Malin Head in Donegal has been ranked as the seventh most popular filming locations in Ireland.
As one of the most strikingly beautiful countries in the world, it’s no surprise that Ireland is such a popular spot for filming productions – from local Irish cinema to Hollywood blockbusters.
In fact, Ireland’s film sector has boomed exponentially in the last decade, producing various critically acclaimed films, television series and 15 Academy Award nominations in the past two years alone. According to Screen Ireland, the total production spend in the Irish economy reached a record high of €500 million in 2021, despite challenges facing the industry due to the pandemic.
With that in mind, sports betting and casino site Tonybet decided to investigate which of 20 Irish filming locations are the most popular according to Instagram and Google search data.
The Donegal beauty location had an index score of 53.95 out of 100. It has produced an average 15, 464 online searches worldwide and instagram post counts of 34,500.
The study looked at the average number of monthly searches for various terms relating to each location, such as ‘Cliffs of Moher’, ‘Visit Achill Island’, ‘Ashford Castle Ireland’, and the location with its most famous onscreen appearance, such as ‘Skellig Michael Star Wars’.
This was combined with the number of Instagram posts featured under the location’s respective hashtag, and an equal weighting was applied to both criteria to create a total index score out of 100.
Coming out on top were the Cliffs of Moher, with an index score of 100 out of 100 – revealing it the most popular according to both Instagram and Google searches. The Cliffs of Moher attracted 724,000 Instagram posts and generated a monthly average of 190,740 Google searches globally.
The Cliffs of Moher are sea cliffs in County Clare which run for 14km along the southwestern coast of the Burren region. The vast and rugged landscape is emblematic of Ireland’s natural beauty and will be recognizable for many movie fans, with the scenic spot appearing in beloved classics such as The Princess Bride (1987) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
In second place were the Wicklow Mountains, with an index core of 73.24 out of 100. The mountain range ranked second in Instagram popularity with 213,000 posts and produced an average of 27,413 monthly searches worldwide.
The Wicklow Mountains occupy much of central Wicklow County and stretch into bordering County Dublin and County Wexford, creating one of the most spectacular views in Ireland. They’ve commonly featured on screen, and can be spotted in P.S. I Love You (2007), Braveheart (1995) and the TV show Vikings.
Ranking third was Achill Island, which received an index score of 69.01 out of 100. This corresponded to 66,900 Instagram posts and a global average of 47,158 Google searches per month.
Achill Island is the largest of Ireland’s isles and is situated off the shore of County Mayo on the country’s west coast. The picturesque area is home to tranquil beaches and a distinct coastline that recently provided the setting to 2022 film The Banshees of Inisherin – which went onto become a critical hit and receive nine Oscar nominations.
Powerscourt followed in fourth with an index score of 68.26 out of 100. The historic county estate recorded 71,500 Instagram posts in total, and a Google search average of 40,865 per month worldwide.
Located in County Wicklow, Powerscourt Estate is notable for its landscaped gardens spanning 19 hectares and the sprawling white mansion overlooking the grounds. The estate is perhaps best known for providing the interior for several scenes in Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon (1975) and has lately appeared in films such as Cocaine Bear (2023) and Irish Wish (2024).
Rounding out the top five was Ashford Castle, receiving an index score of 67.43 out of 100, with 42,600 Instagram posts and an average monthly search count of 58,736 searches globally.
The medieval fortress sits near Cong on the County Mayo-Galway border and has operated as a hotel since the mid-20th century. While it serves more contemporary purpose now, it has provided the historic setting on films such as The Quiet Man (1952) and television period drama Reign.
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