{"id":346476,"date":"2026-02-20T02:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T02:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/346476\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T02:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T02:53:09","slug":"star-studded-donegal-movie-premieres-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/346476\/","title":{"rendered":"Star-studded Donegal movie premieres this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

A major movie made in Inishowen will be hitting the big screen this weekend.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Lightkeeper, starring Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia) and Sarah Bolger (The Spiderwick Chronicles), was filmed in and around Culdaff and Malin Head in 2023.<\/p>\n

The first viewing will be at a sold-out special screening at the Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) on Saturday 21st February.<\/p>\n

In advance, Hollywood actors Dominic Cooper and Sarah Bolger will drop into\u00a0The Late Late Show on RTE One this Friday to chat about co-starring in the upcoming film.<\/p>\n

Fresh from their appearance at the IFTAs, they will talk awards season, share stories from filming in Donegal and Mayo and reveal what audiences can expect from this film.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The Lightkeeper \u2013 Image: CMG<\/p>\n

First developed under the title Cry From the Sea, The Lightkeeper is set in Ireland in 1924.<\/p>\n

The story follows Seamus \u00d3g McGrinna (Dominic Cooper), a lighthouse keeper whose elaborate rituals keep him at a distance from the outside world as he awaits the fabled Each Uisce (Water-Horse) to take him. His carefully constructed prison is blown open by three people who change the course of his life: an American war widow whose quest for closure ignites something in him; a housekeeper who fiercely protects him; and the hard-line priest who starts a battle of wills.<\/p>\n

Aidan Quinn, best known for his role in Legends of the Fall, plays a cleric in The Lightkeeper, marking his return to Inishowen. Quinn previously filmed in the area in 2006 when A Shine of Rainbows was shot around Lagg.<\/p>\n

See more: Hollywood star Aidan Quinn compliments \u2018gorgeous\u2019 Donegal village<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Filming for The Lightkeeper saw Culdaff\u2019s main street transformed into a period set, with horse-drawn carriages, vintage motor vehicles and local businesses dressed in era-appropriate wares. For a brief time, parts of the village took on the look and feel of the early 1900s, with traditional transport replacing modern traffic.<\/p>\n

McGuinness\u2019 Bar features in several indoor scenes, while the exterior of the traditional Irish pub required little alteration to fit the production. Malin Head provided a dramatic coastal backdrop.<\/p>\n

Behind-the-scenes photographs from the 2023 shoot can be viewed here:\u00a0Lights, Cameras, Culdaff! Donegal village goes back in time for major film<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Star-studded Donegal movie premieres this weekend was last modified: February 19th, 2026 by Rachel McLaughlin<\/p>\n

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