Discover Ireland’s legends in Disney’s ARTEMIS FOWL

Fans of hit book series Artemis Fowl are in for a treat this summer as the magical world of the 12-year-old criminal mastermind – inspired by and partially filmed on location on the island of Ireland – is brought to life by Disney and launches from June 12 on Disney +.

The story follows Artemis, played by Ferdia Shaw, who is investigating the disappearance of his father, played by Colin Farrell, at the hands of a mysterious supernatural force. 

A much loved book series written by Irish author Eoin Colfer, Artemis Fowl captured the imaginations of millions around the world with its blend of Irish mythology, futuristic technology and superhero action. 

The film was shot on location in Ireland in 2018 with some of the most stunning destinations from around the island appearing in the film, including the dramatic Dunluce Castle, a 16th century ruin which sits atop a cliff on the Causeway Coast and White Rocks Beach, Portrush known to millions of golf fans worldwide as the stunning backdrop to Royal Portrush Golf Club which hosted the 148th Open in 2019. 

Speaking about filming the destination, director Kenneth Branagh said, “It was always a determination to shoot at least some of the movie there and to particularly give a sense of the scale of Ireland, the beauty of Ireland, the coast, the landscape, the colour of that famous grass, and the spectacle of some of the ancient buildings.”

ARTEMIS FOWL features a cast and creative team from the island of Ireland, including Belfast-born, Kenneth Branagh, acclaimed Dublin playwright and screenwriter Conor McPherson and lead actors Ferdia Shaw from Wexford, Lara McDonnell from Dublin  and our very own Colin Farrell.

Artemis Fowl’s creator, the author Eoin Colfer, hails from County Wexford, in Ireland’s Ancient East, a region defined by a rich history, home to 5000-year old Neolithic monuments, hundreds of castles and a world-renowned tradition of storytelling.

Eoin Colfers’ Artemis Fowl books were inspired by the many facets of life growing up in a destination so steeped in stories. He says: “Ireland is the most magical place on earth, and that’s what we get from the Irish mythology, that we were the last people to commune with the fairies before they went underground.”

One of the places that became a key site in the story is Artemis’ home, Fowl Manor, which was inspired by the real-life Loftus Hall, an imposing mansion on the Hook Peninsula in County Wexford, and where Eoin Colfer worked as a teenager. It is here that he imagined the Fowl family living, he says: “it was made much easier to write that book when you have the physical place in your mind and you know all the hallways and the tunnels and the secrets.”

Director Kenneth Branagh echoes the sense of place and legend that Ireland embodies, he says: “You’ve only got to go to a place like The Giant’s Causeway, to believe that fairies exist in Ireland because somehow that incredible landscape was created.” The world UNESCO heritage site in County Antrim is one of the most famous visitor attractions in Europe. The thousands of hexagonal basalt columns tumbling down into the Atlantic Ocean date back to a volcanic age almost 60 million years ago, and were said to have been created by two warring giants.

Artemis Fowl launches on Disney+ on June 12th

www.ireland.com