The recipes have been taken from author George RR Martin’s cookbook called A Feast of Ice & Fire, the official companion cookbook for GoT, and the three-course meal could be customised to nine courses, says Norman McBride, general manager of the hotel. The GoT-theme meal is just one of more than 25 GoT-related visitor experiences—there are guided tours by coach, interactive experiences, culinary experiences and self-guided tours—that have sprung up in the region from 2013, two years after the series began on TV.
In the hotel’s reception are GoT-inspired memorabilia like sterling silver jewellery and accessories, handcrafted by Steensons Jewellers at their workshop along the Causeway Coast route, where many of the scenes were filmed. As I head to my room for the night, I hope I am not visited by the in-house ghost of Lady Isabella Shaw!
The next day I head to Cairncastle. “This is where Ned Stark beheaded the deserter of the Night’s Watch who warns him that the night walkers had returned,” says Dee Morgan, my guide. “Would you like to enact it? I have a cloak and a sword.” For assistance, and refreshing our memories, she plays the scene on her laptop. A quick beheading follows.
When fans come to see the harbour, they tend to stay back at the quaint coastal village and experience its walking tours and boat rides on the Irish Sea. It is where tourists like to step back in time and savour Glenarm salmon or Glenarm shorthorn beef, sip an Irish whiskey and relax.
A year after these doors were commissioned, in 2017 the Game of Thrones Tapestry was introduced. Measuring 80 m in length, this hand-woven and embroidered tapestry—it took 16 weeks to complete, was woven on a special jacquard loom, and was made locally—depicts events, characters and shoot locations of the series. This is displayed at the Ulster Museum in Belfast.
“This year, across Belfast, six freestanding stained glass windows known as Glass of Thrones were installed,” says Catherine Gray, media visits co-ordinator, Tourism Northern Ireland, as she talks about how the enthusiasm around the TV series is being kept alive in the country. “Each window showcases a House from Game of Thrones and highlights iconic events.”
As fans prepare to watch the prequel to the TV series—also written by George RR Martin, it is set thousands of years before the events of GoT—they can also expect more from what Northern Ireland has to offer. “The Game of Thrones Studio Tour is expected to launch in spring next year. The 110,000 sq ft interactive experience is located at the Linen Mill Studios in Banbridge. Fans can re-live the imagery, walk amid the original sets used in the show, complete with genuine props and costumes,” says Gray.
Throughout the trip, as I come across the GoT door, I remain curious about The Dark Hedges. Located at the junction of Ballinlea Road and Bregagh Road at Ballymoney, they are one of the top tree tunnels around the world. When James Stuart got the Gracehill House built in 1775, and named after his wife Grace Lynd, 150 beech trees were planted along the driveway. These are what are known as The Dark Hedges, in which 90 trees remain. They have a gothic appearance, with their twisted branches forming an arch above the road, and providing the ideal setting for Arya Stark to escape King’s Landing in season two.
“Even though the trees were shown for just 15.5 seconds in the show, they have left a mark and are now a popular attraction,” says Deirdre Donnelly, from Dark Hedges Experience. The 270 acre estate also includes The Hedges Hotel where GoT’s door number 7, with the three eyed- raven carved on it, is located.
My personal highpoint comes at Castle Ward, an 18th century castle and 820-acre property—complete with hills and woodlands—which was the location of Winterfell in season 1. After wearing a cloak similar to Sansa Stark, and eating from a wooden bowl, I try my hand at archery on the set. Managing to hit almost all the arrows on target, I am inwardly gloating when my thunder is stolen by Odin and Thor, the two Norwegian inuit dogs who played the characters of Summer and Grey Wind direwolves in the series and have 31,500 followers on their own Instagram page. I add to their fan base by posing for photographs with them.
â— The writer travelled to Northern Ireland on the invitation of Tourism Ireland
First Published: Oct 19, 2019, 09:22
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