Destinations

A Star Wars Fan Geeks Out in Ireland

My husband has a lot of family in Ireland, so we go back to visit often. We try to make each trip a little different and see new things so on this past visit I was intent on visiting a couple of the Star Wars filming locations.

It’s no secret I’m a Star Wars fan! So I was pretty excited just to see the spots in real life where they filmed parts of The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Our first stop was to the Kerry Cliffs and Skellig Micheal, home to the ancient island monastery that serves as Luke’s hideout, Ahch-To, and is featured in both movies.

star wars in ireland
This is as close as I got

We arrived 30 min. past the last boat ride so we got to see the islands wayyyy off in the distance. It was still pretty cool. Actually getting on the island can be treacherous business, as it was the only excursion on our tourist map with a big red warning that said “deaths have occurred here.” It’s very steep and rocky so we thought maybe we should wait on bringing a toddler and plan for a future visit. It’s also recommended that you book ahead, as there are only a few boats that make the trip and they tend to book up. You can go around the island or book one that docks. We made due with the replica beehive huts and the beautiful view from the cliffs.

The other place we visited was Loop Head in County Clare to view more beautiful cliffs, and one of the filming locations for Last Jedi. Apparently they were filming all up and down the west side of Ireland, known as the Wild Atlantic Way. All this scenery makes me want to watch the movies again and pay close attention to the locations!

I am going to plan ahead a little better on our next trip so we can actually go on the island and maybe see a few more spots. On a side note, I plan to add a trip to the Cliffs of Moher next time, which I haven’t seen in a few years and are always spectacular. You may know them by a different name though….they are the Cliffs of Insanity in The Princess Bride!

So who else enjoys visiting film locations from their favorite movies? What spots have you been to?

19 replies »

    • Not yet, lol. I’m actually trying to cover our travels more so I can start working that angle. I’ve found if you want to be paid to write about something, the best thing to do is just start writing about it. 🙂

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        • Thanks! I hope to do more traveling now that my son is more into it. It’s exciting to see him be excited about stuff. But traveling with a little baby was not so fun, lol.

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