A TALE OF LOSS IN NORTHERN IRELAND: PHILOMENA/COUNTY DOWN

Philomena, starring Judy Dench and Steve Coogan, is a film based on the true story of a woman from Northern Ireland called Philomena Lee (Dench) who had a son out of wedlock, which led to her being sent to a convent.  The son was taken away from her and ended up in America.  The film centres on Philomena’s search for her son with the help of TV presenter Martin Sixsmith (Coogan). 

A large proportion of the film is set in America, where Philomena and Martin go in search of the lost son, but in the early scenes we are treated to the sight of the Mourne Mountains and surrounding area.  In the scene where Martin picks up Philomena to take her to the convent to quiz the nuns about her son, we see a sign saying ‘Birr’.  There is a town called Birr in County Offaly, Republic of Ireland, but the scene was actually filmed in Rostrevor on Carlingford Lough, close to the Mourne Mountains, and Philomena is seen waiting opposite the Killowen Inn on Bridge Street.

Rostrevor (elevated view) - geograph.org.uk - 278010. Photo by Albert Bridge, via Wikimedia Commons

Further north in the county, in Killyleagh, the Dufferin Arms pub was used in the scene where Philomena and Martin discover that there was a fire which destroyed the convent’s records, while suspiciously leaving the convent itself intact.  The landlord of the pub was so chuffed at his hostelry being chosen for the scene that a party was held to celebrate the premiere of the film.  

Killyleagh harbour (1) - geograph.org.uk - 296250. Photo by Albert Bridge, via Wikimedia Commons

Fans of the film who head to Northern Ireland in search of filming locations should not waste their time looking for the real-life version of Roscrea Convent, where Philomena had to give up her son.  The building used to depict the convent was actually Harefield House in Harefield near Uxbridge, Greater London, conveniently located close to Pinewood Studios.  In the film there is a smaller red brick building visible to the right of the front of the convent.  This is in another place altogether, on the estate of Shirburn Castle near Thame, Oxfordshire, and was added in with the help of computer graphics technology.  The cemetery scene was also filmed on the estate.  Note that neither of these properties are open to the public.



The Mountains of Mourne are a constant presence overlooking the coastal areas between Newcastle, County Down, and points south, as well as the county’s inland areas.  They include the  highest mountains in Northern Ireland, most notably the mighty Slieve Donard.  Rostrevor lies at the southern entrance to the mountains and is bordered by the Rostrevor Forest, which has many attractive paths for walkers to explore.  The area is also rich in historical and folkloric remains.  Killyleagh lies on the western side of Strangford Loch.  One of its most attractive features is its harbour lined with houses of different colours.   The harbour was the recipient of coal imports from England until the 1980s.

Map of County Down.

LOVE AND BETRAYAL IN NORTHERN IRELAND: DEATH AND NIGHTINGALES

I often find BBC dramas rather depressing, and this was certainly the case with Death and Nightingales, recently aired on BBC1 and starring Jamie Dornan. However the 3-parter, which was set and filmed in Northern Ireland, made the most of the natural beauty and historical heritage of this part of the UK. Although the story is set in County Fermanagh, two of the main filming locations are the National Trust property Springhill in County Londonderry and the grounds of Myra Castle near Strangford, County Down.

The drama, a story of love and betrayal set in 1885 in the Fermanagh countryside and based on the novel by Eugene McCabe, has as its main focus the home occupied by Billy Winters (Matthew Rhys) and his stepdaughter Beth (Ann Skelly). The property used for the filming of the interior house scenes was Springhill, a 17th-century plantation home in Moneymore, County Londonderry. The National Trust closed the property for the filming, which it must have done with some reluctance, as the filming took place during the busy months of May and June.

The house was apparently chosen because its history would have reflected the history of the Winters family in the story, in which the Protestant grandfather of Billy Winters would have bought his house around 1800, and the architecture would have been similar to Springhill’s. 12 spaces within the house were used during the filming, including the apartment used by National Trust staff, who had to move out to make way for the filming of Beth’s quarters. Springhill is home to no less than 8 species of bats, and the film crew had to wait until the bats had roosted each evening before commencing night shoots.

Springhill House, Moneymore. Photo by Kenneth Allen, via Wikimedia Commons

The dairy scenes and the boating scenes were filmed at the site of Myra Castle to the west of Strangford, County Down. The original castle, named Walshestown Castle, was built in the 16th century, but nowadays all that remains is a Landcape Park, where visitors can enjoy features including the Summerhouse, the Gate Lodge and the Pond among others.

Walshestown Castle Geograph-3036259-by-Mike-Searle. Via Wikimedia Commons

HERE BE DRAGONS: GAME OF THRONES PART 1, COUNTY DOWN

Game of Thrones, a kind of medieval fantasy adventure for adults (it has an 18 certificate), is based on the novel A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin about the fight for control of the fictional land of Westeros involving several noble families.  The TV adaptation of Martin's work, made by HBO and launched in 2011, is being screened by Sky Atlantic in this country, and is currently on season 4, although at least two more are planned.  The show's visual impact owes much to the wild beauty of Northern Ireland, particularly County Down and the Antrim coast.  This piece will cover the main locations used for the series in County Down; the Antrim coast will have to wait for another time. Watch this space.   

Anyone visiting the low-lying areas of County Down cannot fail to notice the Mountains of Mourne, which dominate the horizon hereabouts.  The mountains form the backdrop to many of the scenes in Game of Thrones, often decked out in snow for added effect.  The bleak, windswept conditions on the mountains must have been an endurance test for the cast and crew, but as one of the team remarked in an interview, this adds to the authenticity of the proceedings.  This, after all, is the northern edge of civilization for the peoples of Game of Thrones.  The scenes depicting the Stark family seat, Winterfell, make use of the estate of Castle Ward on Strangford Loch (Doune Castle in Scotland was used in the pilot series for the external shots).  King Robert is seen arriving at Winterfell with his entourage in season one; this scene was shot at Old Castle Ward, a 16th century ruin in the lower part of the estate.  Near Castle Ward is Audley's Field and Castle, the scene of Robb's camp, where viewers witness the capture and release of the Kingslayer and Talisa tending to the wounded.    

A southerly view of Audley's Castle, County Down - geograph.org.uk - 1659939. Photo by Des Colhoun, via Wikimedia Commons.

In the foothills of the Mourne Mountains lies Tollymore Forest Park, where Theon is stalked by Ramsay Snow.  This area is used to depict the snow-covered lands between Winterfell and the Wall.  Meanwhile, the monastic ruins of Inch Abbey on the River Quoile outside Downpatrick also feature heavily in the series.  The river itself is used as the Riverlands, home of the Tullys, and the area around the abbey features in Hoster Tully's funeral as well as the journey undertaken by The Hound and Arya towards the Red Fork.

Newcastle Co, Down - geograph.org.uk - 97011. Photo by Patrick Haughian, via Wikimedia Commons.

Tourism providers in Northern Ireland have been quick to cater for visiting Game of Thrones fans.  In particular the National Trust owned Castle Ward, where Clear Sky Adventure offers a range of activities including the chance to dress up in character costumes and indulge in a spot of archery.  There are also boat tours and self-guided cycle trails taking in some of the locations used in the filming of the show such as Winterfell, Robb's Camp and Dreadfort.  

Old Castle Ward. Photo by Irishdeltaforce, via Wikimedia Commons.

The County Down locations are easily accessible from Belfast, which has an International Airport as well as ferry links to Liverpool, the Isle of Man and Cairnryan (Stranraer) in Scotland.

Map of County Down.