Failte Ireland Keeps Discovering the Joys of Holidaying at Home in Breathtaking Films

With the unveiling of their €4 million domestic marketing campaign, Failte Ireland are releasing a series of stunning films showcasing different corners of the country and various experiences to be discovered by Irish people looking to holiday in Ireland, as they begin to reconnect with each other. 

Produced by Antidote Films and directed by the brilliant Brendan Canty, this epic series of commercials will see a main ‘Keep Discovering’ as well as films focussing on more regional experiences such as Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands & the Wild Atlantic Way. The commercials were filmed over the course of 2019 and 2020, with the current easing of restrictions and increased vaccination efforts making it the peak time to encourage holiday-makers to discover hidden parts of the country they call home. 

Pier jumping in Salthill, horse riding on Streedagh Beach and enjoying a crisp sandwich near the water - Canty captures a quintessential Irish experience while also unearthing a myriad of new experiences and sights of the island, with DOP Colm Hogan aiding in doing this in the most visually stunning way possible. Post Production by Screen Scene and sound design by Steve Fanagan envelop the viewer in what this unpredictable year can look and sound like if tourists take the plunge and holiday at home. 

The commercials feature voiceover by singer-songwriter Lisa Hannigan, soundtracked by Dermot Kennedy’s ‘Power Over Me’. More county-specific films will portray the hidden gems from rural Kerry to city breaks in Dublin. 

“What a journey, what a country”, wrote director Brendan Canty upon the project’s release - The production of which spanned two years and several months of travelling Ireland to film every beautiful corner of the island. 

“It takes an immense amount of trust and a strong sense of collaboration to make a project of this scale as incredible as it can be, but working with Rothco and Failte Ireland means we’ve created something we’re exceptionally proud to release”, commented Antidote’s executive producer, Andrew Freedman.