Tipperary's Cahir Castle has been crowned Europe’s favourite filming location by public support.
The South East location, which has stood proudly for more than 700 years on its rocky island over the River Suir has won the European Film Commissions Network Location Award 2021.
The setting was nominated by Screen Ireland as the location for The Green Knight and won by a public vote against four other shortlisted European film locations in Norway (Dune), Spain (The Crown), Croatia (Murina) and Germany (The Queen’s Gambit).
The award was announced at the Berlinale’s European Film Market this evening.
🏆Cahir Castle wins prestigious EUFCN Location Award🏆
In 2019 The Green Knight was filmed at Cahir Castle. The castle had since been shortlisted for the award along with Malaga, Norway, Croatia and Berlin. It was announced today that Cahir Castle has won. pic.twitter.com/lSG0ZGCqwS— Senator Garret Ahearn (@GarretAhearn) February 15, 2022
Receiving the award trophy in Cahir Castle, Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW), Patrick O’Donovan said:
“I am delighted and I wish to thank all the people here in Ireland and abroad who answered our call and voted for Cahir Castle to win the EUFCN Location Award 2021. Winning this award is deserved recognition for one of Ireland’s stunning locations as well as for the dedicated OPW team of heritage and conservation experts committed to restoring, preserving and promoting Ireland’s cultural heritage for present and future generations to enjoy. The OPW cares for 780 of Ireland’s most iconic heritage sites. As part of its mission, it is proud to offer access to its sites to filmmakers from all over the world, working closely with film crews to maintain the highest standards of safety, integrity and authenticity.”
Eleanor Morrissey, the OPW site manager at Cahir Castle added:
“All of us working in Cahir Castle are immensely honoured and feel proud of this fantastic achievement that acknowledges how special Cahir Castle is not only in Ireland but in Europe. Working on site during the filming of The Green Knight was a wonderful experience which allowed us to see the courtyards dressed for filming, re-creating the appearance and atmosphere of how they may have been in centuries past."
"The craftsmanship of the medieval masons provided a wonderfully authentic backdrop for this tale of honour, bravery and courage, but Cahir Castle’s own history is no less fascinating and really comes to life in our guided tours and multilingual audio-visual show.”
Cahir Castle is one of Ireland's largest and well-preserved #castles. Built in the 13th century, it served as the base of the Butler family and much of the original structure still remains 🌳🏰
Open for tours all year!#tourism #cahir #tipperary #Ireland pic.twitter.com/f9eK0BqYDD— Thurles Tourist Office (@OfficeThurles) February 15, 2022
The OPW will launch a brochure of historic locations available for filming later this month during the Dublin Film Festival.
