Irish OPW opens doors to film production

The Irish Office of Public Works (OPW) continues to play an active role in making Dublin a film friendly location for film and television production.
Recent film productions using OPW property include The Tudors, starring Irish Golden Globe winner Jonathan Rhys-Meyers (Mission Impossible III) and Sam Neill (Jurassic Park). Dublin Castle, The Royal Hospital Kilmainham and the Phoenix Park will all feature prominently in this major US series which will be broadcast to US audiences on the Showtime channel in 2007.
The OPW manages State property and heritage sites throughout the country, looking after some of the most prestigious buildings and scenic locations in Ireland. They are an important member of the FILM DUBLIN Partnership, the Irish Film Boards network that ensures that Dublin remains an attractive base for film and television production.
Tommy O'Shaughnessy, General Manager in Dublin Castle, has worked with many productions over the years from Michael Collins to Jackie Chan's film The Medallion and has a huge understanding of the needs of filmmakers. O'Shaughnessy also serves as OPW representative in the FILM DUBLIN Partnership.
Other productions that have benefited from the help of the OPW include An Ocean Apart which shot on location in Ireland last year. An Ocean Apart filmed on Garnish Island in Bantry Bay, home to Italian style gardens of great beauty and Derrynane National Historic Park and beach, which are both looked after by the OPW. An Ocean Apart aired on German television in January 2006 & attracted 8 million viewers in Germany alone.
Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, a period film that starts filming in August, will shoot in Dublin Castle and expects to use a number of OPW locations for their shoot.
Irish tourism also benefits from films that promote a positive image of Ireland. Failte Ireland figures indicate that foreign tourists attracted to Ireland by film and TV spend an estimated €250 million annually.
(GB)