Ireland has played host to a plethora of Hollywood film crews in recent years. Now, one Tipperary Castle has been named Europe’s favourite filming location.
One Tipperary Castle has been named Europe’s favourite filming location, winning the European Film Commissions Network Location (EUFCN) Award 2021.
Cahir Castle, located on the banks of the River Suir, has featured in various blockbuster movies. Thus, bringing to prominence this historic site.
Ireland is proving an increasingly popular destination for filming. So, it comes as little surprise that the Tipperary Castle has received such recognition.
An award-winning location – Ireland’s historic feel
With such a vast and diverse landscape, dotted with plenty of historical sites and medieval castles, Ireland has proved a popular destination for filming both fantasy and historical dramas.
Cahir Castle in County Tipperary featured in Amazon Prime Video’s movie The Green Knight, starring award-winning actor Dev Patel. Telling the story of King Arthur’s nephew Gawain, the 2021 film is an epic adventure adapted from the 14th-century poem ‘Sir Gawain and the Green Knight’.
Various locations around Ireland were featured in the film. Cahir Castle, Ardmore Studios in County Wicklow, and Charleville Castle in Tullamore, County Offaly are just some of them. However, it is the Tipperary Castle that has taken the crown as Europe’s favourite filming location.
How the winner was chosen – Tipperary Castle named Europe’s favourite filming location
The first stage of the competition allowed EUFCN member film commissions to submit one location from a film or a TV series shot in their country and released between 21 September 2020 and 11 September 2021.
The EUFCN Location Award Jury then considered all the submissions to decide upon their winner. The commission focused on the significance of the location’s role in the story and the innovation of its use within the project.
Accompanying Cahir Castle were four other shortlisted locations. Norway was considered for its role in the fantasy film Dune and Spain for Netflix’s The Crown. Meanwhile, Croatia was shortlisted for its feature in Murina and Germany for The Queen’s Gambit.
Medieval charm – the winning location
After winning over some of the biggest names in Hollywood, the Tipperary Castle was named Europe’s favourite filming location.
As well as featuring heavily in The Green Knight, Cahir Castle previously transformed into Camelot in the 1981 film Excalibur. More recently, it featured heavily in the epic historical drama The Last Duel. The movie starred big names like Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, and Ben Affleck.
The castle, which is managed by the Office of Public Works, also featured in Saban’s Mystic Knights Of Tir Na Nog on Fox Kids.
Steven Davenport, Head of US Production and Partnerships at Screen Ireland, said he was “delighted that Cahir Castle has won the EUFCN Location Award”.
He continued, “The collaboration between state agencies like Screen Ireland and the OPW enables film and television productions, both national and international, to benefit from the breath-taking range of filming locations across Ireland and bring them to life on screen.”
