Mairead Ronan returns to Ireland's Fittest Family alongside coaches Anna Geary, Davy Fitzgerald, Donncha O'Callaghan and Derval O'Rourke as they put some of Ireland's fittest family teams through their paces.
In episode three, it was Anna and Donncha calling the shots, as the two judges hounded their teams through a grueling set of obstacles and challenges, all set against the picturesque background of Strandhill and its sand dunes.
Anna's Mahers from Laois, McArdles from Co. Down and Ui Bhraonains from Co Carlow faced off against Donncha’s O’Driscolls from Dublin, Prendergasts from Limerick and the McSharrys from Co Sligo.
The six teams faced the same tough challenges as last week's teams, tackling the Quicksand challenge first. All family members had to scale a 120-metre sand dune carrying 2 buoys. Next was Rule the Runway, which included a 500-meter sprint and saw the families pull a 2 tonne plane back 350m.
How would you cope with this challenge?#IrelandsFittestFamily returns Sunday 6.30pm! pic.twitter.com/yYxVRs7mBQ
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) November 9, 2019
The bottom two families from each time trial face off against the opposing bottom two families in two eliminators in Sligo Airport.
Always a crushing part of the course, the Eliminator starts with a sprint to the reverse crawl ice baths, then it's a scramble through a cargo net crawl onto the runway where they face a series of over and unders. An inverted wall stands in their way, then it's onto a 10-foot wall and ending on the Ireland’s Fittest Family signature ramps.
Almost as captivating as the teams were Donncha's tracksuit pants, which caused a stir loud enough to rival last week's celebration of the Mandiangu family!
And cheering on the families each week are fans around the country, sharing their support, admiration and the odd criticism on Twitter:
Family time
This is our quality family time. We sit on the couch eating crap slagging off the families for not being fast enough 😂😂#irelandsfittestfamily
— CathybAFC 🇮🇪 (@Catblack04) November 10, 2019
The new Glenroe
Is #irelandsfittestfamily the new Glenroe?
— baz brock (@Bazzyb85) November 10, 2019
Once it comes on you know it's straight to bed after.
Davy Fitzgerald the Miley of 2019. Anna is Biddy.
The Hulk
Donncha "The Hulk" Callaghan think you'd better get the tracksuit sponsorship company to make an extension to the calfs of the tracksuits @FittestFamily #Irelandsfittestfamily 😜💪🤦♀️🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/vgFXE8s68x
— Gary Spike OSullivan (@spike_osullivan) November 10, 2019
Double quick time
I say when @AnnaGCork asks her husband to do something, he does it in double quick time #irelandsfittestfamily
— Gary Hanrahan (@irelandhomeg) November 10, 2019
Any help?
Fair play to the families pulling the plane I'm having trouble pulling the lid off my tub of Oreo ice cream #irelandsfittestfamily
— Ciara De Nais (@Kiks31) November 10, 2019
A typical Sunday night
Nothing to see here just dragging a plane up a runway! 😨#IrelandsFittestFamily tonight 6.30pm! pic.twitter.com/Yn4zZWkKXa
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) November 10, 2019
Disowned
if my family ever decided to do #irelandsfittestfamily i am pretty sure they would see me as a disadvantage and disown me
— Richard Guiheen (@richardguiheen) November 10, 2019
Adjust for extra long legs
Think Donnacha had his dryer set too high #pants #irelandsfittestfamily
— Sylvia McNeill (@sylvmcn) November 10, 2019
Finally
8yo: Why is there a fire engine there?
— Deborah Carroll (@NotBadParenting) November 10, 2019
Me: That's for when Davy Fitz finally bursts into flames.#irelandsfittestfamily
Ireland's Fittest Family
Lad thinks he's on #firstdates announcing he’s single and giving the tv and auld wink 🤣🤣🤣 #irelandsfittestfamily
— Orla McBrill (@Orlabobs) November 10, 2019
