Global travellers are now reporting a growing appetite for visiting film and TV inspired locations from bustling cities to thriving landscapes Northern Ireland has played a starring role in some
of the biggest films and TV shows around.
Northern Ireland is positioned to draw even more visitors eager to explore the filming locations behind their favourite bingeworthy shows.
Here are just some of the must visit filming locations you won’t want to miss:
How To Get To Heaven From Belfast
The village of Knockdara is the quaint fishing village of Ardglass in County Down, while the leading role of the Knockdara Hotel is taken on by The Harbourview Hotel in Carnlough on the Causeway Coastal Route.
Belfast plays a starring role in the series. The Lyric Theatre provides the setting for the BAFTA award show scenes along with the Grand Central Hotel. The production makes full use of the city’s iconic Titanic Quarter and Cathedral Quarter. Some of the most intense moments with Booker, played by Derry~Londonderry’s own Bronagh Gallagher, takes place at the picturesque Murlough Bay, in County Antrim while the lighthouse at St. John’s Point in Killough, County Down plays a symbolic role in the series. The TV show also filmed scenes at the atmospheric Hidden Village of Galboly in County Antrim. It wouldn’t be a Lisa McGee production without Derry~Londonderry featuring, where the Peace Bridge shone brightly and the writer couldn’t resist including a homage to her other blockbuster, Derry Girls. One of the scenes, ironically including Derry Girls actress, Saoirse- Monica Jackson, was shot in front of the iconic Derry Girls Mural.
A Knight of The Seven Kingdoms
The rolling hills and rocky overlooks of Cave Hill was used for exterior landscape shots that doubled as the far-flung reaches of Westeros. The Hidden Village of Galboly in County Antrim was the location of Ser Arlan’s Cottage. The historic Glenarm Castle and Estate also featured as the backdrop of several scenes of the hit TV show. Tollymore Forest Park provided the setting for forest and countryside sequences set within The Crownlands. Hen Mountain and Leitrim Lodge in the Mourne Mountains, representing the exterior of The Reach, became the rugged slopes, remote roads, and expansive natural vistas of Westeros’s less populated regions.
Once you’ve followed in the footsteps of A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, why not continue your journey through the world that started it all – Game of Thrones®. A visit to the Game of Thrones Studio Tour in Banbridge is a must, offering a behind‑the‑scenes look at where many memorable moments in the original series were created. Meanwhile, a visit to Fermanagh’s Blakes of the Hollow will allow you to see one of the beautiful 10 Doors of Thrones inspired by Season 6 of Game of Thrones and created from trees at The Dark Hedges, which fell during a storm, and collect a stamp in the Journey of Doors Passport.
Also, a fan favourite, the impressive Glass of Thrones walking trail along the Maritime Mile in Belfast is made up of a unique series of stained-glass windows depicting key houses and scenes from Game of Thrones.
