Star Wars set to film in Ireland this week

Photo by Kory Westerhold
Photo by Kory Westerhold

From the beautiful setting of Skellig Michael to the announcement of new locations for the upcoming film, we have been excited to follow Ireland’s role in the latest and now upcoming Star Wars movies. Earlier reports of filming to occur in May in County Donegal are proving true, as production crews have now descended on Malin Head, and have brought along what appears to be the Millennium Falcon with them.

Malin Head by Grace Smith
Malin Head by Grace Smith

Malin Head, found at the northern most point of Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way, is a popular tourist destination for individuals seeking a glimpse of the Northern Lights. These days however, the tourists are flocking to Malin Head in order to try to be among the first to see a part of the Star Wars entourage.

Heavy security however is standing in their way, preventing access to anyone not with the production crew, though photos of a giant structure have been published online. It appears to be a saucer shaped set perched high on the cliff edge, presumably the iconic Millennium Falcon. Twitter user Ali Farren posted the following video showing a caravan of trucks associated with the movie descending upon Malin Head. He also posted pictures to a Facebook page of the local Star Wars action, including a fan roaming town as a very convincing Storm Trooper.

The Donegal County Council announced that the Malin Loop around the area will be closed from Sunday, May 15th until Tuesday the 17th, making it pretty clear that filming will be finally taking place. Not suprisingly, the locals are thrilled at the presence of the film crew, and expect a huge boom in tourism thanks to the fan following.

Photo by Will Bakker
Photo by Will Bakker

Have you ever been to Malin Head, or are you adding it to your list in order to partake in Star Wars fever? We want to know!