Tag Archives: Smother

CLARE 250 Cancer Centre welcomed some of the cast and crew of the hit TV thriller Smother for a couple of days filming at the woodland retreat in Ballygriffey recently.   Due to the pandemic, the day centre, which provides a haven away from daily life, for those going through cancer, has not been able to raise any money for the last two years. Fundraising activities get underway once again with a Coffee Day on Saturday, May 21, and a chance to support a local cyclist on the annual cycle which takes place on Sunday, May 22.

THE stunning scenery of west Clare has been enjoying more national exposure recently with the return to screens of RTE’s hit drama Smother. Smother has been supported from its inception by Clare County Council, whose arts officer, Siobhán Mulcahy, said: “Clare County Council is delighted to support and accommodate Smother logistically and behind the scenes, as we value its potential to promote our beautiful county, to provide investment and employment opportunities and to encourage the further development of local talent. “It has also provided us with a valuable opportunity to deepen our engagement and further our partnership with regional film supports such as WRAP and Film in Limerick.” The production has also been supported by Innovate Limerick through Film in Limerick, who have a regional remit for developing the sector in the Mid-West and they have produced a short behind-the-scenes film on the filming in Lahinch. Funded by Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland and the WRAP Fund and with BBC …

THE Giant’s Playground in the Burren was one place that made a great impression on Justine Mitchell who plays Elaine in the RTE hit show Smother. The show was filmed in North Clare and on a Zoom call with the press last week she said the location had stunned her. “The Giant’s Playground in the Burren, that was incredible. It really did feel like we got there and moments before like two dinosaurs had stopped fighting each other and gone around the corner somewhere. It has this ancient feeling, and it’s really good for you soul, you go like I’m so tiny, I’m so tiny!” She said the opening shot of the second series of Smother helped evoke the feeling the Burren gave her. “We are tiny little specks on this eternal landscape, and that’s so good for your head.” James O’Donoghue who plays her on screen son Calum was also hugely impressed by the North Clare landscape. “We all …

STARS of RTÉ’s hit drama Smother have shared their impressions of the rugged North Clare coastline, and its role in creating the atmosphere for what has been described as a ‘Celtic Noir’ thriller. Thomas Levin and Hazel Doupe, who play father and daughter Carl and Ingrid Jensen, were among the stellar cast involved in RTÉ’S Smother which was shot last year in the Lahinch area. The six-part series follows the fortunes of the Ahern family in the aftermath of the suspicious death of patriarch Denis. His wife Val (Dervla Kirwan) is in a new relationship with Carl, but Denis seems to be able to keep his grudge against them going from beyond the grave. After being cast as Carl, Thomas, whose TV credits include the Danish hit Borgen and Channel 4’s Norskov, travelled to Ireland to join the cast. “It was my first time in Ireland and North Clare and it was fantastic waking up and going to work there …

NORTH Clare is to feature prominently in one of the year’s most eagerly awaited home-grown drama series, Smother, which will air on RTÉ One next Sunday night. Shot on location in Lahinch, Liscannor, Spanish Point, Fanore, Ennistymon and Lisdoonvarna, the six-part drama is described as a “domestic noir thriller,” and is a co-production with BBC. It was filmed last year in adherence with pandemic guidelines. The high-end production featured a number of locals as crew members and extras. Writer Kate O’Riordan, who worked on the hit series Mr Selfridge, created the family thriller which sees her tight-knit family of characters gradually unearth deeply buried secrets and live with their unintended consequences. The all-star cast is headed up by Dervla Kirwan who plays matriarch Val – a devoted mother who is determined to protect her family and particularly her three daughters Jenny, Anna, and Grace, at any cost. Jenny (played by Niamh Walsh of Good Omens and Jamestown is a doctor, facing …