Considered to be one of Ireland’s most picturesque villages, medieval Dalkey snuggles against a backdrop of lush green hills overlooking the Irish Sea.
Always a draw for visitors who love its heritage and charm and already home to some of Ireland’s A-listers including Enya, U2’s Bono and The Edge, and director Neil Jordan, the village has found itself back in the spotlight as the lockdown home of Matt Damon and his family.
The Hollywood star had come to the area in March to shoot The Last Duel, just a week before the country went into lockdown because of the Coronavirus crisis. For most of the time since, he has been unable to move more than 2km from his luxury house, as Irish guidelines demanded.
However, in an exclusive interview with local radio station Spin 103.8, Damon said he was enjoying his time in Dalkey, describing it as incredible.
“This is one of the most beautiful places we've ever been. It's absolutely gorgeous. Even within 2km, we've got trees, and woods and ocean. I can't think of any place you'd rather be in a 2km radius of," he said.
The star has been seen taking advantage of the beautiful area to exercise. He was caught on camera coming back from a swim in the sea, carrying his towels in a SuperValu (local supermarket) bag, which endeared him to the locals who said it was ‘such an Irish thing to do’.