- Kilbeggan Distillery, Kilbeggan: This historic 1757 whiskey distillery, with its traditional buildings, copper stills, and working heritage site, doubled as the fictional Kilbride Distillery in the Hallmark TV movie A Merry Scottish Christmas (2023), providing the authentic backdrop for whiskey-tasting tour and distillery scenes in the festive family drama.
- Various railway lines and stations (including areas near Moate, Streamstown, Castletown, and Mullingar): Historic rail tracks and rural stations in the county were used for the dramatic train robbery sequences in The First Great Train Robbery (The Great Train Robbery, 1978/1979), starring Sean Connery; the locations captured the Victorian-era heist action, with trains and countryside providing authentic period atmosphere.
- Killucan church and surrounding rural areas: The church and nearby countryside featured in Fools of Fortune (1990), an adaptation of William Trevor’s novel; the quiet, rural Westmeath settings helped evoke the Anglo-Irish historical drama’s themes of love, revenge, and the Troubles-era backdrop.
- Various locations around Mullingar: Mullingar town and its environs appeared in smaller-scale productions such as the comedy short or episode-like pieces involving insurance scams or local stories (e.g., referenced in IMDb entries for Mullingar-specific shoots), offering authentic midlands Irish town streets and buildings for contemporary or light-hearted narratives.
- Rural sites and estates (county-wide, including boglands near Coole, Rochfortbridge, and Bracklyn): Westmeath’s versatile boglands, farmlands, and historic houses have supported independent Irish films like His & Hers (2009), a documentary-style feature exploring women’s voices in rural Ireland; the county’s understated midlands landscapes provide realistic, low-key settings for character-driven stories rather than high-profile blockbusters.
These locations highlight County Westmeath’s strengths in historic industrial sites, railways, churches, and peaceful rural scenery, making it suitable for period pieces, heist films, and authentic Irish independent productions. The county is less featured in major international blockbusters compared to neighbours like Meath or Offaly, but it has hosted notable shoots, particularly for historical dramas and local stories. Recent efforts, including a dedicated filming locations website, aim to promote its potential further.
Movie locations in the county
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County Westmeath:
Ireland’s county Westmeath offers a blend of lakes and historic charm, with Athlone Castle providing insights into medieval Ireland along the Shannon River. The Belvedere House and Gardens showcase Georgian elegance, while Lough Ree offers boating and fishing opportunities. Other attractions include the ancient Fore Abbey and its monastic ruins and traditional seven wonders. Westmeath is Ireland’s tenth smallest county by size (1,763 square km) and 11th smallest by population (96,221). Population peaked at 141,300 in 1841 and reached its lowest point, 52,861 in 1961. In terms of hospitality, Westmeath is Ireland’s 22nd most visited tourist county with around 95,000 international visitors per year.
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