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Tourism Ireland unveils behind-the-scenes film for new TV series ‘Conversations with Friends’

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10th June 2022

Tourism Ireland unveils behind-the-scenes film for new TV series ‘Conversations with Friends’

Tourism Ireland unveils behind-the-scenes film for new TV series ‘Conversations with Friends’

The island of Ireland is wowing viewers of the new TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s popular novel Conversations with Friends, which began airing recently on BBC Three in GB and on the online streaming platform Hulu in the United States.

Following the global success of the hit TV adaptation of Rooney’s novel Normal People in 2020, Tourism Ireland worked again with production company Element Pictures, to create a short behind-the-scenes film for Conversations with Friends – in which director Lenny Abrahamson and actors Joe Alwyn (Nick), Jemima Kirke (Melissa) and Alison Oliver (Frances) describe and praise the special locations chosen for filming.

To view the behind-the-scenes film, click here. The film is being shared with Tourism Ireland’s millions of fans and followers on social media around the world – to highlight the island of Ireland and our stunning scenery, including the North Coast, and to remind people that the series was shot here.

Filming for the highly anticipated 12-part TV series took place here last year. The Dublin scenes were filmed in a number of real-life locations, including bars, cafés and streets – with much of the drama unfolding in Trinity College Dublin, where the characters Frances and Bobbi, played by Alison Oliver and Sasha Lane, go to university. Standing in for Dublin, filming also took place in Belfast – at the Lyric Theatre, Stranmillis University College and Campbell College; as well as at the Sweet Afton gastro pub, the Canteen coffee shop on Ormeau Road and the No Alibis bookshop.

Siobhan McManamy, Acting Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are grateful to Element Pictures for their generosity in agreeing to make this behind-the-scenes film with us. The fact that ‘Conversations with Friends’ was filmed here is a fantastic coup for tourism. Following the success of ‘Normal People’, this highly anticipated 12-part TV series is a great way to bring the island of Ireland to the attention of viewers in two of our most important markets, GB and the United States.”

Speaking about Northern Ireland, Jemima Kirke, who plays Melissa, said: “I have managed to go up north along the coast, which was amazing and I didn't even know that those landscapes existed. I felt like I was in another world.”

Notes to Editors:

  • Tourism Ireland is the organisation responsible for promoting Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland overseas as a leading holiday destination.
  • In 2019, we welcomed 2.24 million overseas visitors to Northern Ireland, delivering revenue of £589 million.
  • Tourism Ireland’s international website is www.ireland.com, 33 market sites available in 30 different countries in 11 language versions around the world.