Ireland: My Dream Location
As a first-generation Irish American, I’ve experienced the joys of Ireland as a kid on trips to see my grandparents. As a young adult, I backpacked Ireland on several different trips and even spent a year living and working in Dublin with my dual citizenship paving the way. Each new experience in Ireland only deepened my love for the country even more, and the joys of working and filming behind-the-scenes content for VIKINGS in Ireland over the better part of a decade only amplified my view of this amazing corner of the world. The experience working alongside my Irish Crew, Gerry Duffy and John Fay (who are more like family now), is something so special it’s quite hard to put into words. Working with and interviewing all of the amazing Irish filmmakers resulted in some amazing content of which I’m incredibly proud, but to use an Irish term, the “Craic” (hilarious good times) we had along the way was by far the best part of the experience. Put simply, IRELAND is my dream location for filming.
The Sons of Ragnar take up arms to avenge their father in an epic battle filmed with a cast of hundreds on location in Hollywood, County Wicklow, Ireland.
Ireland’s weather can make for unpredictable skies and unwanted rainfall at times, but the countries lush fields and foliage are as green as anywhere on the planet and make every frame of film come alive. From the stark beauty of the Cliffs of Moher to the gorgeous mountains of Wicklow, the emerald isle is surrounded by beautiful ocean views on all sides and has no shortage of varied settings or picturesque environments. One of the things that have always impressed me most about Ireland is the way in which it has protected its stunning natural beauty even as the country modernized. The Irish have always protected the picturesque countryside and have kept the land unmarred by telephone lines and power lines above ground making it a perfect stand-in for the Vikings’ Medieval timeframe. Within the 89 episodes of VIKINGS filmed in Ireland, the country has doubled as Scandinavia, England, France, and Russia among other locales. With castle ruins that captured my childhood imaginations dotting the countryside, the crashing waves of the ocean within reach on all sides, and wildly dangerous mountains all within a short drive of one another; the Irish settings paid massive production value dividends to VIKINGS and to my own personal photography I captured along the way.
The beauty and detail of the design of “Palace of the Russ” Vikings set is on display in a soundstage at Ashford Studios.
As much as I had gotten to experience Ireland over the years, I never had a true sense of the country’s film and TV capabilities until I visited its shores for a proper production. I think anyone would be amazed to come upon Ashford Studios hidden in the heart of the remote Wicklow mountains. Ashford is a state-of-the-art facility boasting massive soundstages and workspace capable of handling the many needs VIKINGS had over its impressive run. From Season 1-6, Ashford’s soundstages housed the Vikings Great Hall, a massive French Castle, and the beautifully intricate palace of the Russ Vikings. Ashford’s backlot provided ample space to create the VIKINGS everchanging and expanding Kattegat as it went from seaside village to thriving seaport within the narrative. On any given week, the backlot hosted massive Viking ships or perhaps the great walls of Paris fending off savage marauders. To my delight, the success of Vikings has helped Ashford Studios expand to accommodate even greater future production needs. I am beyond hopeful to work at the ever-evolving studio again as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
In the many behind-the-scenes interviews I had the pleasure of producing over the six seasons of VIKINGS content created, there was never a shortage of loving praise from the cast and creator of the series for the people of Ireland. Anyone who has visited the country will tell you the Irish have a way with a story that is unrivaled, and the same can be said for the country’s impressive field of narrative filmmakers. From Production Designing and building countless sets to Designing and Fabricating Viking costumes for an army of extras, the Irish crews created world-class period settings and costumes all while working long hours with amazingly good cheer. The camera department are experts filming in Ireland’s varying weather which can feature four seasons in a given day, and the grip and electrical department are experts in their craft. Of all of the many reasons I want to return to film in Ireland again, the people are without a doubt at the top of that list. In Ireland you’ll undoubtedly capture some of the most beautiful landscapes on camera, you will film in the rain despite your best-laid plans, and above all else, you’ll laugh as hard as you ever have.
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Images were used with the permission of Michael Brosnan and Gerry Duffy.