It’s that time of year when love is in the air, and we’ve put together a list of romantic films filmed in Connemara. From classic Hollywood love stories to modern romantic comedies, these movies showcase some of the most beautiful filming locations along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.

 

Woman walking along a rural road in Connemara during a scene from the film Leap Year

  1. Leap Year

Although this film was mostly panned by critics (and also pays absolutely no regard to the geography of Ireland) this is a perfect February romantic comedy with some stunning shots of Ireland and Connemara, where the National Park was used for filming.  

Starring Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, the film centres on Anna, an American who travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend on February 29th, as the Irish tradition allows that this is the one day that women can propose to men. When there’s a storm en route she ends up having to get a boat from Wales to Kerry to get to Dublin (see what we mean about geography) along with a charming Irish man. 

 

Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne riding a bicycle through a village in Connemara in The Quiet Man

  1. The Quiet Man 

This classic from 1952, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, follows an American boxer who returns to his birthplace to purchase the family farm. Once there, he falls for a fiery local, but quickly finds himself clashing with her bullying brother, which culminates into an iconic brawl across the countryside. 

The film was filmed mostly around Cong and Connemara, with the horse racing scenes shot on Lettergesh Beach. 

 

Close-up of two characters in an intimate scene from Tristan and Isolde filmed in Connemara

  1. Tristan and Isolde

If medieval star-crossed love stories are your thing, this one’s for you. Tristan and Isolde is a forbidden love story between a Cornish knight and Irish princess Isolde, set in the Dark Ages. 

The 2006 film has an impressive cast, and many of the scenes were shot around Connemara. Killary Harbour features a lot, and is the setting for their first meeting. The Renvyle Peninsula, with its rocky cliffs and beautiful beaches, in particular Glassiluan and Lettergesh, also features heavily. 

 

Couple walking a dog on a sandy beach in a scene from Marley & Me

  1. Marley and Me

Although some might say this film about a couple and their dog is more of a family comedy/drama than a romance film, Connemara does feature as the scene of the couple’s honeymoon, so we’ve put it on the list. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson visit Roundstone, the Inagh Valley and Lough Nafooey. 

 

Night-time scene outside a village pub in Connemara from the film The Matchmaker

  1. The Matchmaker

This 1997 romantic comedy follows a Boston aide sent to Ireland to track down a senator’s relatives. She ends up in the village of Ballinagra (Baile na Grá - Village of Love), where matchmaking schemes and a roguish local bartender turn her mission into an unexpected romance.

Filmed in Connemara, including Roundstone and the surrounding countryside, the movie makes the most of our quaint villages, harbours, and rugged coastal scenery.

 

Man and woman standing together by the coast in Connemara in a scene from The Seventh Stream

  1. The Seventh Stream 

This movie tells the love story between a lonely fisherman and a selchie (a shapeshifter from Irish mythology who can change from a seal to a woman by removing her seal skin). The film isn’t as well known as the others on our list, but it has made it into the Hallmark Hall of Fame. 

It was shot entirely on location, around the village of Tully and nearby Renvyle. 

 

Many of these Connemara film locations can still be explored today, and spending time outdoors with Connemara Adventure Tours is one way to experience the landscapes that feature throughout these films.

 

Back