Where Was The Banshees of Inisherin filmed In Ireland?

I woke up this morning to 37 emails asking something along the lines of ‘Where was The Banshees of Inisherin filmed in Ireland?’.

This flurry of emails was, I now know, kicked off by the movie picking up 3 awards at the Golden Globes.

The Banshees of Inisherin is set on a fictional island off the coast of Ireland and it showcases Ireland’s scenery magnificently. 

Below, I’ll take you to the main Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland (Achill and Inis Mór).

Some quick need-to-knows about the The Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland

If you’re looking to get up-to-speed on the various Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland quickly, the points below should help:

1. The island itself doesn’t exist

The movie, which was directed by Martin McDonagh, is set on Inisherin. This is a fictional island and it doesn’t actually exist.

2. Two main areas from the west of Ireland were used

Two of the main places that The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed in Ireland were Achill Island and Inis Mór Island. Info on the specific locations below.

3. Several places were altered for the movie

A handful of The Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland were either altered or sets were created. The two most notable were JJ Devines Pub and Colm Doherty’s cottage, both of which were temporary structures.

The main places where The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed in Ireland

Now, to answer the question ‘Where was The Banshees of Inisherin filmed in Ireland?’.

Below, you’ll find the main spots from the film. Later in this article you’ll find a map with the locations.

1. Keem Bay (Colm Doherty’s cottage)

Colm Doherty’s very cosy looking cottage in The Banshees of Inisherin was located on the mighty Keem Bay on Achill Island in County Mayo.

Although I’ll now forever picture Brendan Gleeson chopping off his fingers when I head for a swim here, Keem is a lovely spot during the quieter months of the year.

During the summer season, the island comes alive with visitors and Keem can be tricky to get to, due to limited parking.

This is one of the more iconic Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland and the footage in the movie show it at its best.

2. Dun Aonghasa (where Dominic and Pádraic sit by the cliffs)

Inis Mór, the largest of the three Aran Islands, in County Galway is where many of The Banshees of Inisherin filming locations can be found

Arguably the most impressive part of the island included in the movie is the ancient cliffside fort known as Dun Aonghasa.

You’ll have seen Dun Aonghasa in the background during the scene where Dominic and Pádraic are sat near the cliffs. It’s also partly visable in some of the scenes from around Pádraic’s cottage.

3. Cloughmore (JJ Devines Pub)

Sadly, JJ Devines Pub from The Banshees of Inisherin is an entirely fictional place.

Which is a shame, as I’d happily spent a week tucked away inside it, sipping pints and watching the waves batter the coast.

However, if you liked the scenery that surrounded JJ Devines Pub, you can still soak it up for yourself – it’s located at Cloughmore on Achill Island (see our map below).

4. Inis Mór (various scenes)

As mentioned previously, Inis Mór is where many of The Banshees of Inisherin filming locations can be found

However, while some, like the ancient fort of Dun Aonghasa, are easily found, others, like Pádraic and Siobhán’s cottage, are off-the-beaten-path.

If you fell in love with the scenery while watching the movie, you won’t need to find the exact place the scenes were filmed – there’s spectacular scenery around ever bend on Inis Mór.

Although Inis Mór attracts its fair share of tourists, many islands off the coast of Ireland are overlooked, despite the fact that many boast scenery to match the ones pictured in the film.

5. Purteen Harbour (the ‘main’ village)

Now, the photos above are from Google Maps and they don’t really do this place justice, as the cliffs in the distance are an impressive sight set against the pier.

You might recognise Purteen Harbour as the village from The Banshees of Inisherin. It was here that O’Riordan’s shop was located.

While this was a bustling little hive of activity in the movie, it’s a quiet part of Achill Island, so don’t expect much from it if you visit.

6. Corrymore Lake (where Mrs. McCormick’s cottage was)

Corrymore Lake is located on Achill Island and it was here that creepy Mrs. McCormick’s cottage was located.

It was also here that Dominic chanced his arm with Siobhán and where he was tragically found towards the end of the movie.

Corrymore Lake is also one of the starting points to hike up to see the highest sea cliffs in Ireland – Croaghaun.

A map with the various Banshees of Inisherin locations plotted

You’ll find the main Banshees of Inisherin filming locations in Ireland plotted on the map above.

However, do keep in mind that many of the most impressive chunks of scenery were the non-descript places on both Achill and Inis Mór.

You’ll stumble upon many of these places while exploring both islands.

Footage from the movie

In the video above that shows where The Banshees of Inisherin was filmed in Ireland, Director Martin McDonagh states, ‘We just wanted to make one of the most beautiful Irish films that we could possibly make’.

And, to be fair to them, they really have. Many Irish films showcase Ireland’s beauty, but few have done it as wonderfully as The Banshees of Inisherin.

FAQs about where was The Banshees of Inisherin filmed in Ireland

Since the movie won three Golden Globes we’ve had endless emails asking variations of where was The Banshees of Inisherin filmed in Ireland.

Below, we’ve popped in the most FAQ but shout in the comments section if you have any we haven’t tackled.