By Olivia Kelleher
Hollywood star Matt Damon is set to return to the States having made his final visit to a bakery in Dalkey, Co Dublin which has become a firm favourite of his family.
Dalkey’s Country Bake store posted on Facebook that the Boston actor had dropped in for the last time today before leaving Ireland.
They posted a picture of the Good Will Hunting star with the message “Our last visit from Matt and his family for a while. Safe travels! Thanks for bringing some excitement to Dalkey during this pandemic!”
Damon arrived in Ireland to shoot a film in March.
He decided to stay in Dalkey to allow his children to finish their school year with personal tutors that had been lined up prior to the outbreak of Covid-19.
Matt was spotted around town sporting a Supervalu shopping bag and had posed for pictures with residents prior to the introduction of the Covid-19 restrictions.
The New York Times tried to track him down but he gave the much coveted lockdown scoop to a Dublin radio station.
In the interview, Damon said he "laughed so hard" when he heard of the attempts by area residents to nip the press queries about him in the bud.
Matt said he was thrilled when he heard what local people had done for him.
"That is when I realised how great this place was and how protective everyone here is. I had no idea all this was happening behind the scenes and that you joined the group for one day before they found you out and booted you which is just great."
The 49-year-old actor, who was in Ireland with his wife and three of his four children, said that Dalkey was "incredible".
"This is one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. Obviously what is going on in the world is horrible. But I am with my family.
"I have got my kids. We have teachers with us because we were planning on missing school for eight weeks.
"We have live human beings teaching our kids. We feel guilty. We have this incredible set up in this place that is absolutely gorgeous.
Even in the lockdown they say you have to stay within 2 kilometres of your house. Within two kilometres of here there is trees and forests and ocean.
"I can't think of anywhere you would rather be in a 2km radius of."
Matt said that the scenery in Dalkey was "insane".
"It has changed. Now it is blooming. I thought it was incredible two months ago. Now it is ridiculous.
"It feels like I am in the middle of a fairytale. I can see why all these people live here.
"When we came in they were like 'Bono lives over here and Enya lives over here' and I get it."
Responding to the picture of him holding a Supervalu bag by the water which went viral Damon said that he was in fact carrying towels.
"That bag I think we just had the towels. I was with the kids we were taking a dip in that water.
"I think we just grabbed one of our Supervalu bags and stuffed it with stuff. We didn't show up with beach bags. We were just improvising."
Matt and the family will return for eight weeks of shooting at a later date.
The luxurious home he stayed is back on the rental market.
