This Friday evening, September 26th, at 9.00pm the new series of 'Lesser Spotted Ulster' visits County Fermanagh.
In this episode, Joe will be spending some time happily meandering around the waterways on Lough Erne, as he pays a visit to the aptly-named Belle Isle, the largest island on the upper lough.
"We've always had a soft spot for Fermanagh," says Joe, "the tranquil beauty of the lakes, the peaceful verdant countryside and the abundance of wildlife going about their own business in glorious contrast to the liveliness and craic of the human population in the county, make it a perfect fit for Lesser Spotted Ulster.
Not to mention the warmth of the hospitality of Fermanagh people which overwhelms us every time we visit. And Belle Isle we found to be no different."
The new format of an hour-long show gives Joe ample time to do justice to the history, the scenery and the people of the island, and he does so by spending some time with local historian Joe Crawford, who pays homage to a man who made lasting contributions to the economy and the architecture, but also to the local gossip of the Upper Lough Erne area, John Grey Vesey Porter.
The secretary of the Fermanagh McManus Clan, Brian McManus, tells Joe about the time he called a clan gathering to pay homage to another great Fermanagh native, Cathal Óg McManus, a man who wasn't just in the history books - he wrote the history books.
And while he's on the subject, Joe pays a visit to some more modern-day McManus's, brother and sister, John McManus and Maureen Magee who regale him with tales of growing up on the Belle Isle estate, and the day-to-day perils of frozen lakes, wandering prize pigs and Mr. Porter's fox terriers.
Of course, the old Belle Isle Estate has a new guise these days as a holiday and leisure complex, for people who want to take advantage of all the activities the lake has to offer and, to demonstrate, the estate manager, Charles Plunkett, takes Joe on a tour of the lough in a boat that once belonged to a duke.
For those who prefer more culinary pursuits however, Belle Isle also offers a cookery school, run by the amazingly inventive and resourceful Liz Moore, who puts to good use a batch of eels caught by local fisherman Bob Phair, who recounts for Joe some of his memories of growing up within an industry once so vital to the local economy.
All this, and Joe manages to have a wee nosy inside and around Belle Isle Castle itself, including a hoke through some old and very interesting documents, a tour of a doggy cemetery, and a ponder underneath a very unusual arch.
A half-hour version of the programme will air on Sunday on UTV at 6.30pm, but will only feature some of the items from the hour-long show.
The programme is being shown at 9pm on UTV. For anyone who misses it, an edited half-hour programme is repeated on Sunday 28th at 6.30pm.
