Fáilte Ireland intervened after the Office of Public Works refused permission for the new season of hit TV show The Traitors to stage missions at prehistoric monuments at Knowth and Dowth in Co Meath.
The OPW said the plans were unsuitable for the highly sensitive sites and warned that a fictional portrayal of Dowth risked misrepresenting the monument.
In internal emails, heritage officials said using part of the Brú na Bóinne World Heritage Site for “creative storytelling” could undermine the OPW’s role in educating the public about Ireland’s ancient past.
One message said of Dowth: “This is a non-public, highly sensitive monument and the scale and nature of infrastructure proposed is not proportionate.”
The discussions took place earlier this year with heavily redacted records suggesting a compromise was explored that would allow Knowth to feature but with filming away from the protected monument area.
An application from The Traitors production team in February said they wanted to showcase the landscape of Ireland’s Ancient East.
Two stone edged burial mounds at Knowth in Co Meath
It said they planned a crew of 39 at Dowth, including a sound recordist, seven camera operators, a drone, production designers, and a health and safety officer.
The application said: “For filming purposes, this space will be dressed temporarily to suggest a [redacted] atmosphere using lightweight, freestanding props only.
“There will be no physical alteration to the site, no ground disturbance, and no attachment to any archaeological fabric.”
The OPW was, however, sceptical of the proposal with some confusion over whether the show wanted to use Knowth or Dowth, or both.
A separate email said because Knowth formed part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, officials should not give the go-ahead for filming as proposed.
It said sand martin birds began nesting at the mound in Knowth in mid-March, around the time filming would take place.
The message said: “This goes beyond low-impact heritage filming and moves into staged entertainment infrastructure within a highly sensitive archaeological landscape.”
At Dowth, it said a large filming crew could not be permitted inside an archaeological henge but that there were other OPW-managed sites that might be suitable in County Meath.
The email acknowledged the Traitors had already been extremely valuable in showcasing Ireland and that other sites might be available for use.
Another message said Bective Abbey – which was used for Braveheart and the Last Duel – could be an option along with Newtown Abbey or St Patrick’s Cathedral in Trim.
The OPW also sought advice from the Department of Heritage, whose officials shared concerns over how the plans “would contribute to the appreciation and understanding” of the historic site.
‘Incredible opportunity’ to promote Ireland’s Ancient East
Fáilte Ireland then became involved saying they were working closely with both RTÉ and the producers to “showcase” the region.
A message from one of the tourism promotion body’s staff said the first season had been a “massive success” reaching an audience of 2.1 million people and generating nearly 4.7 million streams.
The programme had also been picked up by the BBC, creating an “incredible opportunity” to promote Ireland’s Ancient East brand internationally.
It said the majority of the show would again be shot at Slane Castle, but that Fáilte Ireland had “negotiated” for the semi-final to be filmed elsewhere.
A senior official wrote: “I’m only coming to this late and I fully understand OPW’s concerns over staging elements and associated crew levels not being appropriate.
“However, I was wondering if perhaps RTÉ and [the producers] never understood in the first instance what would be required and therefore developed an inappropriate proposal.”
The production team had also visited Knowth and submitted revised plans, which they said better reflected the “tone and sensitivity” of the site.
In response, the OPW said it was not in a position to approve the proposals, particularly for Knowth, which was a “small site with sensitive conditions.”
An email from an assistant secretary general said: “I am not sure if anything would work there to be honest.”
The first season of The Traitors Ireland reached an audience of 2.1 million people
The records suggest a compromise was later put forward whereby Knowth could feature visually without using the site itself.
An application form said: “All activity will take place outside the protected monument zones, fully supervised by our production team, with strict adherence to OPW guidelines.
“No physical contact, alteration or impact on the sites will occur.”
Large sections of the documents were redacted by the OPW on commercial sensitivity grounds and where they could provide spoilers on what’s planned for the forthcoming season.
Asked about the discussions, a spokesperson said: “The OPW carefully considered the filming applications received for The Traitors Ireland (Series 2) in accordance with its statutory responsibility to protect and conserve Ireland’s national monuments.
“Following assessment by relevant OPW specialists, in consultation with experts in the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, it was determined that the proposed filming activities at Knowth and Dowth Henge could not be accommodated due to archaeological, conservation and ecological considerations associated with these highly sensitive protected monuments.
“The OPW engages positively with the film and television industry and facilitates filming at many heritage sites where proposals are compatible with the protection and conservation of the monuments concerned.
“In this instance, the production company was offered a number of alternative OPW sites capable of accommodating the proposed production requirements.”