Vikings actor Sam Corlett has said Lough Tay in Co Wicklow has been his favourite location to film - describing it as “dramatic and beautiful”.
Tourism Ireland has unveiled behind the scenes footage of Netflix series Vikings: Valhalla, which was shot in Wicklow.
The video can be viewed here.
The hit series, produced by MGM Television, was filmed in Wicklow and premiered to the world on February 25.
The cast of Vikings: Valhalla includes Australian actor Sam Corlett, who stars as legendary explorer, Leif Eriksson; and English actor Leo Suter, who plays the ambitious Nordic prince, Harald Sigurdsson, reveal their favourite places to shoot the series while in Ireland.
Speaking about Ireland, Leo said: “I have loved filming in Ireland, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. My favourite places in Ireland? That’s pretty hard because there are a lot of them but I went to the Dingle Peninsula, which is on the west coast, and that was extraordinary.”
Speaking about Lough Tay, in Co Wicklow, Sam said: “If I had to pick a favourite location, I’d probably choose this one. It is a very dynamic place and it’s beautiful.”
The video has been shared by Tourism Ireland’s fans and followers on social platforms in Great Britain, the United States, Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries and Canada and aims to highlight our stunning scenery.
Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Vikings: Valhalla was filmed on location in Co Wicklow – another great screen tourism opportunity for Ireland and a really great way to highlight the destination, as we restart overseas tourism this year.
“The Netflix series will bring the magnificent scenery of Co Wicklow to the attention of viewers around the world. And, our behind-the-scenes film will remind our millions of followers on social media that the series was shot on location here, encouraging them to put Ireland on their holiday ‘wish list’ for 2022.”
It comes as Netflix confirmed the series will return for a second and third season.
Netflix revealed that the second chapter of eight episodes has wrapped in Wicklow and is expected to air in 2023. Production on the third chapter of eight episodes will begin later this spring.
Netflix had initially ordered 24 episodes of Vikings: Valhalla, and Wednesday's announcement confirms that order will be split up into three seasons with eight episodes each.
Vikings: Valhalla premiered February 25 and subscribers watched 194 million hours of the show within its first nine days on the platform, according to Netflix.
The historical drama also ranked No. 1 on the Netflix top 10 list of most-viewed programs for the week of Feb. 28, in addition to making the top 10 list in 90 countries.
The first season, taking place a hundred years after the original Vikings, featured the English king ordering a massacre of every Dane on his lands. In retaliation, the Vikings assembled their forces to claim the throne of England, while dealing with internal conflict between the pagan and Christian Vikings.
