Instagram hotspot Malin Head named among Ireland's Top 10 Film Destinations

Malin Head came in in seventh place in the study, which looked at Google search data and Instagram post count to determine the most popular locations in the south of Ireland.

The Cliffs of Moher took the top spot, with an index score of 100, with the Wicklow Mountains the second most popular location, with a score of 73.24, followed by Achill Island, with 69.01.

Ireland’s film sector has boomed in the last decade, producing various films, television series and 15 Academy Award nominations in the past two years alone.

Meanwhile the landscapes of the north of the island have provided the stunning backdrops for HBO’s Game of Thrones series, which was filmed here. and are also being used in a new HBO adaptation set in the world of George R R Martin’s Westeros. This new show is based on his book series on the tales of Dunk & Egg, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. The first series is currently being filmed in the north and and is set to air world-wide in 2025.

The study on top sites in Ireland was conducted by sports betting and casino site Tonybet and looked at the average number of monthly searches for various terms relating to each location, and the location with its most famous onscreen appearance.

This was combined with the number of Instagram posts featured under the location’s respective hashtag, and an equal weighting was applied to both criteria to create a total index score out of 100.

The Cliffs of Moher attracted 724,000 Instagram posts and generated a monthly average of 190,740 Google searches globally. After the Wicklow Mountains and Achill Island off the shore of County Mayo, where The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed, dfourth and fifth places went to Powerscourt and Ashford Castle near Cong on the County Mayo-Galway border, where The Quiet Man (1952) and television period drama Reign were shot.

In sixth place was Skellig Michael, followed by Malin Head, which had an index score of 53.95 out of 100. The Malin Head coastline recorded 34,500 Instagram posts in total, and a Google search average of 15,464 per month worldwide.

The head is mainland Ireland’s most northerly point, and its dramatic vista painted an unforgettable picture for Star Wars moviegoers after its inclusion in The Last Jedi (2017). As a place steeped in folklore, it was also the perfect backdrop for The Northman (2022) and its depiction of Norse mythology.

At the top of Malin Head is Banba’s crown, named for the Tuath de Danaan goddess/ princess who was sister to Ériu and Fodhla. Legend has it that all three were defeated in battle with their husbands and each of the three asked the new conquerors to name the island for them. The request of each was granted but over time Ériu’s (Erin’s) name prevailed (Ireland meaning land of Erin) over the island. Except here atthe top of Malin Head that is, where Banba, goddess of nature and wildlife, still claims her patch.

The top ten was rounded out by Lough Tay, Trim Castle and Inish Mor.