Recently, the super-popular TV series Games of Thrones has become one of the most important TV series of the last decade. And everybody knows that one of the most popular countries to be used for its locations is beautiful Ireland, with its wide green landscape, amazing cliffs, and ancient castles.
However, what about the cinema? Do you know any film that was filmed on the Emerald Isle? Let me tell you that yes, Ireland has a wide representation on the big screen, and many films have been admired all over the world, becoming genuine blockbusters.
Here are my personal top 5 films that were filmed in Ireland that you must watch!
1 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
The first of them has to be, obviously, the seventh part of Star Wars, released in 2015. The film, which was so well received, tells us the story 30 years after the defeat of Darth Vader and the Empire. The adventure begins when a scavenger called Rey finds a droid that contains information about Luke Skywalker’s location. Film director J. J. Abraham chose the magic Skellig Michael, a small island off the coast of County Kerry, as the location where Luke Skywalker was hidden, and where Rey found him.
2 – Braveheart (1995)
The super successful Braveheart, which tells us the story of the legendary Scottish hero William Wallace and the wars between Scottish and English, was almost totally filmed in Ireland, although everybody thinks it was made in Scotland. For example, the famous Battle of Stirling Bridge was filmed on the wild Curragh Plains, and the scenes set in York and London were filmed in Bective Abbey and Trim Castle, respectively.
3 – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)
The Cliffs of Moher, the principal tourist attraction in Ireland, was the location for the battle to find and destroy one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes by Dumbledore and Harry Potter. The scene shows us the dark, monumental cliffs right in front of the famous Lemon Rock, where the two characters arrived to fulfill their mission.
4 – Once (2007)
This beautiful, romantic film was entirely filmed in Dublin. It tells us the love story between an Irish street musician and a singer-songwriter from the Czech Republic. Its simplicity is marvelous, showing us the most special corners of Ireland’s capital, like Grafton Street; the popular ‘Walton’s Music’, in George’s Street; the lovely Bruxelles restaurant, in Harry Street; and the amazing Killiney Hill.
5 – Brooklyn (2015)
Brooklyn is an Irish film based on the novel of the same name from the Irish writer Colm Tóibín. During the 1950s, a young-Irish girl emigrates to the United States’ famous New York neighborhood of Brooklyn, to make a better life for herself. The film shows us stunning spots in Ireland, like Enniscorthy in Wexford, and the beaches of Curracloe and Ballinesker.
Now that you know the best films set in this country, it’s time to watch them! My recommendation is to watch them in English with English subtitles so that you can improve your listening skills while you appreciate the different accents.
