As you may already know, 2020 is a leap year. This means that there will be an extra day at the end of February.
Irish legend says that St. Brigid and St. Patrick made a deal that women could ask men to marry them every four years on February 29 (Leap Day).
Amy Adams’ 2010 movie Leap Year is based on this custom; the main character goes to Ireland and drives all the way across the island to get to her fiancée in time to propose on February 29.
The movie was shot in many places across the Emerald Isle. Here are some of the best romantic places where leap year Castle was made.
1. The Carton House Hotel in Maynooth, County Kildare
Carton House is another one of the most famous places in Ireland where Leap Year was filmed. The scene is set in a Dublin hotel hallway when Anna’s boyfriend, the reason she came all the way from England, finally gets down on one knee and asks her to marry him.
The hotel is actually in Maynooth, not Dublin. It is called the Carton House Hotel. The 17th-century house that the Carton House Hotel is in is one of Ireland’s most famous, so you have to see it if you’re in County Kildare.
Queen Victoria, Grace Kelly, and Peter Sellers are just a few of the famous people who have stayed at the hotel.
This luxury resort is one of Ireland’s national treasures. It sits on 1,100 private acres of beautiful Kildare parkland, so it’s no surprise that the filmmakers picked it as the perfect place to film a proposal.
2. Dublin’s St. Stephen’s Green
There is a scene after the wedding where Anna and Declan are seen going through a beautiful park. It is St. Stephen’s Green in Dublin.
The romantic scene where they are standing on the bridge and talking about Declan’s ex-girlfriend was made on the Stone Bridge in St. Stephen’s Green, on a day that seems much calmer and sunnier than most in Dublin.
But if you’re visiting the city, the park is a great place for a romance walk because it’s away from the noise and crowds of Grafton Street.
The famous Temple Bar in Dublin is close by, and that’s where Declan’s ex-girlfriend gave back his mother’s Claddagh ring.
3. Wicklow County’s Glendalough
It is understandable that they choose to film the wedding scene in Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains, two of Ireland’s most stunning tourist destinations in addition to being some of the most picturesque filming settings for Leap Year.
The breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the lough can be seen behind the bride and her husband as they are having their passionate speech at the top table.
Those who look out over the lough, gleaming in the sunlight, and the mountains towering above and encircling them will be inspired by the stunning natural beauty.
There is much to see between the region’s history and natural beauty, since the glacier valley is also the location of an early mediaeval monastery settlement that St. Kevin built in the sixth century.
4. The Rock of Dunamase in County Laois
Fans of the movie will be confused when they visit Ballycarbery Castle, which is in the movie. Mostly because there is no such thing as Ballycarbery Castle!
The castle the figures look around is a mix of CGI and the Rock of Dunamase near Portlaoise. To be more specific, the Rock of Dunamase is what’s left of an early Hiberno-Norman castle. You will, however, have a great view of the Slieve Bloom Mountains.
If you’re interested in Irish history, you should definitely go see the Rock of Dunamase, even though it’s not the castle that’s in the movie.
5. Dún Aonghasa, Inishmore
A lot of the movie Leap Year was filmed in Inishmore, which is on the Aran Islands. The plot of the movie says that the area is the Dingle Peninsula, but it’s really Inishmore, and “Declan’s Pub” is in the town of Kilmurvey.
The final scene where the proposal happens, which is one of the most memorable parts of the movie, was also shot in Inishmore. It takes place near the village of Kilmurvey, just outside the walls of Dún Aonghasa.
With its 100-meter-high cliffs and dramatic views of the rough Irish shoreline, it’s no wonder that this epic spot was chosen for the movie’s most important scene.
