Martin McDonagh’s 2023 film The Banshees of Inisherin received eight Academy Award nominations – including Best Picture – whilst collecting numerous other accolades, inspiring many to explore its stunning landscapes. For those keen to experience the spectacular vistas, there’s excellent news: most of it was filmed on a single island.

Achill Island, situated off the coast of County Mayo, is accessible by car, as it connects to the mainland via the Michael Davitt Bridge and can be easily reached using the N59 from Westport to Mulranny, then the R319, according to Achill Tourism.

On the island’s south-east, Cloughmore served as the location for JJ Devine’s pub Jonjo’s. Regrettably, the structure was built solely for filming and subsequently dismantled, so it cannot be viewed today. Nevertheless, it remains a favoured bird-watching location and merits a visit for panoramic sea views.

Journeying westward along the coast from Cloughmore, visitors will discover the location for the fork in the road, identified by a statue of the Virgin Mary in the film.

In reality, the road lacks a fork, and the production team positioned the statue of Mary at that spot. This location was also utilised for the scene where Colm (Brendan Gleeson) escorts Pádraic (Colin Farrell) home following a beating in the village.

The notorious opening sequence of a cheerful, contented Pádraic wandering into frame against a highly saturated, rainbow-coloured backdrop was filmed at Purteen harbour, situated between Keel and Pollagh.

The production team transformed the area, converting it into a dockside street scene featuring the island’s post office. The shop – O’Riordan’s – was built specifically for the production, and the row of fishermen’s cottages was merely a frontage.

Keem Bay is a magnificent beach, boasting white sands and stunning turquoise waters – establishing it as one of Ireland’s most beloved coastal destinations. It also serves as the location for Colm and Pádraic’s closing scene – the structure, which is privately owned, was not purpose-built and remains standing; nevertheless, the actual scene was filmed on a studio set.

Corrymore Lake provides the backdrop for Dominic’s (Barry Keoghan) and Siobhán’s (Kerry Condon) heartbreaking conversation and his demise.

St Thomas’s Church, located in Dugort, is a 19th-century Church of Ireland structure that functioned as the setting for the Catholic Mass sequences in the production. It remains an active place of worship and is not accessible to visitors outside of service times.