Kilabbey & ALL the Filming Locations: Where was As Luck Would Have It filmed?

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Hallmark's romantic comedy As Luck Would Have It was filmed entirely on location in Ireland. The Emerald Isle is the perfect setting for this new Spring Fling, set in the fictional town of Kilabbey.

The story follows a woman from New York, Lindsey Johnson, traveling to this quiet coastal village in Ireland. She has the task of convincing the city council members to sell their medieval castle to her firm to develop it into a hotel resort.

The cast JoAnna Swisher and Allen Leech

But the locals won’t transfer its management to a stranger who doesn’t understand the town. Lindsey decides to join the matchmaking festival to prove her investment in the community.

JoAnna Garcia Swisher (Sweet Magnolias, Once Upon a Time) is starring as Lindsey, and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey, Bohemian Rhapsody) as Brennan O’Brien, a handsome councilman and whiskey distiller.

As Luck Would Have It location

The chemistry between the two leads is enchanting as JoAnna and Allen are close friends.

Congratulations. You’ve made it to the ultimate guide to the filming locations of As Luck Would Have It. We have everything right here:

Welcome to Kilabbey, Ireland

Kilabbey Castle
Kilabbey's 14th-century fortress is actually the Howth Castle, located in the outskirts of Dublin.

This is considered to be one of the longest continuously inhabited private homes in Europe.

The estate includes much of the peninsula of Howth Head. The interior rooms, including the drawing-room with the black marble fireplace, were also shot on location here.
(You can open all the locations on Google Maps by clicking on the links below in the captions ↴)
  Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


As Luck Would Have It Castle
The castle was the ancestral home of the St Lawrence family from 1180 until recently. In 2018, the family agreed to sell the castle to an investment group to ensure that it is preserved.

The plan is to upgrade the old Deer Park Hotel and golf courses located on the grounds of the castle into a luxury resort housing 200 new apartments.

No worries, it's not the Krispen Group Luxury Hotel Partners company from the movie!


Johnnie Fox Pub
The O’Brien's Pub is the renowned Johnnie Fox's Pub in the small hamlet of Glencullen, located in the mountains near Dublin. Founded in 1798, this public house is famed as one of the highest pubs in Ireland.

Before 2020, this spot was a living traditional museum, hosting live Irish music and dancing nightly.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


Kilabbey Ireland
The Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre doubles as Kilabbey's municipal office. Located just a few miles from the center of Dublin, Dalkey is a beautiful seaside town, and one of the city's wealthiest neighborhoods.

Writers, musicians, and celebrities like Bono, the Edge, Van Morrison, Enya, or Robert Fisk have lived in the district at some point in their lives. Also, actor Allen Leech grew up just down the road in Killiney.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


As Luck Would Have It House
Ireland's most popular singles festival, the fictional Kilabbey annual Matchmaking Festival, takes place at Killruddery House and Gardens, one of the greatest countryside manors in Ireland.

This superb 17th-century mansion is located near Bray, south of Dublin.

The estate is a popular location for period dramas and other shows; this is Where Irish Wish was filmed. The house also appeared as the Alfea School of Magic in the Netflix series Fate: The Winx Saga.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


Matchmaking Festival
The courtyard of the festival is the horse yard adjacent to the house. The Killruddery Farmers Market is held monthly in this charming spot.

The festival is based loosely on an actual matchmaking festival that occurs in Lisdoonvarna, which is on the West Coast of Ireland (County Clare).

This tiny town hosts Europe's biggest singles festival every September which also gathers Ireland's top country music bands and singers for one month.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


Cottages in Bettystown
The bed and breakfast where Lindsey and the other girls stayed has to be seen to be believed.

The Cottages in Bettystown is a collection of six 300-year-old luxury thatched cottages of different sizes with en-suite bathrooms in an enclosed organic garden area.

The cottages are nestled overlooking the sea in six idyllic miles of uninterrupted sandy beach on Ireland’s East Coast, between the villages of Bettystown and Laytown.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


O'Brien's Tower and Cliffs of Moher
The movie is a great tour through some of the country's most famous landmarks. Erected in 1835, the O'Brien's Tower overlooks the impressive Cliffs of Moher.

The cliffs form a colossal 509 feet (155 meters) wall for about nine miles (14 kilometers) on the west coast of the island.

This is also one of the locations where Christmas at Castle Hart was filmed.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map


Filming on location in Glendalough
Lindsey is looking for her ancestors in Glendalough. The Glendalough Valley is a fascinating area located in the Wicklow Mountains National Park.

Apart from spectacular scenery, you can visit the remains of a 6th-century monastic settlement.

The picturesque Gateway is one of the most iconic monuments of the archaeological area. Watch out for Fairies and Leprechauns!
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


Excalibur Waterfall
Lindsey and Brenna are about to kiss each other under the magnificent Powerscourt Waterfall in the Powerscourt Estate.

This wonderful cascade has been featured multiple times in numerous productions including legendary films like Excalibur, Willow, and the acclaimed series Vikings.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map


Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of As Luck Would Have It? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!

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18 comments:

1- Anonymous - April 10, 2021 at 6:18 PM
Virtual tour of Ireland, makes me want to return soon!

2- Anonymous - April 10, 2021 at 7:54 PM
Great information, and a great story. Thank you!

3- Anonymous - April 10, 2021 at 8:08 PM
Thank you so much for your article. I just watched the movie and couldn't catch the credits of where it was filmed.

4- Anonymous - April 12, 2021 at 1:34 PM
What a lovely movie. I have always wanted to visit Ireland. Beautifully filmed.

5- Anonymous - April 12, 2021 at 7:59 PM
What a lovely movie highlighting not only spectacular scenery but the importance of how the past grounds us to the present.

6- Deb Poole - April 13, 2021 at 1:13 PM
Absolutely love Ireland and it's more breathtaking in person!

7- Frank - April 13, 2021 at 7:49 PM
What a wonderful movie! The location is breathtaking as it was once said, it’s a little bit of heaven.

8- Anonymous - April 26, 2021 at 4:03 PM
I noticed that you did not have a name or description for the last picture in the article of the white cottage with the thatched roof. That is actually what I wanted to know the most about. Is that where Lindsey stayed during her visit? What is the name of it and where is it located? I love staying in quaint places like that when I travel.

      Reply
      9- Ra Moon - April 26, 2021 at 4:30 PM
      Yep, we are also looking for the location of the bed and breakfast, but no luck so far!

10- Frank - May 14, 2021 at 8:45 PM
I would love to move there if I could. There is a lot to say for small towns/villages/close communities especially nowadays. There is also a great deal to be said for preserving history and its part in our lives and lessons to help with the future. I am so grateful that this movie was made. I miss this type of beauty of the countryside, communities where everyone knows each other and looks out for each other. Great movie and AWESOME sites that were picked for the shots.
I was born in the UK and came to the USA when I was 21. I have been in the USA for 41 years and still miss a lot of things. My Father's side of the family left Ireland sometime before the 1700s and ended up in the South of England. Proud of my heritage. Thank you again.

11- Anonymous - May 25, 2021 at 6:38 AM
The Cottages in Bettystown is the name of where she stayed. It's a collection of 300yr old thatched cottages of different sizes, in an enclosed area. It overlooks the sea. It's an unreal location, has to be seen to be believed.

12- Marlene - Dec 29, 2021, 6:21 PM
I visited Dublin and the local area back in the summer of 1978, just out of high school. I’ll never forget it. My friend and I stayed with her aunts and uncles for six weeks. Ireland imprinted in my heart. My grandmother on my dad’s side was from Ireland. Seeing those castles and other buildings took me back in memories. I would love to visit again.

13- Frankie - Jan 3, 2022, 3:46 PM
Killruddery House and Gardens was also used in Jim Sheridan's Oscar-winning film, My Left Foot.

14- Lou T. - Aug 16, 2022, 6:46 PM
The South of Ireland looks like a beautiful place to live.

15- Anonymous - Dec 11, 2022, 10:01 AM
Wicklow is also where the 'P.S. I Love You' bridge scene was filmed, where Holly first met Gerry.

16- Anonymous - Dec 29, 2022, 9:57 PM
I was there in 1977 and visited Moher. My daughter got to dance a jig in one of the pubs near Co Mayo, a beautiful place indeed.

17- Anonymous - Jan 21, 2023, 6:36 PM
This is for As Luck would have it. I love the shawl and sweaters Lindsey wore in this movie. If possible, can you state supplier? We have just booked our trip to Ireland for this Spring. So excited it has been at the top of my bucket list. Reading where these scenes were filmed and making notes on my guidebook.

18- Hebrew - Mar 25, 2023, 1:10 AM
As soon as I saw the waterfall, I felt like I wanted to be there. Another place is the river, which is similar to the rivers of Romania. Of course, the castle too, especially when everything is accompanied by the whiskey and cakes that the locals make.


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