 "Kirrary
town" Then
and now (in 2004)
Did you ever hear the expression “Location Hunting”? I first
came across it around 1992 when I saw a “home movie” filmed
in Dunquin and Dingle, Ireland, two small towns on the west
coast where David Lean had filmed “Ryan’s Daughter” in
1968-69. The videotape was skilfully edited as a “then and
now” montage intercut with footage from the MGM film. I was
intrigued to see this. It had never occurred to me that it
could be interesting to see where movies had actually been
made. This was a completely new and unique idea for a movie
buff: travel and visit the sites of your favourite movies.
This story is about our visit to Ireland in July 2004. It’s
a country we have come to love because of its friendly
people and absolutely stunning nature. We spent a week in a
rented house, and I looked forward to visiting the filming
locations from “Ryan’s Daughter” and “Far and Away”, both
photographed in breathtaking
Super Panavision 70mm film in
the small village of Dunquin, which was conveniently very
close to our house. Numerous motion pictures have been
produced on the Dingle Peninsula over the years, but “Ryan´s
Daughter” is probably the most famous. The film is mentioned
almost everywhere in Dingle tourist brochures.
From the remote movie location on a mountaintop, to the very
edge of the west coast - join me searching for film traces
and memorabilia - which can still be found in many places.
See the image gallery of the world’s most beautiful and
fantastic 70mm movie location, the fictional town of
“Kirrary” and the School House, do not miss the Cliffs of Moher,
library of Dingle,
Tig Slea Head &
Coumeenole Beach,
Kruger’s Bar and Guesthouse in Dunquin,
Inch beach and, at
the Fahan group beehives. |
The School House
|
 Ryan's
Daughter School house is seen very briefly in "Far and
Away". The little house at the top of the frame. Frame
grab from the DVD. Copyright Universal 1992.
In Dunquin we drove along “Slea Head Drive”, road R559, but
were unable to see the structure as it turned out to be not
visible from the road. I remembered access to the house was
a short walk across a field, but I only had a vague memory
of it from my first visit 12 years earlier. We asked at the
Kruger’s Bar and Guesthouse, and the bartender said he would
be a millionaire if he had charged a Euro for every one
asking directions to the schoolhouse. With a smile he walked
to the window and pointed towards a house, which was easily
visible about a kilometre away. “Just beyond that house” he
explained.
Kruger’s Bar and Guesthouse in Dunquin is the most westerly
bar in Europe and named after Kruger Kavanagh. Cast and
crewmembers often visited the bar during filming of "Ryan's
Daughter" and also "Far and Away". Local Dingle and Dunquin
people were cast as extras in both films and the “wall of
fame” at Kruger’s Bar´s displays a remarkable collection of
stills.
|
 "Far
and Away" was filmed in the distance.
We drove the car as close as we could get to the school
house, but had to stop short of the actual site, since fence
climbing is unsuitable for children.
The schoolhouse is also very close to the The Great Blasket
Centre and I believe there is a narrow pathway from the
centre along the cliff leading out to the house, but I
didn’t know that at the time.
Some days later we came back and my wife dropped me along
the roadside. She proceeded to Clogher beach with the
children and I was on my own solo challenge! This was it!
Fences and sheep are only minor obstacles for a dedicated
and intrepid Location Hunter. How deadly can sheep be
anyway? On a bright sunny morning I walked towards the
house, and it slowly appeared in the distance. It was
exciting to see it again. I could see the roof to begin with
and gradually, as I came closer, the Atlantic Ocean and
house came into full view.
To my right was Clogher Head where Ron Howard built his set
for “Far and Away” in 1991. In between, was the land where
the military base was built for “Ryan’s Daughter” – both of
those sets are completely gone.
|
 Ryan's
Daughter school house seen from north
The property is fenced in to keep the sheep in place and I
only had to cross the final line to have a perfect look at
the house – which is now a complete ruin. I approached the
house from the north and noticed there were other people
there. Not so deserted after all and confirming what the
Kruger bartender had told us a few days earlier.
After filming had been completed in 1969, the house was
abandoned and has fallen into complete disrepair ever since.
Only the roof and front walls are intact. There is nothing
inside, and the rear of the house is completely gone. The
sheep use the house as a shelter and they have left their
“business card” everywhere. There is no window glass left in
the house - it's really a ruin.
|
 As fascinating as it is to stand right in the middle of the
house, it is very sad that nothing has been done to preserve
it. It could be a major tourist attraction - as it is
already - but the local authorities may not realise the
significance of what they have. It’s definitely an
international goal for those on 70mm and David Lean
pilgrimages.
Unlike other famous location which are “only” used as
background and setting, this is the reel deal (forgive the
joke). Usually movie-set buildings are demolished and
removed after use. The fact that the schoolhouse is still
standing is what makes it unique. It’s a fictional house – a
movie prop so to speak – never used by real humans. But it’s
still standing after all these years.
I examined the house from every possible angle, took a lot
of pictures and walked back across the field toward my next
goal – Kirrary.
|
Kirrary on top of the hill
|
 Remember
to close the gate
Kirrary was a complete town built on top of the 250 meter
Cruach Mharthain, a hill just north of Dunquin. It is easily
accessible via a narrow path, (unofficially) The Kirrary
Way, leading all the way up and across the hills. It is a
beautiful 4 kilometer (and 40 min.) walk, and just as you
feel completely alone, someone else is up there walking. You
greet them. The hill is covered with grass and multicoloured
sheep are the only inhabitants. As you proceed onwards the
view is fantastic. Mount Eagle in front of you, and behind
you the Atlantic Ocean is magnificently visible. The
schoolhouse is just beyond a hill so it cannot be seen. The
footpath makes a left turn as you go up, up and up the hill.
It is a very scenic tour and this day the weather was
wonderful and very windy.
|
 Suddenly the footpath goes from small stones to regular
cobblestone street pavement and you can easily see there is
an actual a road. Full of excitement you suddenly find
yourself in David Lean territory. Traces of something built
yet now vanished. No houses remain any more; they were all
torn down after the movie’s completion. But the stone
foundations can still be seen – even after 35 years.
I had brought frame blow-ups and two cameras to document the
tour. Any enthusiast will bring still images to the site -
to compare between film and reality. Do you recognize those
hills in the background? It´s the 516 meter Mount Eagle.
One
of the houses was Ryan´s Pub - can I have a pint of beer
please? I spent half an hour enjoying the view and imagined
I could hear the echoes of David Lean, Sarah Miles, Freddie
Young, Robert Mitchum and Leo McKern, all who once worked
here. The view from the hill is absolutely stunning.
Rather than taking the same route back, I then walked
straight down the hill towards Clogher Beach where the rest
of the family was playing. |
Far and Away
|
 To finalize the day’s sightseeing we drove along the Slead
Head road to see the famous bee hive huts. Along the way I
looked for the “Far and Away” location from the beginning of
the film, where Tom Cruise’s character is fighting his
brothers on a hillside. We left the car on the parking lot
next to the beehives. I compared the landscape with frame
blow-ups and became convinced we had found the correct spot.
I took the usual pictures, but there is nothing left to see.
The set was burned (as you see in the movie), and later the
charred remains were removed.
In an attempt to verify if I was correct about the location,
I asked a lady across the road. Imagine my delight when she
confirmed it, and then she quickly found her photo album and
showed me all her private photos from the filming of “Far
and Away”. She continued on to tell us that, not only did we
find the right spot, but she also appears in the beginning
of the film, as a mourner dressed up in period clothing. She
owns the property, and her son built the house for the film
in 1991, when Hollywood came to this spot for five days for
filming "Far and Away".
|
 Her name is Mrs. Mary Houlihan, a widow now for more than 20
years. She has lived in the same house since 1957 and has
six children, three boys and three daughters. Her daughter
Siophian Houlihan also appeared in “Ryan’s Daughter”. Mary
showed us stills of her in full costume as a schoolhouse
child.
My family and I had a look at the beehives and were amazed
by Mary Houlihan and her story and pictures. On our way home
to our rented house we agreed that Mrs. Houlihan had been
the highlight of our vacation. Mary was such a completely
and totally overwhelming positive surprise. I gave her all
my laminated “Far and Away” images as a expression of
gratitude for her personal additions to my quest.
|
Other places of interest
|
 Cliffs
of Moher in County
Gallway.
The schoolhouse and the Kirrary location are the top
attractions, but there are other places worth seeing. The
most impressive is probably the Cliffs of Moher in County
Gallway. About 250 kilometers north of, and a full 4-5 hour
drive from, the Dingle peninsula. The cliffs are seen early
in “Ryan’s Daughter” and they are truly magnificent – 230
meters straight down to the crashing waves of the Atlantic
Ocean.
On the Dingle peninsula at Minard Head you will find the
Minard Castle ruin seen briefly in “Ryan´s Daughter”, and of
course the Inch beach where much of the film takes place.
|
 At the library in Dingle, they have a ring binder with MGM
still images from "Ryan's Daughter" and a couple of books.
The kind staff brought them out for me to peruse and
visitors can browse the stills.
The title page reads: “This
book of photographs is presented to the Carnegie Library in
deep appreciation of the kind and unstinting co-operation we
have received during the past year from the people of the
Dingle Peninsula. Faraway Productions 6th December 1969.
Photographs by Ken Bray and Ken Danvers”.
|
 In Dingle, I was unable to find the old railway station,
which was used as the prop shop during production of "Ryan's
Daughter" but I did find this undertakers shop on the road
leading into Dingle, which was used as costume shop.
Outside Dick Mack's pub in Dingle there are “movie stars” on
the pavement. On the corridor walls of the Dingle Skellig
Hotel plenty of “behind the scenes” images are displayed.
The shop “Tig Slea Head” is a combined café, craft shop and
museum dedicated to "Ryan’s Daughter"
memories. Their brochure advertises this as “Museum
Memorabilia” for the film. |
 And,
indeed, posters (French, British and a US 1-sheet) and
images are placed everywhere on the walls between sweaters,
snacks and postcards. Even a VHS video of “Ryan´s Daughter” is sold (in pan and scan). By an odd
coincidence, the storm sequence was playing on the TV when I
was there – the scene was filmed just across the road at Couminoole beach with its characteristic road leading all
the way down to the beach. |
Staying and Souvenirs
|
 Is
it Robert Mitchum? - No, it's the editor with his new
hat in original Irish tweed.
There weren’t many movie souvenirs to purchase, and I
settled for a miniaturized US 1-sheet “Ryan’s Daughter”
poster printed on metal. I did look for a copy of “Movies
Made in Ireland” book about “Ryan´s Daughter”, but was
unable to locate it. A book in Irish about the filming of
“Ryan´s Daughter” is available and in Dunquin. Oh, and I did
buy myself a hat so I would at least look a little like
Robert Mitchum. I settled for a “Hanna Hat” in 100% Donegal
tweed and woven wool.
|
 A
house for rent
Unlike our first visit in 1992, where we stayed at a
Murphy´s B&B in Dingle, we had rented a house in Dooneen
Ballydavid, literally on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The
owners, Gabrielle & Tigh Wheeler, live in Amsterdam and rent
their newly-built house to tourists. Next door was a B&B
fish restaurant, and apart from that, there was no other
commercial development, except the road. We could take in
the fresh air and the spectacular view of the Three Sisters
and the Atlantic Ocean in very unspoilt conditions and
surroundings.
I highly recommend visiting the Dingle Peninsula for its
beauty, not to overlook also their fine beers and friendly
people. |
|
|
|
Further
in 70mm reading:
Ireland
More photoes of:
Kirrary, Coumeenole Beach,
The shool house, Inch beach,
Dingle, Tig Slea Head,
Krügers Pub
and Fahan group bee
hives.
Article first published in Cinema Retro,
September 2006.
Internet link:
Dingle Skellig
Inch beach
Dingle Peninsula
Dunchaoin
Hanna
Hats
House for
rent
|
