Ardmore Studios

Ardmore Studios, located in Bray, Co. Wicklow, is Ireland’s only four wall studio. Opened in 1958 by then Minister for Industry and Commerce Seán Lemass, the studio has grown to house numerous Irish and international productions, including Braveheart, My Left Foot, King Arthur and Veronica Guerin.

In July 2008, Kevin Moriarty, Ardmore Studios boss, criticised Irish movies saying that: "there is an absence of a core structure, a surface (even superficial) storyline that allows the audience to navigate its way."

History

Irish Film before Ardmore Studios

In 1910 Sidney Olcott made his first visit to Ireland. Prior to this visit Irish film was made up of newsreels. His first film based in Ireland was The Lad from Old Ireland and was produced by Kalem. His next Irish film was called Rory O'Moore and was based around the Irish Rebellion of 1798. This displeased both the British Home Office and the Catholic Church. Most of his films at this time were filmed in Kerry in the towns of Beaufort, Dunloe and Killarney. Films of the time included The Gypsies of Old Ireland, Arrah-na-Pogue, Robert Emmet, Ireland's Martyr, You'll Remember Ellen and Ireland the Oppressed. By 1914 Olcott was planning a studio based in Beaufort to film all year round, with the outbreak of World War I these plans were put to rest. In 1913 another American producer Walter MacNamara produced Ireland a Nation and was filmed in Baltinglass and Glendalough in Co. Wicklow. However the film only aired once in Dublin in 1917 as the British quickly banned the controversial content about Irish rebel Robert Emmett. In March 1916 just before the Easter Rising the Irish Film Company was established by James Mark Sullivan.

Ardmore Studios

Early Years and American Involvement

Ardmore studios first opened its doors in May 1958. Situated on a 10 acre site 12 miles south of Dublin, the studio offered the first opportunity for film makers in Ireland to shoot indoors on sets made specifically for film; prior to this film makers were confined to location shooting, which represented only a small part of the completed film.

The first film to emerge from the studios was an adaptation of Walter Macken’s acclaimed play, “Home Is The Hero”, starring Macken and directed by Emmy award winning Fielder Cooke. Famed British Director George Pollock took the helm of the next two productions to be shot in the studio; "Sally's Irish Rogue" and "The Big Birthday", both based on Abbey comedies.

In the late 1950s, managing directors Emmet Dalton and Louis Elliman, travelled to the United States of America to promote the studios and to achieve some foreign investment. Stirring interested in the studio from Hollywood production companies, the studio landed it’s first major contract, 1959’s "Shake Hands With The Devil",starring Oscar winner James Cagney and screen beauty Dana Wynter. A year later another Hollywood legend, in the form of Robert Mitchum arrived at the studio to star in Tay Garnett’s "A Terrible Beauty". In 1961, Ardmore was host to the controversial "The Mark", directed by Guy Green, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and earned it’s star, Stuart Whitman an Oscar nomination. Other films produced at this time include Don Chaffey’s "The Webster Boys" and "Johnny Nobody" with Cyril Cusack.

The Boorman Years

In 1975, film director John Boorman became Chair of the studio, alongside Sheamus Smith as managing director. After a period of renovation, the studio welcomed several major fimls, including "The Purple Taxi", starring Fred Astaire and a remake of the classic "The Great Train Robbery", which was written and directed by Michael Crichton and starred Sean Connery.

In 1981, Boorman begain shooting his own $11.5 million dollar epic "Excalibur", starring a then-unknown Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne and Ciarán Hinds. Also on board for the production was Neil Jordan in his first filmmaking role as a creative associate. Also released at this time was John Huston’s "The Dead", based on the short story by James Joyce and starring his daughter, Angelica Huston; and "My Left Foot", directed by Jim Sheridan which earned Oscars for both Daniel Day-Lewis for his portrayal of the paraplegic Christy Brown and Brenda Fricker, for he portrayal of his mother. In 1994, both Ardmore Studios and the Wicklow countryside was transformed into the Scottish Highlands for Mel Gibson’s Oscar winning "Braveheart".

Recent and Future Productions

Since 2006, and under Managing Director Kevin Moriarty, Ardmore studios has been home to two historical series. "The Tudors, which took place between 2006 and 2010 at a combined cost of over €90 million, and "Camelot", in 2010, starring Joseph Fiennes and Eva Green. In 2008, the studio celebrated it’s 50th anniversary. As of January 2012, Byzantium, directed by Neil Jordan and starring Neil Jordan was the latest production filmed at Ardmore.

Facilities Based at Ardmore

Ardmore is home to numerous companies and facilities for film production. These include:

• Five Sound Stages
• Digital Sound Facilities
• Lighting Facilities
• Art Departments
• Workshops and prop stores
• Production offices
• Make-up, hair and wardrobe department.

Companies located at Ardmore studios include:

• CineElectric
• Panavision
• World 2000 Entertainment

Films made, or based, at Ardmore Studios

• This Other Eden (1958)
• Shake Hands with the Devil (1959)
• Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960)
• The Mark (1961)
• The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)
• The Blue Max (1966)
• The Viking Queen (1967)
• The Lion in Winter (1968)
• Images (1972)
• Zardoz (1974)
• The Last Remake of Beau Geste (1977)
• Excalibur (1981)
• Angel (1982)
• My Left Foot (1989)
• Fools of Fortune (1990)
• The Commitments (1991)
• Rock-a-Doodle (1991)
• In the Name of the Father (1993)
• Braveheart (1995)
• Space Truckers (1996)
• The Tailor of Panama (2001)
• Evelyn (2002)
• King Arthur (2004)
• Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
• Becoming Jane (2007)
• The Tudors (TV series) (2006–2010)
• Camelot (TV series) (2010)
• The Last Furlong (2011)
• Byzantium (2012)

Music albums recorded at Ardmore

• The Corrs Unplugged (1999)
• VH1 Presents: The Corrs, Live in Dublin (2002)

See also

• Cinema of Ireland

External links

• Ardmore Studios at IMDb
• Ardmore Studios official website
• Dáil Éireann Parliamentary Debate, December 1993 Irish Film Board (Amendment) Bill, 1993