Capital screen time and talking statues

Dublin Lir Academy alumni Paul Mescal can’t seem to put a foot wrong these days.

The star of Normal People - a mega TV hit that was filmed in Dublin, Wicklow and Sligo

- has now received a Leading

Actor award from BAFTA for his performance as troubled heartthrob Connell.

Not bad for a first-time nominee. The series’ Dublin scenes were filmed in real-life locations, taking in bars, cafés and streets with much of the drama unfolding in Trinity College Dublin, where the characters of Marianne, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Connell, go to university.

Trinity College is home to some of Ireland’s most iconic heritage and is also alma mater of some of Ireland’s literary greats, such as authors and dramatists Samuel Beckett and Oscar Wilde.

It has a special connection to Normal People, as it counts Director Lenny Abrahamson and author Sally Rooney among its alumni.

“Trinity is a really big part of this show; it’s almost like a character,” says Producer Catherine Magee. Whether it’s Hollywood blockbusters or smash-hit TV, the beautiful landscapes, streetscapes and architecture of Dublin always shine brightly on screen in the digital age.

Shows like Normal People are just the tip of the filming iceberg in the capital.

Bustling Grafton Street provided the urban setting for Oscarwinner Once and historic Kilmainham Gaol put stars behind bars in Michael Collins and The Italian Job.

Educating Rita was also filmed in Trinity College, famous for the Book of Kells, which also starred in a Bollywood blockbuster, Ek

The Tiger.

Not too far outside county lines, a visit to magnificent Powerscourt Estate in Wicklow, reveals the elegant setting for Ella Enchanted and The Tudors, while Trim Castle in Co. Meath recalls the battles in Braveheart.

Further down Ireland’s Ancient East, ‘set-jetters’ can stroll along the golden expanse of Curracloe Beach in Co. Wexford, which featured in Brooklyn and Saving Private Ryan, or follow in the footsteps of the Vikings through the beautiful Wicklow Mountains. Lights, camera and action-packed staycation adventures lie ahead.