'Magical' Irish island with stunning bay where you can follow in the footsteps of film stars
On one magical Irish island, you can explore dramatic coastlines with white sand and vast lakes, all while following in the footsteps of an Oscar-nominated film’s plot.Martin McDonagh’s 2023 film The Banshees of Inisherin was nominated for eight Academy Awards - including Best Picture - while picking up a slew of other gongs, prompting many people to wander through its beautiful scenery. For those wishing to relive the breathtaking views, there is good news: much of it was filmed on one island.Achill Island, off the coast of County Mayo, is reachable by car, as it is connected to the mainland by the Michael Davitt Bridge and is easily accessible via the N59 from Westport to Mulranny, then the R319, according to Achill Tourism.On the south-east of the island, Cloughmore was the setting for JJ Devine's pub Jonjo's. Unfortunately, the building was built for filming and later demolished, so you cannot see it today. However, it is a popular bird-watching spot and is worth stopping off here for sweeping views of the sea.Travelling from Cloughmore westward along the coast, you will find the location for the fork in the road, marked by a statue of the Virgin Mary in the film.In real life, the road does not have a fork, and the film crew placed the statue of Mary there. This was also used for the scene where Colm (Brendan Gleeson) brings Pádraic (Colin Farrell) home after a beating in the village.The infamous opening scene of a joyful, content Pádraic strolling into shot against a highly colourised, rainbow-hued backdrop was shot at Purteen harbour, between Keel and Pollagh.The film crew gave the plot of land a makeover, turning it into a portside street scene complete with the island’s post office. The shop - O’Riordan’s - was constructed entirely for the film, and the row of fishermen’s cottages was a facade.Keem Bay is a stunning beach, with white sands and beautiful turqoise waters - making it one of Ireland’s most popular seaside spots. It is also the location for Colm and Pádraic’s final scene - the building, which is private, was not purpose-built and is still there; however, the actual scene was shot on a film set.Corrymore Lake is the setting of Dominic's (Barry Keoghan) and Siobhán’s (Kerry Condon) tragic conversation and his death.St Thomas’s Church, in Dugort, is a 19th-century Church of Ireland building that served as the setting for the Catholic Mass scenes in the film. It is a working church and not open to the public outside of worship service times.
