On the ‘money’ – how ‘Game of Thrones’ put us top of the must-visit list

FANCY taking your lightsaber on a trip to Skellig Michael? What about a cup of tea at Father Ted’s house, or an archery lesson at Winterfell?

‘Star Wars’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ have given Ireland an unprecedented stint in the TV and movie spotlight – but they’re just the opening reel.

Movies and TV shows are a huge driver of travel – inspiring up to 35pc of visitors in their choice of destination, according to Tourism Ireland.

It helps then, that Ireland has such a rich repository of locations to offer and visit – from classics like ‘The Quiet Man’ and ‘Ryan’s Daughter’ to more modern hits like ‘Derry Girls’, ‘Father Ted’ and erm... ‘Leap Year’.

Here are some of the best movie and TV locations to visit in Ireland.

Skellig Michael (‘Star Wars’)

Where: The Skelligs, Co Kerry

Skellig Michael was already iconic. When the Millennium Falcon swooped in over the Atlantic on its way to Ahch-To in ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ (2015), however, we knew Ireland was in for some dazzling big screen exposure.

‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ (2017) amped it up another level, with long scenes filmed not just in Kerry, but Malin Head in Co Donegal and on the Dingle Peninsula.

Fans taking light sabers and Jedi cloaks to Skellig Michael is just the start of it, a ‘May the Fourth Be With You’ festival is now an annual event. The Dark Hedges (‘Game of Thrones’)

Where: Ballymoney, Co Antrim

They may have appeared in ‘Game of Thrones’ for all of a few seconds – when a cart carrying Arya Stark and friends trundles down the King’s Road in series

2 – but these swirling beech trees have become Northern Ireland’s most iconic filming location.

The atmospheric avenue was first planted by the Stuart family of Gracehill House in the 18th century, but they could scarcely have imagined how dramatically those branches would twist and turn in the ensuing centuries. The thin tunnel of trees has highlighted the problems of screen tourism too, with traffic becoming an increasing issue as ‘GoT’ grew into the biggest TV show on the planet.

Cong (‘The Quiet Man’) Where: Cong, Co Mayo Millennials could be forgiven for wondering how this dinosaur makes any list of the best movie locations in Ireland. But John Ford’s classic, first released in 1952, is one of the most influential screen tourism hits of all time – and boy, has it stood the test of time. The movie itself has dated, but the locations seem as strong a draw as ever – from Ashford Castle, where John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara stayed, to the ‘Quiet Man Bridge’ at Lough Boffin and a museum and tours in the town itself.

Curracloe Beach (‘Saving Private Ryan’)

Where: Curracloe and Ballinesker, Co Wexford

You didn’t know Curracloe was the location for the opening D-Day landing scenes in Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic? You’re not from Wexford, then.

The scenes involved members of the Reserve Defence Force, stunts, explosions and more in depicting one of the bloodiest battles in history, and one of cinema’s most memorable opening acts. Curracloe was voted Ireland’s Favourite Beach in the Independent.ie Reader Travel Awards 2019.

Kilmainham Gaol (‘In the Name of the Father’) Where: Kilmainham, Dublin ‘In the Name of the Father’ (1993) was director Jim Sheridan’s take on the story of the Guildford Four – four men falsely convicted of the 1974 Guildford pub bombings. Many of the jail scenes were filmed at this historic location, but it’s not just Daniel Day Lewis and Co who have breathed new life into the creepy old interiors. Kilmainham has also featured in ‘The Italian Job’ (1969), ‘Michael Collins’ (1996) and ‘The Wind that Shakes the Barley’ (2006), among others. It closed its doors as a prison in 1924, but is one of Dublin’s top visitor attractions today.

Lough Tay (‘Vikings’)

Where: Near Roundwood, Co Wicklow

How is this lovely lake not the star of every single movie filmed in Ireland? The Wicklow wonder does feature in several, however – thanks both to its good looks and handy location close to Dublin and Ardmore Studios.

‘Vikings’ (since 2013) is the most recent, though this was also a setting for ‘Leap Year’ (2010), ‘Becoming Jane’ (2007) with Anne Hathaway and a famous scene in John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ (1981), when the legendary sword is finally grasped by the rhinestone-encrusted hand of the Lady of the Lake.

Wicklow, once dubbed “the Hollywood of Europe” by Jane Seymour, is home to oodles of famous movie and TV locations, ranging from ‘Michael Collins’ (1996), with a pivotal scene in the square at Rathdrum, to ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ (1998) and ‘Camelot’ (1967). Powerscourt and Killruddery House (‘The Tudors’, ‘Camelot’, ‘Far and Away’ and ‘My Left Foot’, among others) are two of the

The movie has dated but the location is as strong a draw as ever