In the past years, the Mourne Mountains & Ring of Gullion has become an international hub for TV and film. Massive shows like Game of Thrones® and Vikings have set up shop among our majestic landscapes and architectural heritage. Wander our lands and act out scenes from your favourite shows.
Game of Thrones® Sets Around Castle Ward
Way back in 2010 when filming began at the Castle Ward estate, few people would have guessed what an international phenomenon Game of Thrones® would become. The estate’s farmyard quickly became famous around the world as the heart of Winterfell, home to the Stark family.
Over the course of the show, Castle Ward played host to over twenty key filming locations, including Robb Stark’s camp, the Whispering Wood and the Battle of Baelor.
Follow Robb Stark to Inch Abbey
Inch Abbey was built on the north bank of the Quoile river in the 11th century. More recently, its crumbling walls played host to key scenes in Game of Thrones®, serving as the backdrop to the River Lands.
See the land where Robb Stark’s army waited to cross the Trident river, and where they celebrated victory at the battle of the Whispering Wood.
The Trident River
The River Quoile played an important role in some of the more sombre scenes in Game of Thrones®, where it was used as Westeros’ Trident River. Stand on the banks where Hoster Tully’s had his traditional funeral after falling in battle.
The river’s banks provide the perfect scenic backdrop to the sending off of a fallen comrade. In real life, the Quoile is also a sight of historical significance, where a 5000 year old neolithic log boat was discovered in 1991.
Nightwalkers and Direwolves in Tollymore
Tollymore Forest Park has the honour of hosting the first ever scene in Game of Throne®. These dense woods along the slopes of the Mourne Mountains played host to countless scenes throughout the series, including where the Stark family find the dire wolves, and where the Nightwatch discover dismembered bodies in the snow.
Don your very own Stark family robes as you wander the magical woods in the shadow of the North Wall.
Game of Thrones® Doors at the Cuan and the Percy French
After a storm felled several trees at the Dark Hedges, Tourism Ireland commissioned ten specially carved wooden doors from the recovered wood, each one depicting a scene from season six.
Door one is at The Cuan restaurant in Strangford village. Devoted fans can also book a team of dedicated actors to perform a Game of Thrones® themed banquet as they dine.
Door three can be found at the Slieve Donard’s Percy French restaurant. The door takes a strong animal theme, depicting the demise of Rickon Stark’s dire wolf, along with the rise of the House of Greyjoy’s mascot, the Kraken.
