Ireland's remote ‘Banshees of Inisherin’ islands reap Oscars tourism boom

Colin Farrell had many people to thank following his best actor win at the Golden Globes for the riveting dark comedy ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’. He made a point of mentioning the locals of Achill Island and Inis Mor. "We were just one big family," the Irish actor said. Now, the inhabitants of these remote islands are hoping to capitalize on the film's success as the Brendan Gleeson and Farrell starrer garners nine Oscar and 10 BAFTA nominations.  ...read more

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Sheep seen standing on a cliff near the Keem beach on Achill Island, on January 31-- the filming location of the movie ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, which is up for 10 BAFTA awards, this Sunday. Among those whom he thanked for receiving a Golden Globe for his role in the film, Colin Farrell cited the inhabitants of the Irish islands, who are already benefitting from the exposure offered by the movie. (Paul Faith / AFP)

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Owner of the Lynotts pub, Mick Lynch, seen at the Purteen harbour, one of the filming locations of the movie, on January 31. Usually a working fisherman's wharf, it became the location for a portside street scene with a 1920s shopfront. The pub, where much of the film's action takes place, was built from scratch atop windswept cliffs on Achill's southwest coast, AFP reported.(Paul Faith / AFP)

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One of 120 extras in the film, Madeline Condell, poses with her donkeys on Achill island, on January 31. Condell owns two donkeys that missed out on appearing alongside the miniature donkey Jenny. Suggesting that the island was in the grip of an Oscars buzz, she told AFP, “We almost feel like we deserve an Oscar as well, because of the beauty of the area.”(Paul Faith / AFP)

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A view of the fisherman's cottage used in the film as the home for Brendan Gleeson's character. Between July and November 2021, Achill Island's dramatic landscape of rugged cliffs, peat bogs, and sandy beaches was transformed.  "They couldn't create this in the studio," Chris McCarthy, the manager of Achill Tourism, told AFP, adding that the director, Martin McDonagh, wanted the actors “to feel the atmosphere of the Atlantic”.(Paul Faith / AFP)

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Sheep walk past Purteen harbour on January 31. Filming was an economic boon for Achill, injecting 1.7 million euros ($1.8 million) into the area, home to fewer than 3,000 inhabitants. Now it is looking to capitalize on a tourism bounce. Every time a clip from the film or an awards speech goes viral online, McCarthy and his team see a surge in bookings. (Paul Faith / AFP)

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Mick Lynch, owner of Lynott's Pub on Achill, explained that visitors had already begun inquiring about the film. Among the souvenirs lining the pub's walls are what Lynch calls the movie's "infamous" shears, used by Gleeson's character to chop off his own fingers. Lynch said his tiny pub -- a dry stone wall structure with a thatched roof built as a jail in the 16th century -- is a true-to-life version of the pub created for 'Banshees'. (Paul Faith / AFP)

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Owner and manager of Achill Coaches, Alan Gielty, poses for a photograph on the Purteen harbour, on January 31. "For the last month an awful lot of people are travelling to the island just to see the sights of the movie," he told AFP.  "It's already bringing in a lot of interest from outside and it's going to be very, very busy." (Paul Faith / AFP)

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Achill Island Tourism manager McCarthy seen at one of the filming locations of the movie. "Of course we have fingers crossed for an (Oscar) win. And we'll take any one of the nine nominations. We're not choosy," he quipped. The film is also up for 10 awards at the British BAFTA ceremony on Sunday.  (Paul Faith / AFP)

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An employee of the Achill Island Tourism office seen with a poster of the film ‘The Banshees of Inisherin’, on Achill Island, on January 31. “It's such a lovely place to visit and anyone that ever does visit always falls in love with the place,” film extra Madeline Condell told AFP. (Paul Faith / AFP)