Game of Thrones Sites in Northern Ireland

Today we’re talking about Northern Ireland and some sites there that are connected to Game of Thrones - 

Among other things, you’ll hear about:

- where to get upscale handmade Game of Thrones jewelry

- the haunted pub near a GoT filming site

- the best castle tower to stay in and show off your laundry to the royals

Come and join us as we nerd out about a few of our favorite spots in Northern Ireland!

Want to know more about us and our travel services? Find us at: 

www.LittleRoadsEurope.com

www.facebook.com/LittleRoadsEurope

We craft small-town driving itineraries for travelers to Italy, Ireland and Scotland.

And our "alter-egos" as musicians:

www.OrsiniVirtuosi.it

Transcript

Northern Ireland - GOT sites podcast notes

Note: This is not a complete transcript, but rather the show notes we write in advance to prepare for the episode. 

INTRO: 

Welcome to Little Roads Unfiltered: Italy and Beyond

Today we’re talking about Northern Ireland and some sites there that are connected to Game of Thrones - 

Among other things, you’ll hear about:

- where to get upscale handmade Game of Thrones jewelry

- the haunted pub near a GoT filming site

- the best castle tower to stay in and show off your laundry to the royals

[music up then down to 20%]

This is Matt Walker          …and I’m Zeneba Bowers - 

We’re recording while sitting on the terrace of our tiny home in Italy - so you’ll get a sense of the sounds of life in our little town - ecc

“ … we’ll be talking about some of the Game of Thrones locations in Northern Ireland, in today’s chat - here on Little Roads Unfiltered: Italy and Beyond.”

[Music up then fade out]

For those of you who don’t know us: We are professional musicians and also travel writers and consultants, living and working here in Italy for the past 6 years. 

If you want to learn more about us and our lives, you can find us on our website LittleRoadsEurope..com, on our socials, and now here on our podcast…

…and by the way, we hope you like our intro music - Matt arranged it, and we recorded it right here in our house! Since we’re musicians working here in Italy, we thought that would be a fun and sensible addition to our show.

So let’s get to talking about Northern Ireland and GoT!

First of all: (about Northern Ireland – it’s a whole other country) 

Currency

Signage in MPH/miles instead of KM -

If driving from Rep of Ireland: Need to inform rental car that you're crossing into N Ireland

Northern Ireland is a land of stunning landscapes and medieval architecture, which made it the perfect place for the makers of the "Game of Thrones" to film a lot of their footage. 

Here are just a few of the many fascinating places that were used as backdrops or props for the show, evoking a sense of the magical and timeless.

Mussenden Temple and Downhill Beach

Downhill Beach, which is pictured here beneath Mussenden Temple perched on the cliffs above, was the beach used for Dragonstone and the scene in which Melisandre burned the Seven Idols of Westeros.

The Temple is a part of Downhill Demesne, a National Trust site that also includes other monuments, lush gardens and gorgeous cliffside walks, and thankfully excludes any maniacal witch-priestesses.

Near seaside town of Portstewart, with several cocktail bars, ice cream shops, good gastro pubs. 

Cairncastle

It was from here, in this verdant expansive land overlooking the sea, that they filmed the scene where Ned Stark beheaded a Night's Watch deserter.

Though the scene appeared to be on a snowy highland, the actual landscape is a green coastal hillside, clearly portending that Spring is Coming.

Just south of Glenarm, a small seaside town. A visit to the site today just includes some very curious sheep. They probably chose this site because it is on an area of coast that hasn’t changed much in centuries. 

Glenarm

Steenson's Jewelers in Glenarm has been in the same family for over 40 years, crafting gold, other precious metals and jewels.

This jeweler created King Joffrey's crown, Daenerys' dragon brooches, Margaery Tyrell's wedding tiara, and the Lannister lion pendants. Steensons also creates beautiful pieces commemorating the Titanic, and others depicting the Giant's Causeway.

Stayed in Barbican Gate Lodge, part of big fancy castle property, Glenarm Castle - laundry on rooftop! Earl and Countess of Antrim 

Finding unusual places like this for our clients: interesting to stay, good position for exploring

Cushenden Caves

These impressive caves are where they filmed the scene in which Melisandre gives birth to the shadow baby. (Visitors here should have no fear, however, as long as they aren't planning to usurp power from their older sibling.)

After a walk on the beach to the caves you can enjoy a great lunch at the locally famous Mary McBride's, 200-year old pub, “haunted”. 

Fair Head

This distinctive cliff was used as the backdrop when Theon Greyjoy and his sister rode to Pyke. It is also featured in the scene when Davos Seaworth is shipwrecked. Navigating these waters is not nearly as hazardous in real life as it appears to be in the show.

It is a striking view from a distance, and driving its cliffs (called the Torr Drive) offers equally stunning views. 

Rathlin Island: Robert the Bruce hidey hole, puffins

The Dark Hedges

This hedge was featured several times, e.g., the scene where Arya Stark disguised herself as a boy and escaped from King's Landing with her friends.

The trees were planted in the 18th century to highlight the approach to Gracehill mansion.

It’s easy to see their mystical quality, especially at dusk or in the fog. 

Today the site is highly touristed, pay-parking and no access to the road

Not too far from Bushmills town and distillery, so if crowds get too much, you can go in for a tasting and drink off the irritation.

These are just a few of the many sites in Northern Ireland that served as "Game of Thrones" sets. They are also just a tiny fraction of all that there is to see in this land that is rich in history and in scenery.

OUTRO: 

I think that’s a good place to wrap it up here - we hope you enjoyed joining us for our little review of GoT locations!

If you enjoyed what you’ve heard, please give us a like or a good rating on your favorite platform, and tell your friend about us… 

And don’t forget our Ask Us Anything, which ecc ecc

We talk about a wide variety of topics here on this podcast, from travel tips to slice-of-life stories - and we post new episodes every Tuesday. 

So catch us next time - we’ll see you down the Little Roads… CIAO!