A major movie made in Inishowen will be hitting the big screen this weekend.

The Lightkeeper, starring Dominic Cooper (Mamma Mia) and Sarah Bolger (The Spiderwick Chronicles), was filmed in and around Culdaff and Malin Head in 2023.

The first viewing will be at a sold-out special screening at the Dublin International Film Festival (DIFF) on Saturday 21st February.

In advance, Hollywood actors Dominic Cooper and Sarah Bolger will drop into The Late Late Show on RTE One this Friday to chat about co-starring in the upcoming film.

Fresh from their appearance at the IFTAs, they will talk awards season, share stories from filming in Donegal and Mayo and reveal what audiences can expect from this film.

The Lightkeeper – Image: CMG

First developed under the title Cry From the Sea, The Lightkeeper is set in Ireland in 1924.

The story follows Seamus Óg McGrinna (Dominic Cooper), a lighthouse keeper whose elaborate rituals keep him at a distance from the outside world as he awaits the fabled Each Uisce (Water-Horse) to take him. His carefully constructed prison is blown open by three people who change the course of his life: an American war widow whose quest for closure ignites something in him; a housekeeper who fiercely protects him; and the hard-line priest who starts a battle of wills.

Aidan Quinn, best known for his role in Legends of the Fall, plays a cleric in The Lightkeeper, marking his return to Inishowen. Quinn previously filmed in the area in 2006 when A Shine of Rainbows was shot around Lagg.

See more: Hollywood star Aidan Quinn compliments ‘gorgeous’ Donegal village

Filming for The Lightkeeper saw Culdaff’s main street transformed into a period set, with horse-drawn carriages, vintage motor vehicles and local businesses dressed in era-appropriate wares. For a brief time, parts of the village took on the look and feel of the early 1900s, with traditional transport replacing modern traffic.

McGuinness’ Bar features in several indoor scenes, while the exterior of the traditional Irish pub required little alteration to fit the production. Malin Head provided a dramatic coastal backdrop.

Behind-the-scenes photographs from the 2023 shoot can be viewed here: Lights, Cameras, Culdaff! Donegal village goes back in time for major film

Star-studded Donegal movie premieres this weekend was last modified: February 19th, 2026 by Rachel McLaughlin

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