Filming took place across Co Clare this week for a production that is to air to millions of US TV viewers later this year.
Multiple locations across the county played host to Irish based Peninsula Television from Tuesday to Thursday of this week as part of its ‘Ireland: County by County’ series, which has been viewed by millions of US viewers since its launch in 2020.
Create/PBS television network will broadcast the thirty minute programme which presented by Ciara Whelan, who is best known for hosting Virgin Media’s prime-time travel series, ‘The Holiday Show’.
Financial support for the programme is provided from Clare County Council, Tourism Ireland, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Bord Bia, National Parks & Wildlife Service and CIE Tours International. The production will concentrate on various cultural, sporting, social and heritage aspects of County Clare.
Filming commenced on Tuesday, 22nd June, with a focus on Ennis and Clare’s international reputation as home to some of the best golf courses in Ireland. The production crew will depart to Shannon Airport to highlight this key asset of the county, before taking to the fairways and greens of Dromoland Castle. The day’s filming concluded with the spotlight focusing on Ennis as a centre of excellence for shopping and the production crew visiting all that Ireland’s boutique capital has to offer.
Day two of the production began with a guided tour of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience and an on-site performance by the world-famous Kilfenora Céilí Band. The food of the Burren took centre stage during the afternoon as the production crew sampled some of the local produce on offer in the region, including that of the Burren Smokehouse.
A surfing lesson in Lahinch for Ciara marked the final day of filming in Lahinch with production concluding with a kayak tour on Lough Derg, highlighting just one of the many water-based activities on offer on the Lough Derg Blueway and across Clare.
Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) was confident the Clare episode would attract a significant audience. “The timing of this episode’s airing later this year couldn’t be better as people across the United States plan their overseas holiday for 2022. It is expected that it will be next year before transatlantic visitors return in significant numbers to Ireland so it is important Clare is positioned to take advantage of a resurgence in this market. Autumn’s broadcast also coincides with what I hope will be clarity around the future provision of transatlantic services from Shannon Airport, which is essential for tourism in the county and the wider region”.
Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council outlined that the local authority was delighted to support the production. “The first 10 episodes were filmed last summer and were broadcast, very successfully, on Create/PBS on 240 channels across 26 of the top 30 territories in the US. These episodes have been getting repeat showings, due to increased demand for viewings. I have no doubt that Clare’s uniqueness as a visitor destination will be brought to the fore in this programme and will deliver dividends for the county in the future”.
