Irish castle wins award for best filming location in Europe

An Irish castle has been named as the best filming location in Europe, after it was the setting for the Amazon Prime series The Green Knight.

Cahir Castle in Tipperary was recognised by the European Film Commissions Network Location (EUFCN).

Each country that is a member of the EUFCN was able to submit a location that was used in their country for filming a movie or TV show between 21 September 2020 and 11 September 2021.

The panel then analysed every entry to pick the winner.

The decision was based on a number of factors including how important the location was to the story being told and how innovative the use of the location was.

As well as being used on The Green Knight, Cahir Castle has also featured in the BBC series The Tudors, and movies such as Excalibur and The Last Duel.

Cahir Castle beat stiff competition from Berlin, which was nominated for The Queen’s Gambit, Kornati National Park in Croatia (Murina), Malaga (The Crown) and Stadlandet (Dune).

EUFCN said: “Dating back to the mid-12th century, Cahir Castle was built to be a state-of-the-art defensive fortress and it has been the scene of sieges and bombardments for centuries.

“Appearing to grow from the actual rock on which it stands, and featuring battlements, heavy gates, turrets, towers and a stunning courtyard, the castle was the perfect double for Camelot, the legendary castle associated with Arthurian legend.”

The O’Brien family originally built the core structure of Cahir Castle in the 13th century on an island in the river Suir, where it replaced an earlier fortification.

It was developed by the Butler family for generations between 15th and 17th centuries. It fell into disrepair before undergoing some restorative work in the 1840s.

Eleanor Morrissey, who is the Cahir Castle site manager received the award.

She said: “All of us working in Cahir Castle and in the Office of Public Works are immensely honoured and very proud to win this award that acknowledges how special this fortress is not only in Ireland but in Europe.

“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 last year’s The Green Knight or The Last Duel. I want to thank all the people who voted for our site to win the EUFCN Location Award 2021. The team and I are delighted to be able to welcome one lucky winner who participated in the voting to Cahir Castle soon.”

For more information visit the EUFCN website.

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