couple of dress rehearsals in the days before the live broadcast. We are delighted that the Cliffs of Moher were featured on the show. It’s an extremely popular show in the States and the exposure for Clare will lead to additional visitors to the Cliffs and other attractions in the area” says Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.
Cliffs of Moher harpist and singer, Tina Morrissy, made a special appearance on the show before Matt was flown by helicopter to Galway for a further flavour of Ireland. In addition to the live broadcast, a number of pre-recorded features around Ireland were featured on the show, including a piece with well know County Clare storyteller, Eddie Lenihan.
Nandi O’Sullivan
Public Relations Manager
Tel: +353 61 710259
Mobile: +353 86-2371510
Fax: 061 363180
E-mail: Click Here