Ireland’s landscape and historical landmarks have appeared in numerous iconic films over the past century.
There are many reasons why Ireland has become a hub for filming some incredible recent films.
From the landscape to tax purposes, there is always one film or another being shot somewhere on the island at any given time.
In the past, Ireland has been used for some iconic movie scenes. Let’s take a look at ten iconic movie scenes you had no idea were filmed in Ireland.
10. The Italian Job (1969) – Kilmainham Gaol
Starring Michael Caine, The Italian Job was largely shot across Italy and London.
However, one of the most iconic scenes in the entire film, the opening scene when Charlie (Michael Caine) is leaving the prison and shouts “Cheerio, lads!” to his fellow inmates, was filmed at the iconic Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin.
Kilmainham Gaol is one of Ireland’s most iconic buildings that echoes with some of the country’s most important historical events.
It housed figures like Henry Joy McCracken, Robert Emmet, and Charles Stewart Parnell, as well as leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising who were executed there in the Stonebreakers’ Yard.
Address: Inchicore Rd, Kilmainham, Dublin 8, D08 RK28, Ireland
9. P.S. I Love You (2007) – Whelan’s, Dublin
P.S. I Love You is a real tearjerker up there with the likes of The Notebook and My Girl. Lots of the movie was filmed on location in Ireland, and one iconic scene in particular was filmed in Whelan’s Bar in Dublin.
While the movie alleges that Whelan’s is a small pub in Wicklow, it is, in fact, the popular music venue in Dublin.
Holly (Hillary Swank) is being led on a journey through Ireland by her late husband Gerry (Gerard Butler) through a series of letters, and one of them instructs Holly and her friends to Whelan’s Bar, where she and Gerry had one of their first dates.
While William (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) sings a rendition of Van Morrison’s ‘Galway Girl’ and dedicates it to Holly, she is transported back to Gerry singing the very same song in the very same bar on their date.
Address: 25 Wexford St, Portobello, Dublin 2, D02 H527, Ireland
8. Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) – Skellig Michael
Skellig Michael, a remote island off the coast of County Kerry, was used during filming on of the most iconic scenes in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Skellig Michael appears famously in the last scene of the film. The real-life ancient stone steps of Skellig Michael and the beehive-shaped huts, which were built by monks in the 6th century, were used to create the mystical planet of Ahch-To.
In the final scene, we see Rey (Daisy Ridley) mounting the real stone steps to discover Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) in his remote island sanctuary.
7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2007) – The Cliffs of Moher
Ireland came to life on the big screen in the six instalment of the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
The Cliffs of Moher appear as the backdrop to a very important scene in the movie, when Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Dumbledore, Ireland’s own late Michael Gambon, go on a hunt to the treacherous sea caves that hold one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes.
The rock they stand on in the scene is, in fact, nearby Lemon Rock – a mass that was CGI-translocated for the film. The actors, too, were CGI’d onto the rock for safety reasons.
6. Saving Private Ryan (1998) – Ballinesker Beach, County Wexford
Another iconic opening scene here, but this time it’s the 20-plus minute opening battle scene representing D-Day in Saving Private Ryan.
The bloodshed and horror of the American advance on Omaha Beach in 1944 was recreated on Ballinesker Beach in County Wexford.
This is hands down one of the most iconic Hollywood movie scenes filmed in Ireland. This Irish beach was chosen thanks to its resemblance to Normandy’s Omaha Beach.
Address: Ballinruan, Curracloe, Co. Wexford, Ireland
5. The Princess Bride (1987) – The Cliffs of Moher
The Cliffs of Moher are back again, but this time referred to in the film as “The Cliffs of Insanity”. This time, they appear in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride. In a famous scene in the film, the hero of the story scales the 700-foot-high cliffs to rescue the princess from captivity.
The cliffs appear as the backdrop for the scene, which appears towards in the end of the movie, as the group voyages on a ship to rescue the princess.
4. Marley and Me (2008) – Connemara, County Galway
In the movie Marley and Me, John (Owen Wilson) and Jennifer (Jennifer Aniston) go to Ireland for their honeymoon. Many of the scenes for the film were shot in and around Roundstone, County Galway.
This one iconic scene that you might remember from the scene, however, was shot near Lough Na Fooey, a glacial lake situated between the Maumturk and Partry mountains.
In the scene, the pair are held up in a stereotypical sheep traffic jam on a country lane. Interestingly, a real local sheep herder, Joe Joyce, and his sheep dogs appear in the film.
3. Once – Grafton Street, Dublin
Starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, Once (2007) is a beautiful musical drama that follows the story of Guy (Hansard) and Girl (Irglová) on a magical, romantic week in Dublin.
The movie famously has an abundance of heart-aching original songs, including ‘Falling Slowly’ which won an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
However, in the opening scene, Guy performs another original song, ‘Say it to Me Now’ while busking passionately on Grafton Street outside Dunnes Stores. It is from his busking spot that he sees Girl for the first time as she sells roses on the street.
2. My Left Foot (1989) – Arbour Hill, Stoneybatter
While much of the film was shot in Ardmore Studios in Bray, some scenes in My Left Foot, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, were shot on the streets of Dublin.
This includes the famous coal heist scene, where Christy (Day-Lewis) and his brothers pull off a clever heist to provide fuel for their struggling family.
While Christy distracts the delivery man, his brothers unhook the latch from the back of the van, causing the coal to fall out as he drives out for the Brown family and their neighbours to gather. This iconic scene was filmed on the streets of Arbour Hill in Stoneybatter.
1. Braveheart (1995) – The Curragh, Co. Kildare
While an iconically Scottish movie, much of Braveheart was filmed in Ireland. One of the most iconic scenes in the film, the Battle of Stirling Bridge, was shot against the backdrop of The Curragh in County Kildare.
The Curragh is Ireland’s biggest expanse of unenclosed lowland grassland and has always been associated with horse racing and military training.
Thus, it was the perfect location to shoot the intricate battle scene with choreography involving hundreds of extras, many of whom were real-life members of the Irish Defence Forces.
