Conor O'Carroll of OCMS, Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan, Mark Foley of Coillte and Naoise Barry of the Irish Film Board scout out new locations.

Local woodlands could be Offaly's latest film location

Offaly is no stranger to film sets, but it may have bigger and better roles in its future thanks to a new initiative by Coillte. Monicknew Woodlands, which lies on the Laois/Offaly border, is one of 25 sites countryside being showcased to the film, television and event industry as possible locations as part of new Coillte initiative www.coillteonfilm.ie.

Launched on Tuesday by Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan, the website is part of an effort that sees Coillte aiming to become Ireland’s biggest provider of outdoor film locations by 2018.

Developed by television and film marketing company O’Carroll Mulhern Services (OCMS), the new website includes Monicknew’s alder, spruce and pine trees as well as a section of the Slieve Bloom Way and a 19th century Roman arch sandstone bridge.

According to a statement this week the sites have been specifically selected as “ideal filming locations”, and Coillte hopes overseas film production companies will be tempted to plump for the Irish locations thanks to key information being provided on the new website in a quick and easy format.

For the full story see this week's Offaly Independent