A POETIC CORNER OF COUNTY LONDONDERRY: SEAMUS HEANEY/LOUGH BEG

 The Nobel Prize winning poet Seamus Heaney, who died in 2013, was born near the village of Bellaghy in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, and he is also buried there at St Mary’s Church to the north of the village.  The surrounding countryside provided much inspiration for Heaney’s work, and there is now a museum, the Seamus Heaney HomePlace, dedicated to his life and work.

To the east-north-east of the village is a body of water called Lough Beg, north of the much bigger Lough Neagh.  Heaney’s extended family was touched by The Troubles in 1975 when his second cousin was shot dead, and it was after this tragic event that he wrote an elegy called The Strand at Lough Beg.  The poem’s references to his cousin’s violent death sit in stark contrast to the lyrical descriptions of the location: “Church Island’s spire, its soft treeline of yew”...the cattle “Up to their bellies in an early mist”...the “squeaking sedge”...”Lough Beg half shines under the haze”.

Lough Beg (Londonderry side) - geograph-2684320. Photo by Kenneth Allen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Lough Beg is a small freshwater lake which lies on the border between County Londonderry and County Antrim.  Church Island is a small island in the lake, its medieval church built on the site of an earlier monastic settlement.  The spire of the church provides a picturesque landmark.  The island lies within a protected nature reserve, so the best way to view it is via a specially constructed viewpoint at Longpoint Wood.

Church Island, Lough Beg - geograph-2684322. Photo by Kenneth Allen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Map of the area.

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

SUMMER SPECIAL: BEACHES ON THE BIG AND SMALL SCREEN

Summer’s here and it’s time to head for the beach, but in between leaping into the waves and sunning yourself, why not stop to consider all the wonderful film and TV scenes produced over the years featuring the nation’s stunning beaches.  Here is a baker’s dozen of British beaches which have featured on the big and small screen.

Holywell Beach, Cornwall

In the third series of Poldark Geoffrey Charles, stepson of George Warleggan, is seen visiting a beautiful beach and declaring it the best beach in Cornwall.  In another episode the same beach forms the backdrop for the romantic reunion of Geoffrey Charles’ governess Morwenna and Demelza’s brother Drake.  The beach in question is the one at Holywell Bay, easily recognisable from the two pointy islets just offshore known as Gull Rocks.  This is not the first time the beach has been seen on screen: it appears on the big screen in Summer In February, the 2013 film about an Edwardian artists’ colony in Cornwall, in which Gilbert Evans and Alfred Munnings are seen riding together on horseback and discussing the love interest, the fragrant Florence Carter-Wood.  The bay’s name derives from St Cubert’s Holy Well, which is to be found in Holywell Cave, accessible at low tide.  The cave features in one of the above-mentioned Poldark episodes, when Drake leads Geoffrey Charles and Morwenna to it.

On a much grimmer note, in 2002 the beach was transformed into a North Korean battlefield for the opening scenes of the  James Bond film Die Another Day, although apart from a brief glimpse of Gull Rocks you would never recognise it.  The lifeguard hut was turned into a pill box and barbed wire was arranged all over in order to achieve the desired effect.

Dunes at Holywell Bay (6124). Photo by Nilfanion, via Wikimedia Commons

West Bay, Dorset

The distinctive orange-hued cliffs backing the beach at West Bay will be forever remembered by Broadchurch fans as the place where the Latimers’ son Danny was found dead on the beach, a tragic event which formed the central focus of the first series and continued to weave its way through the two subsequent series.  The beach is repeatedly seen thereafter, often with dramatic waves crashing onto the shore.  The rocks forming the cliffs date from the Early Jurassic age and consist of Bridport Sand Formation and Inferior Oolite.  There are also frequent glimpses of the harbour adjacent to the beach in the series.

Brighton, East Sussex

Brighton Beach has featured in many productions over the years.  Among the most memorable scenes is the one in Quadrophenia in which the central character Jimmy is sitting on the shingle after an eventful night out gazing pensively out to sea, accompanied by the strains of  The Who’s ‘Love, Reign O’er Me’.  Then there is the scene from Mona Lisa, in which Bob Hoskins and Cathy Tyson are seen larking about in comedy sunglasses on the Palace Pier.  The beach and seafront also appeared in The Boat That Rocked about a 1960s pirate radio station, and of course both the 1947 and 2010 version of  Brighton Rock, based on the Graham Greene novel of the same name, featured the seafront, in particular the pier.  This is just a small selection of appearances by the film makers’ favourite resort.

20070813 brighton10. Photo by Jean Housen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Camber  Sands, East Sussex

Camber Sands near Rye is a riot of dunes, a rarity in the south-east.  The makers of the Carry On film Follow That Camel evidently thought the beach resembled the Sahara Desert, only without the attendant heat and lack of infrastructure.  The sands were also seen in a beach scene in The Theory of Everything, about the life of Stephen Hawking.  But most of the appearances by the sands have been in war films.  The 1958 version of Dunkirk used the beach as the backdrop for a recreation of Operation Dynamo, and in the 1962 film The Longest Day it was used to depict the Normandy beaches, a role repeated in the more recent film The Monuments Men, starring George Clooney and Matt Damon, about an attempt to save art treasures from the Nazis. 

Holkham Beach, Norfolk

This sweeping mass of sand manages to upstage Gwyneth Paltrow in the final scene in Shakespeare in Love.  The actress is seen striding along the beach, meant to be Shakespeare’s Illyria, in a flowing gown while Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare sings her praises in a voiceover.  More recently, the beach became “Area X” in a sci-fi film called Annihilation starring Natalie Portman.  Visitors to the beach will no doubt want to look in on the nearby Palladian masterpiece Holkham Hall, which has also been used a fair bit in filming.

Redcar, North Yorkshire

Like Camber Sands, Redcar’s beach has been used to depict the beach at Dunkirk, this time in the film version of Ian McEwan’s novel Atonement, starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy.  The harrowing wartime scenes filmed at Redcar included local people who were brought in as extras to play the soldiers.  One of the excited inhabitants of the town commented that they wished they could put a price on what the film was worth to the town, quite justifiably, since visitor numbers jumped by some 70% during the filming.

Bamburgh, Northumberland

As well as being a stunning beach, Bamburgh has the added attraction of being overlooked by one of the country’s most impressive castles.  This has inevitably made it irresistible to film makers.  The castle and beach were used for the filming of the 1971 version of Macbeth, directed by Roman Polanski, and during the production of the 2015 version the cast and 200 extras were seen at the castle.  The castle also made an appearance in the 1998 film Elizabeth.  On the small screen, the castle served to depict Belleme Castle in Robin of Sherwood.  Another appearance on the small screen was in an episode of Most Haunted, a ghost hunting series best known for Yvette Fielding screaming her head off  and Derek Acorah speaking in tongues.  The ghosts in the castle reportedly include a stunningly beautiful “pink lady”.

Bamburgh MMB 39 Bamburgh Castle. Photo by mattbuck, via Wikimedia Commons.

St Andrews, Fife

The opening scene of the film Chariots of Fire, which tells the story of two athletes who, after years of training, are accepted to compete in the 1924 Paris Olympics, features a race along a beautiful sandy beach with the athletes dressed in their white period racing gear, their feet splashing in the shallows, with the stirring theme tune by Vangelis ringing out.   Towards the end of the scene the skyline of the university and cathedral city of St Andrews comes into the camera shot, revealing that the scene of the race is the city’s West Sands beach, backed by St Andrews Links, this being “the home of golf”.  The beach where the athletes trained was meant to be at Broadstairs, but the film makers chose St Andrews for the running scenes.

Camusdarach Beach, Arisaig, Highland

In the heartwarming film Local Hero, which tells the story of a rich American oil company’s efforts to buy a small Scottish coastal village for oil prospecting purposes, much of the action takes place on the east coast, in the village of Pennan.  However, one of the most beautiful locations used in the film was actually on the other side of Scotland at Camusdarach Beach, between Morar and Arisaig.  The beach is the setting of the amusing scene in which the local populace gather in the little church overlooking the beach to hold a meeting about the oil company's bid to exploit the area, while the oil men stand on the beach, oblivious to the line of people filing into the church.

Looking North up Camusdarach Beach - geograph.org.uk - 68305. Photo by David Crocker, via Wikimedia Commons.

Blackpool, Lancashire

Blackpool has made repeated appearances in the long-running soap opera Coronation Street.  From the early days in 1961, when Ena, Minnie and Martha took a trip up the Blackpool Tower, to 1985 when Bet Lynch declared that "Everybody's letting their hair down. You can cut smell of shrimps and best bitter with a knife."  Fast forward to 1989 when one of Coronation Street's worst villains, Alan Bradley, met his end at the hands of a Blackpool tram while stalking Rita Fairclough, who had moved to the town to escape from him.  Then there was the recent heart-rending scene involving Roy and Hayley Cropper who went to Blackpool to try to blot out Hayley's terminal cancer.  On the big screen, the resort is the focal point of the British comedy film Bhaji On The Beach about a group of women from the Indian subcontinent enjoying a day trip to see the famous Blackpool Illuminations. 

Freshwater West, Pembrokeshire

The year 2009 was a big one for filming on the spectacular beach at Freshwater West.  In May of that year the beach was taken over by the Harry Potter team, when filming took place for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  The most striking prop was Dobby's Shell Cottage, which is seen in the film with the dunes as a backdrop.  Then, the following month the production crew of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood arrived and put on a dazzling display for any casual onlookers as they filmed the scene depicting a battle against French invaders with Robin Hood (Russell Crowe) leading his men into the fray.  The scene was so massive that it involved 800 actors and 130 horses as well as dozens of the boats that were built for the filming.   

Freshwater West - geograph.org.uk - 239022. Photo by Jeremy Owen, via Wikimedia Commons.

Southerndown, Vale of Glamorgan

Many Doctor Who fans will have been touched by the relationship between the David Tennant version of the Doctor and his sidekick Rose Tyler (Billie Piper).  So the tearjerking scene in which the Doctor is about to declare his feelings for Rose when he suddenly dematerialises must have had them reaching for the tissues.  The scene of all this heartache was the beach at Southerndown in South Wales, meant to be Bad Wolf Bay in Norway in the series.  The production team evidently thought highly of the beach in question as a filming location: it was used in several other episodes including Journey's End, which saw Rose being joined by her successor Donna (Catherine Tate). 

Portstewart Strand, County Londonderry

One of the most magnificent beaches in Northern Ireland, and just one of a host of scenic coastal locations seen in Game of Thrones, which has just begun its seventh series, Portstewart Strand was where Jaime Lannister and Bronn were seen duelling with the Dornish guards in series 5.  The filming took place in August 2014, which was unfortunate, this being one of Northern Ireland’s most popular summer holiday spots, because the beach was completely closed for the filming.  The locals didn’t mind, though, considering the closure a small price to pay for the exposure given to Portstewart by its role in Game of Thrones.

A westerly view along The Strand, Portstewart - geograph.org.uk - 1312074. Photo by Des Colhoun, via Wikimedia Commons.

CASTLES AND COAST: GAME OF THRONES PART 2, COUNTY ANTRIM

Sadly, until a few years ago for me any mention of Northern Ireland conjured up images of violence and conflict, in other words the so-called 'Troubles' which lasted for several decades, ending with the 1998 'Good Friday Agreement'. So when we went to the Republic of Ireland for a holiday and decided to stray over the border, principally to see the Giant's Causeway, I was unsure what to expect. However, I am happy to report that I was blown away by the scenery we encountered, especially on the Antrim coast. Clearly the makers of Game of Thrones also hold this part of Northern Ireland in high regard, as there are many Antrim locations which feature in the series.

The drama of the Antrim Coast lends itself well to a series such as Game of Thrones. The Iron Islands seen in Series 2 are located in the area around Ballintoy Harbour, and the harbour itself is used as a landing place for the islands, scene of Theon's homecoming. Ballintoy is just a short distance from the Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge, a scary but fun bridge used for accessing a small island just off the mainland. Close to the Rope Bridge is the headland of Larrybane, the dramatic setting for Renly Baratheon's camp. The small, picturesque village of Cushendun lies further round the coast to the east, and is famous for its caves, which are believed to have been formed over 400 million years ago. In the series the caves are the location of Storm's End, where Davos Seaworth and Lady Melisandre make their landing and where the 'shadow baby' is born. The unspoilt Murlough Bay near Ballycastle is the scene of Theon's horse ride with his sister yara, and is also where Davos is rescued from the Fingers by a passing ship. Downhill Beach on the Causeway Coast, with the tiny Mussenden temple perched high on a cliff top, became Dragonstone for series 2, where Stannis pulls the flaming sword and Melisandre proclaims "For the night is dark and full of terrors".

Ballintoy harbour - geograph.org.uk - 820159. Photo by Ross, via Wikimedia Commons.

As well as its coastline, County Antrim is known for its history and heritage, particularly its castles. Probably the most spectacularly situated of these is the ruined Dunluce Castle, on a clifftop with sheer drops on either side. This dramatic location attracted the attention of early Christians and Vikings. In the series, Dunluce Castle doubles as the House of Greyjoy. Shane's Castle, meanwhile, is a ruined 14th-century castle on the shore of Lough Neagh near Randalstown. The tournament scene from season 1 was filmed with the castle as a suitably evocative backdrop.

Brinkview Dunluce Castle. Photo by Osioni, via Wikimedia Commons.

Several distinctive features of the County Antrim landscape are seen in the series. In the uplands between Ballymena and Larne is the majestic Slemish Mountain, generally regarded as the first known Irish home of St Patrick. On St Patrick's Day large crowds ascend the mountain on a pilgrimage. The mountain towers over the Shillanavogy Valley, which in Game of Thrones is used to depict the Dothraki grasslands. Another prominent natural feature in the area is an avenue of arched beech trees known as 'The Dark Hedges' near Armoy in the north-east of the county. In Game of Thrones, this is the King's Road where Arya disguises herself as a boy to evade capture en route to Winterfell. Finally, the Magheramorne Quarry, five miles from Larne, is where Castle Black, home to the Night's Watch, is found. It is also the location of The Wall, which protects the northern border of Westeros. The quarry was given a snowy makeover for the series.

Dark Hedges, County Antrim, Northern Ireland (6961336542). Photo by John5199, via Wikimedia Commons

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Further information about Northern Ireland locations featured in TV and film can be found on the Discover Northern Ireland website. The locations featured are easily reached from Belfast, which has an International Airport.

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.