Play ‘Thrones’ games in Northern Ireland
On the Kings Road ... at last ... en route to Winterfell. I, a true pilgrim and loyal banner-person, do pledge allegiance to the clan Stark and wish to pay homage at Winterfell, seat of the King in the North.
My journey began in Belfast, my mother’s ancestral home. I confess to being a fan of the HBO cult hit Game of Thrones, and have seized the chance to visit some of the filming locations scattered across Northern Ireland.
First I travelled north, to the Antrim Coast, whose scenic glens and coves play host to numerous Game of Thrones dramas, on a one-day tour organized by McComb’s Travel for a new demographic of tourist: the “Throners.” Once here, they get to see the stunning vistas, castles, forests, moorland and caves that lured the cable network — all within a two-hour drive of Belfast. An added bonus is the “hundred thousand welcomes” from Northern Ireland locals, who have a tale or two to tell of their own.
Our first stop is near the town of Ballymoney, at “the Dark Hedges,” which framed one of the best-known scenes from the series — the flight of a young heroine, Arya Stark, from her father’s betrayers at King’s Landing. There is no mistaking the eerie beauty of this avenue of beech trees, which lures amateur photographers.
Blue skies and glistening seas blessed the picturesque Ballintoy Harbor, which served as the backdrop to anti-hero Theon Greyjoy’s homecoming, where Throners snap selfies.
Fans know the Larrybane quarry on the Antrim Coast as Renly’s military encampment in Season 2. Nearby is Carrick-a-Rede bridge — a famously terrifying rope bridge suspended 30 metres above the sea, connecting a rocky island to the mainland cliffs. It’s well worth a visit.
Most northbound tours include the famous Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site. A six-kilometre promontory made of huge, interlocked basalt columns — created 60 million years ago — rises from the North Atlantic as if carved by the giants who stalk Ulster’s mythology.
The second day took me south, by car, toward the Mourne Mountains. I grew up in the foothills of these granite giants, not far from Sandy Brae. Tollymore Forest was a favourite spot for many childhood outings.
After a hearty walk around Tollymore, we stopped at Inch Abbey, a ruined 11thcentury monastery near Downpatrick, where Robb Stark, son of Eddard, is declared “King in the North.”
Journey’s end brought us to the show’s Winterfell — Castle Ward, an 18th-century mansion on the shores of Strangford Lough. It’s now famous for the 10 filming locations on its grounds — particularly a 16th century castle that plays the role of the Stark family home, Winterfell.
Everywhere on the estate, was evidence of Starks, including Robb’s camp on Audley’s field, the crossing at Riverrun, and a hanging tree, scene of a brutal execution.