Glencolmcille hoping for influx of visitors after star sings its praises on US chatshow circuit

Crew trucks at Glencolmcille Folk village

Liam at the Folk Village with Marian Carr, Patrick Gillespie and Margaret Rose Cunningham

Liam Neeson holding a St Brigid’s cross presented to him by the villagers

Ciaran Hinds with members of the Naomh Columba ladies’ team

Folk Village staff with In the Land of Saints and Sinners producer Philip Lee (far left), director Robert Lorenz (third from right) and cinematographer Tom Stern (far right)

The crew outside Roarty’s pub in the village

Liam and Jack Gleeson during filming

Crew trucks at Glencolmcille Folk village

Liam at the Folk Village with Marian Carr, Patrick Gillespie and Margaret Rose Cunningham

Residents of a tiny village in Co Donegal where Liam Neeson filmed his latest movie have thanked him for putting their home on the map.

With the actor singing the praises of Glencolmcille on American chatshows, locals hope his plugs for In the Land of Saints and Sinners will attract thousands of visitors to the area.

The movie, which also stars Belfast actor Ciaran Hinds, tells the story of how a one-time contract killer called Finbar Murphy (played by Neeson) has his quiet life shattered when an IRA gang flees to his village to lie low after a bombing in Belfast goes wrong.

Neeson told chatshows he loved filming back at home, particularly in Donegal, which he described as Ireland’s forgotten county.

“(Donegal’s) rugged topography added something to the story of the turbulence of the 70s. Going to work was an absolute joy,” he said.

Ciaran Hinds with members of the Naomh Columba ladies’ team

With Neeson knowing co-star Hinds for more than 50 years, he called him his dearest friend and the “brother I never had”.

He also joked Hinds was “being a smart***” when he told reporters his friend had cooked meals at the house they shared near Killybegs during filming.

Neeson, who is due to appear in a remake of the Naked Gun films, explained: “I washed the occasional dish. Ciaran is a wonderful cook.”

Margaret Rose Cunningham, from Glencolmcille Folk Village said the film’s cast and crew had been welcomed to the area with open arms two years ago.

She also expressed hope that the movie, and particularly the shoots around the spectacular Silver Strand beach and Glengesh Pass, would bring a new influx of tourists to the county.

Liam at the Folk Village with Marian Carr, Patrick Gillespie and Margaret Rose Cunningham

A house in the Folk Village — a replica of an old coastal community that gives visitors a glimpse into Irish life in past centuries — served as a home for Neeson’s character in the film.

Mrs Cunningham said: “We were all thrilled that they filmed the movie in and around Glencolmcille.

“There have been films shot here before, like The Railway Station Man, which starred Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, but this is the first time that the producers have kept the name of the village in the movie.”

A large number of locals were drafted in as extras and crowds gathered to watch the filming of scenes round the village, including at Roarty’s bar.

Folk Village staff with In the Land of Saints and Sinners producer Philip Lee (far left), director Robert Lorenz (third from right) and cinematographer Tom Stern (far right)

Mrs Cunningham said: “All of the folk connected with the film were lovely.

“We presented Liam with a St Brigid’s cross made by local artist Gabriel Gillespie, and it was Liam who wondered if we wanted a picture of him with it.”

During a night off from filming, Hinds popped into a pub in nearby Carrick for a music session, meeting players from the local ladies’ GAA team.

The actor also took some time out to look around the Folk Village.

The crew outside Roarty’s pub in the village

His co-star Jack Gleeson, who played King Joffrey in Game of Thrones, was a regular in the Folk Village cafe.

Belfast actor Conor MacNeill, who starred alongside Jamie Dornan in the second series of The Tourist, also has a role in the film, as has Seamus O’Hara, who appeared in the Oscar-winning An Irish Goodbye and is currently appearing as a loyalist vying for control of his estate in the new series of Blue Lights.

Belfast man Terry Loane was one of the screenwriters for the film, which was directed by Robert Lorenz, who previously worked with Neeson on 2021’s The Marksman.

Liam and Jack Gleeson during filming

A number of people from Glencolmcille are understood to have had a sneak preview of In the Land of Saints and Sinners, which is due to be released on Netflix next Friday.

It is already out in America, where it received largely positive reviews from critics.

As well as Glencolmcille, a number of scenes were filmed in Killybegs and Kilcar, where Sex and the City’s Sarah Jessica Parker and her actor husband Matthew Broderick have a holiday home.