It became one of the most talked about shows in the world during its 8 years on air making superstars out of its cast.
But Game of Thrones also shone a light on Northern Ireland, its main filming location, as fans flocked to see where some of the show’s most iconic scenes were shot.
Despite filming wrapping in 2018 and the final series airing last year, Game of Thrones tourism is set to continue to give the economy here a huge boost.
So we decided to take a look at some of the show’s most iconic scenes which were filmed right here in Northern Ireland.
1. Battle of Winterfell
It was one of the most epic episodes in Game of Thrones history, and The Long Night, the third episode in the eighth and final season of the hit HBO show, was actually filmed across nearly three months in Northern Ireland.
The Belfast crew were involved in 11 weeks of night shoots, 55 straight nights out filming in a cold field. They filmed from 6pm in the evening until 5am in the morning in freezing conditions.
Check out the video below which details exactly how the Battle of Winterfell was filmed and the work that went into it.
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2. Hardhome
It was another incredible battle scene for the show between the White Walkers, Jon Snow and the Wildlings and it was filmed right here in Northern Ireland at the Magheramorne quarry and took nearly a month to film. It was a relentless mix of action and horror.
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3. The Red Wedding
It was a scene which left tears in the eyes of the Belfast crew and took many viewers by surprise when two members of the Stark family were massacred in what became known as the Red Wedding.
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It has been described as an even bloodier sequel to Ned Stark’s execution and confirmed that even the best loved characters were not save in this show.
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4. Melisandre gives birth to a shadow monster
This scene was filmed in Cushendun Caves along the Antrim coast and was certainly an iconic moment in the second series of the show. It comes after after the failed parley between Stannis and Renly. Melisandre is revealed to be pregnant and she gives birth to a shadow monster in a cave close to Renly’s encampment. The creature infiltrates Renly’s camp and kills him in front of Catelyn Stark and Brienne.
5. Battle of the Bastards
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There are a lot of epic battle scenes in Game of Thrones and this one, filmed in a field in the Saintfield area, is up there as one of the best. Almost the entire episode was devoted to the battle as Jon Snow and Sansa Stark united to face Ramsay Bolton at Winterfell.
6. The Night King brings down the Wall
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Season 7 came to a dramatic end when the Wall was brought down by the Night King on the back of an undead dragon. The famous Wall, guarded by the Night’s Watch was based in the Magheramorne quarry outside Larne.
7. Jon Snow, is he alive or not
It was one of the biggest cliff-hanger in recent TV history, was Jon Snow really dead at the end of season 5 after being stabbed by members of the Night’s Watch.
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It caused a huge stir in Belfast, where the show was primarily filmed, and when Jon Snow was spotted in Northern Ireland during filming for series 6, it certainly set tongues wagging.
-- to www.belfastlive.co.uk
