Leap Year Filming Locations in Ireland: FULL List + Map!
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I know what you’re thinking. P.S. I Love You (2007) satiated your thirst for mediocre Hollywood romantic films set in Ireland for a while, but it just wasn’t enough. Luckily, Leap Year (2010) happened three years later. And the Leap Year filming locations, once again, are the winning lottery ticket that saves it from the bargain bin. Just.
Leap Year stars Amy Adams as Anna, a Bostonian desperate for her boyfriend to propose. While he’s on a business trip in Dublin, she learns of a Celtic tradition that allows women to propose to men on February 29th also known as Leap Day. She hightails it to Ireland ASAP to make the date but, as we know, the course of true love never did run smooth.
Let me briefly interject and say it’s perfectly reasonable for a person of any gender to propose on any day of the year. Traditions and societal expectations can get in the bin. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming.
If you live in Ireland, your suspension of disbelief for the Leap Year film locations needs to be SUPER high. Leap Year shot entirely in Ireland specifically Dublin, the Aran Islands and the Wicklow Mountains plus a couple of others.
But barely any location is “playing” itself, as it were. So, let’s find out where the Leap Year filming locations in Ireland are!
Where Was Leap Year Filmed?
Leap Year Filming Locations in Ireland
1. Dublin Castle Area, Dublin
The first Leap Year movie location is in Ireland, but it’s not set there. The first 10 minutes take place in Boston, but the scenes were shot near (and in) Dublin Castle. I’m not 100% sure where, but that’s what my research tells me.
2. County Wicklow Beach
In a strange turn of events, Anna’s plane from Boston to Dublin is diverted to Cardiff, Wales due to bad weather. She manages to hitch a ride on a fishing boat from Cardiff to Cork, except the continuing bad weather causes the boat to abandon her on a beach in Dingle.
If you look at Cork and Dingle on a map, you would instantly realise that Cork would have been the likelier place to dock. Anyway, this explanation is pointless because the beach isn’t remotely near Dingle.
The beach where Anna is dropped off is not in Dingle but in County Wicklow. At least, that’s what my research tells me but I cannot for the life of me decipher which one.
The beach in Leap Year clearly has many visible land masses just off the coast, but not one beach in County Wicklow has any. If you know the beach, I’d love to hear from you!
3. Kilmurvey, Inishmore, Aran Islands, County Galway
Seeking shelter from the storm, Anna barges into the first inn she finds. It’s a cross between a traditional Irish pub and an artist’s cafe with murals, bunting and lots of gaudy colours adorning the exterior.
This is Declan’s Pub named Caragh’s Inn, one of the most popular Leap Year locations with film fans! I don’t need to tell you it’s not in Dingle, do I?
Today, the building looks as if someone has completely wiped the canvas clean. The pub is now a white, boarded-up house sitting in the tiny village of Kilmurvey on the Aran Island of Inishmore in County Galway. Whomp-whomp.
4. L1824, County Mayo
It’s nothing short of a miracle that I found this exact Leap Year filming location. I’ve pinned the precise location on the google map at the top of this blog post.
The young Declan (Matthew Goode, horrible Irish accent) agrees to drive Anna to Dublin in his little old car. They drive through a gorgeous slice of the Irish countryside, which is down the L1824 between Doo Lough lake and the N59 road.
Declan sadly drives his little car off a wee bridge into a stream, which is how I managed to locate the exact place the characters stop and become stranded.
5. Doo Lough, R335, County Galway
When Anna decides she’s going to walk to Dublin (from Dingle, give me strength), she rolls her suitcase down a road that runs alongside Doo Lough. So we’re not far from the previous filming location, though she starts walking from the top of the lake walking south in the film.
Even though she won’t get to Dublin by walking in that direction, it is a cracking valley! You’d think they were in Scotland. I think some general shots of Connemara feature around this point in the film, too. At least, that’s what other bloggers say but I’m not 100% convinced.
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6. Rock of Dunamase, Aghnahily, County Laois
Finally, Anna and Declan have arrived at a train station so they can travel to Dublin. With over two hours to kill before the next train, they climb a hill and explore a local castle.
In reality, Ballycarbery Castle doesn’t exist but a historical ruined castle called Rock of Dunamase in County Laois does, which is the one they explore in the film.
Well, it’s kind of the one they explore in the film. I don’t believe the “seven wonders of Ireland” exists and there’s a little bit of CGI trickery going on, too.
7. Glendalough Park, Derrybawn, County Wicklow
Because Declan convinced Anna to explore the castle, they miss the train to Dublin. Luckily, the ticket officer runs a BnB in Tipperary so the pair spend the night at his house. The interior of the BnB is definitely a set, so that location doesn’t make the list.
Yet again attempting to walk to Dublin, the pair stumbles (literally) into a wedding ceremony. Somehow, they bag an invitation. The wedding reception is a marquee on Glendalough Park in County Wicklow, right on the banks of the Upper Glendalough lake. The continuity is appalling, but the Leap Year movie locations in Ireland sure are pretty.
8. Enniskerry Village Square, Enniskerry, County Wicklow
After vomiting on him and sleeping next to him on a bench after the wedding, Anna seemingly leaves Declan asleep while she hops on a bus to Dublin. The bus stop is in Enniskerry Village Square just in front of Poppies cafe (named Emilia’s in the film), which is where Anna’s just nipped in to buy coffee.
You may already be aware that most of P.S. I Love You‘s filming locations are in the Wicklow Mountains National Park, too.
Read next: P.S. I Love You Filming Locations in Ireland
9. St Stephen’s Green, Dublin
Finally, a Leap Year Ireland location I recognise! Anna and Declan have finally arrived in Dublin. Anna’s fiancé Jeremy is not at his hotel, so the new pals wander around St Stephen’s Green which is a popular park in Dublin.
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10. Carton House Hotel, Maynooth, County Kildare
The Carton House Hotel in County Kildare stands in for Jeremy’s Dublin hotel. All the hotels in Dublin and they film in County Kildare?! These Leap Year movie film locations just make ZERO sense to me.
This is where Jeremy proposes to Anna (a rather vanilla, staged proposal) in the lobby.
11. Dún Aonghasa, Inishmore, Aran Islands, County Galway
In a thrilling turn of events, Anna realises her fiancé Jeremy is a douchebag and her luxury lifestyle is a sham. So, she dumps him and flits off back to Dingle. Who saw that coming?! But the final Leap Year shooting location is possibly the best, at least the most famous.
Declan proposes to Anna overlooking the Dún Aonghasa cliffs on the Aran Islands, not far from where his pub is located. Actually calling them cliffs is a bit of a redundant name. They are a prehistoric, dry stone wall fortification if you please.
So, where was the movie Leap Year filmed in Ireland? Hopefully, this blog post has answered that question! Have you seen the movie or visited any of the Leap Year filming locations? Let me know in the comments below!
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Thanks for posting it as I watched this movie a decade ago and ended up settled in Ireland. Will surely go to this places.
Keep posting <3
You’re so welcome! Leap year has some beautiful locations so I hope you get to visit! 😀
Thank you for your post! I love this movie and I’ll finally go to Ireland next summer.
Thanks so much for your comment, Mandy! I hope you enjoy visiting the locations – I know I did! 😊
We’ve just visited the Rock of Dunamase castle today. It was lovely to see but the hill with the train station must be filmed in a completely different place. Thank you Rebecca for your vlog. Very helpful. We live actually near Wicklow and never visited those places from a movie before. We are fans of that movie to. lol 😊👍❤️
Ahhh I literally just visited it this March too, it was such a rainy day but the sky cleared as we got to the Rock of Dunamase so it was meant to be. Yes, it was a bit of CGI magic because, as you know, there’s definitely no train station near the castle ruins haha! You’re so welcome, I also went to Wicklow on the same trip (I’m currently living in Belfast) and I got engaged at Glendalough so Wicklow will always be special to me. 😀
thank you Rebeca for quenching the locations searching thirst of the sweetest movies I repeatedly watch.
Yours is an inspiring review.
You’re very welcome, Janaka! I’m glad you liked the post 🙂
At this point i cannot count how many times i watched this movie. Its just that scenery and love and bickering that gets to me everytime. I went to ireland 12 years ago and i am going there again in july… i just love that place. Its the romantic in me, i guess. Thanks for the places. I will try to visit them😊
Thanks so much for commenting, Aloka! I’m glad you love the movie – I just got back from an Ireland road trip and visited some of the Leap Year locations and they’re absolutely gorgeous!
Hello, thank you for the explanation on Leap Year movie locations. Although the train officer B&B inn interior is a set, I’m dying to know at least the place, where they all three and the dog seen walking to his (the train officer) home! It’s so beautiful makes me want to pack my bag and stay there!😊🩷🙏
Thanks for your comment, Afi! Glad you liked the guide! 😀
Hey! So I know the bar he owned is on the Inishmore island, I think it is boarded up now, but do you know where this is?
Hey Alanna! Yes I do – I know N.3 on my list doesn’t have an address and that’s because it doesn’t appear to have one anymore. I promise, if you go on Google Streetview in the town of Kilmurvey you will find it. Use my Google map at the start of the post to help you find the exact location. There are like three streets in this town so it won’t take you long. But expect it to look much sadder and neglected than it did in the film because you’re right, it is boarded up now.
Hey not sure if my last comment came through but I cannot find it on my side, do you happen to have a link on Google Maps where I can find it? Sorry to be a pain!
Oh sorry about that, I’m not sure what happened there! I’ve just checked and for some reason, there isn’t a Google Streetview available anymore. I swear I saw it on there when I wrote the blog post last year. But if you do look at the map of the town, it is so small you could walk up and down every street in less than 20 minutes I’m sure. Sorry I couldn’t help further!
Oh no worries at all! Thank you for checking 😊. Might be a year or so before I go but I will for sure keep this chat saved to reference when I do go. Thank you for writing this blog and responding so fast 😊!
Hi Alanna, it’s probably a long shot but I wanted to ask you if you ever had the trip and found the bar! I am really curious about how it looks like and how it feels like from a person who’ve actually been there. Thank you so much already!
Hello! I know you directed this comment to Alanna but I am the site owner and the writer of this guide and I’ve actually visited the location on Inishmore! 😀 The bar was never a bar – it was only turned into one for the film. Today, it’s a boarded up/run down building painted completely white. Head to An Túirne – Aran Islands Sweaters in Cabhruach and its the derelict right behind the sweater shop.
I loved the movies LEAP YEAR and PS I LOVE YOU
Two of my favorites. I think because you can “feel the weather” and “smell the “,” fresh clean air””. ” And I am a romantic at heart. You know the guy always gets the girl….but there is a an Irish movie that I can’t for the life of me remember the name. It’s about a little girl’s grandparents losing their home. She had a little brother. A silkie. She’s got a friend and the two of them clean up an old house near the water. Inish I believe is part of the name of the movie. The little girls’s name is Fiona. Any idea of what I am talking about?
Hey Paula! Haha, Ireland does look very beautiful in these movies! Are you talking about The Secret of Roan Inish (1994) by any chance?
“If you look at Cork and Dingle on a map, you would instantly realise that Cork would have been the likelier place to dock.” That’s the reason I stumbed upon your post: I had checked the map and I was appalled at the locations, I needed corroboration. Thanks for the info, thanks for the laughs, the post is great.
By the way, there is an annual film festival at Tiradentes, Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is called Mostra Tiradentes and is held at the end of January. Tiradentes is a charming colonial city with great food and some waterfalls in the neighborhood. The festival is completely for free and every end of the night there is a music concert. The movies are from Brazil, Portuguese spoken – I do not know how many of them are subtitled 🙁
Thanks for the comment! Yes, the locations are a little unrealistic haha. Thanks for the info about the film festival – I had to remove the link you added because I don’t allow unauthorised links to third-party sites.
I have been searched the film’s location a lot of times before having your comment. It took me a long time to find the castle, obviously! it doesn’t match any castle in Ireland. So, thank you for your comment! Likely you lifted a rock up from my chest in the debris.
Hey Eric, thanks so much for your comment! So glad I could help you find the right location 😀
Watching this movie on a rainy day. I visited Ireland a few years back and miss it. Post covid, it’s on the top of the list of places to visit. 💚 Thanks for sharing !
Thanks so much for your comment Michelle! Ireland is a really special place and I hope you get to go back there soon 😀