Film and TV series lovers from all over the world, did you know that Ireland has served as a filming location for many of the most popular recent films and TV series? It’s no wonder, the stunning Irish landscapes make a perfect backdrop for fantasy, adventure or action scenes! If you go hiking in Ireland, you will have the opportunity to pass by these places and relive all your favorite scenes! So here are 4 films and TV series recently shot in Ireland.
1. Game of Thrones – Antrim
You cannot have missed hearing about the Game of Thrones tv series in recent years! It is famous for its unpredictable storylines and its brilliant fantasy universe. It also makes you travel to some of the most beautiful countries in the world. These incredible landscapes are, in many cases, real places that you can visit in Northern Ireland – particularly the region in GoT called “The North”.
The Causeway Coastal Way hiking trail takes you past many places used for the filming of Game of Thrones. Find out more about some of these locations in our post on 5 Game of Thrones Filming Locations in Ireland.
2. Vikings – Wicklow
Vikings is another popular TV series filmed primarily in Ireland, in Wicklow.
Vikings filming locations include Lough Tay and Powerscourt Waterfall. You can stop at both of these locations along the Wicklow Way hiking trail.
When you have seen the magnificent landscapes of the Wicklow Mountains, you will understand why these were chosen as the main filming location for this historic epic retracing the adventures of a Viking tribe at the end of the 8th century.
Also read our post: The 10 Best Spots Along The Wicklow Way
3. Star Wars – Dingle
Two episodes (VII and VIII) of the Star Wars saga were also filmed partly in Ireland, on the island of Skellig Michael and in Ballyferriter on the Dingle Peninsula.
During the pre-Christian era, a monastic colony settled on the difficult to access island of Skellig Michael, off the coast of Kerry. The monks built incredible stone beehive huts on Skellig Michael, adding to the beauty of the site. The island of Skellig Michael was also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
It is therefore not surprising that the producers of the Star Wars saga chose this location as the setting for some of their film’s most important scenes! As Skellig Michael was also difficult to film on, it was recreated in Ballyferriter on the nearby Dingle Peninsula where similar beehive huts can be found and many of the associated scenes were filmed.
You can visit Skellig Michael as part of an extra day activity while hiking the Kerry Way but please note that places are very limited and dependent on the weather conditions. While hiking the Dingle Way, you will pass beehive huts and Ballyferriter itself on the trail.
Also read our post Hiking The Dingle Way: Overview & 15 Tips
4. Harry Potter – Cliffs of Moher
Ireland was also used as a filming location for the Harry Potter films.
And no place more spectacular than the Cliffs of Moher could have been chosen for the 6th installment of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince! The cave where Harry Potter and Dumbledore meet is none other than the one at the foot of the epic cliffs.
You can admire the entire length of the Cliffs of Moher along the Burren Way hiking trail.
Also read our post The Burren Way – 10 Trail Highlights
5. Disenchanted – Wicklow
In 2021, ‘Disenchanted’ a sequel to 2007’s ‘Enchanted’, starring Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey was filmed in locations around Wicklow and Dublin including Enniskerry.
Amy Adams is no stranger to picturesque Enniskerry having previously starred in the 2010 film ‘Leap Year’, part of which was also filmed in the village.
Enniskerry is also a stopover location on the Wicklow Way hiking trail.
