Cahir Castle crowned EUFCN's best filming location winner

The site is one of Ireland’s largest and best-preserved historic castles.

By Melissa Kasule 16 Feb 2022

Cahir Castle crowned EUFCN's best filming location winner — Cahir Castle. Credit: Heritage Ireland

Cahir Castle over the River Suir in Ireland was crowned winner of the European Film Commissions Network (EUFCN) Location Award 2021.

The 700-year old location was announced at the Berlinale’s European Film Market after being nominated by Screen Ireland for the location of David Lowery’s fantasy film The Green Knight. Set in Arthurian times, the film tells the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight with Cahir Castle doubling for Camelot.

The Irish castle beat film locations in Norway for Dune, Spain for The Crown, Croatia for Murina and Germany for The Queen’s Gambit.

Patrick O’Donovan, minister of state with responsibility for the Office of Public Works (OPW) in Ireland, 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."

“Anybody who has visited it will easily see how its impressive battlements rising above the River Suir make it a dream location for internationally acclaimed fantasy films such as The Green Knight last year or Excalibur. We are privileged to care for and conserve Cahir Castle and we hope to welcome many of the viewers near and far who have seen it on the screen to this iconic Irish heritage site", added Rosemary Collier, assistant secretary and head of OPW’s Heritage Services and Capital Works Delivery.

Eleanor Morrissey, the OPW site manager at Cahir Castle added: “ 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.”

The castle has hosted other productions in the past too, including Ridely Scott's The Last Duel, John Boorman's classic Excalibur and Showtime's series The Tudors.