The Banshees of Inisherin may have won big at this month’s Golden Globe Awards, but the incredible west coast of Ireland where it was filmed is drawing just as many accolades.
The Banshees of Inisherin, from Searchlight Pictures, scored a hat trick at January’s Golden Globes Awards in Beverly Hills, winning Best Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor for Colin Farrell and Best Screenplay for writer-director Martin McDonagh.
The black comedy, which was filmed on two islands off Ireland’s west coast, had led the shortlist with eight nominations.
Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, the film takes place on the fictional island of Inisherin, during the Irish Civil War in 1923. It follows lifelong friends Pádraic (Farrell) and Colm (Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship.
The film shows the incredible scenery, mountains, coastline and greenery of the Wild Atlantic Way. In a behind-the-scenes featurette created by Tourism Ireland, the actors and director are in full agreement that the drama of the story is more than heightened by its west of Ireland setting.
Using footage shot during filming for The Banshees of Inisherin, the featurette highlights the backdrops, scenery and why the islands were chosen as a location, with Martin McDonagh saying: “What we wanted to capture in the film was the beauty of Ireland and the cinema of it. We just wanted to make one of the most beautiful Irish films we could possibly make.”
The acclaimed film was shot mainly on Inishmore (spelled Inis Mór in Irish), County Galway, which has a population of around 760, and Achill Island, County Mayo, the largest Irish island with a population of around 2,500. Both are idyllic places to really escape the world for a while.
Inis Mór is the largest of the three Aran Islands that lie off the coast of County Galway. The Irish-speaking islands are known for their traditional culture, distinctive scenery, patchwork of fields and miles of criss-crossing drystone walls, visible frequently in The Banshees of Inisherin.
There is an array of monuments of Christian, pre-Christian and Celtic mythological heritage to explore on Inis Mór, including the 3,000-year-old Dún Aonghasa (Dun Aengus), a semi-circular stone fort overlooking the Atlantic with daunting and dramatic views that stretch the length of the Island.
Achill Island is a landscape of rugged beauty with the highest sea cliffs in Ireland and five Blue Flag beaches. These include gorgeous Keem Strand which was recently named best wild swimming spot in the UK and Ireland. The beach at Keem features in the official poster for the film as well as providing the shoot location for some of the key scenes.
For those captivated by the unbelievable landscapes in the film and who want to follow in the footsteps of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, a handy locations trail has been set up on Achill. The Banshees of Inisherin Location Trail will guide film buffs around the island’s filming locations. Tour guides offering stories and first-hand accounts of the locations are available for coach parties, while an Achill Island Day Tour offers a driver-guided experience taking in several locations used in the film.
