Ireland’s Iconic Heritage Sites on Screen

Set of Braveheart (1995) at Trim Castle, Co Meath Pic © Frank Courtney Photography

Reeve Carney & Eva Greene during the filming of Penny Dreadful (2014) at Natonal Botanic Gardens Dublin Credit FILM COMPANY DESERT WOLF PRODUCTIONS

Daniel Day Lews during filming of In the Name of the Father at Kilmainham Gaol. Credit Universal Pictures / Alamy and the pride we take in sharing these rare and cherished places with the wider world. It will travel as an attractive, cultural passport with Ministers to locations all around the world as they meet influential audiences in more than 30 locations overseas and promote Ireland and Irish interests this St. Patrick's Day. Minister O’Donovan said: “The OPW cares for some 1,000 monuments and historic properties in 768 locations across Ireland, ranging from Neolithic passage tombs, medieval churches and castles, to Elizabethan manor houses, Palladian mansions, parks and gardens and monumental forts. The iconic monuments and properties in our care are significant to the identities of our towns and communities across Ireland and are a key driver of tourism and regional economic development. At the same time, they also occupy an important place in a shared imagination that transcends geographic boundaries through art, literature, music and film. As custodians of many of Ireland’s most precious built treasures, our role is to build a bridge between our past, present and future by connecting more people to the richness, diversity and inspiration that exist in our heritage.” Ireland’s relationship with cinema runs deep. Moving pictures were first shown here in 1896, and just a few months later, cameramen working for the Lumière brothers filmed the first footage of the country. Ever since then, filmmakers have flocked to Ireland, drawn by the diversity of its landscapes, the mild climate that enables filming all year round, the creative talent that resides here and, above all, by a 5000-year history that is visible across the land, from Brú na Bóinne to Bantry Bay. Director Neil Jordan fondly recalled his experience of working with the OPW on his historical biopic starring Liam Neeson: “The filming of Michael Collins was a wonderful experience. The Office of Public Works gave me access to streetscapes and buildings of immense historical significance, from the Four Courts to College Green. The most resonant of these was Dublin Castle, which played such a significant part in the period.” As part of our mission, the OPW is proud to offer access to our sites to filmmakers from all over the world, working closely with film crews to maintain the highest standards of safety, integrity and authenticity. Famous films from The Italian Job and Barry Lyndon to Star Wars: The Force Awakens and The Green Knight have been shot at OPW sites, and with this guide, superb infrastructure and great postproduction studios, it has never been easier to film here.

A Guide to Filming at Ireland’s Historic Locatons Pics 1 & 2: OPW guide Catherine Victory (centre) in costume to launch A Guide to Filming at Ireland’s Historic Locatons in the Throne Room at Dublin Castle to promote local filming opportunites at OPW’s iconic heritage sites . Pic: Naoise Culhane Pic 3: Amy Adams and Mathew Goode during the filming of Leap Year in St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin (2010). Credit AF Archive / Alamy. Pic 4: Filming of Neverland at Dublin Castle (2010). Credit: WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy. Pic 5: OPW guide Catherine Bergin in costume at Dublin Castle. Pic 5: Dev Patel 'The Green Knight' (2021) Cahir Castle. Credit Killian Dowling Screen Ireland.