On location in Northern Ireland. Birthplace of Game of Thrones

Fans of the show, delight! We managed a trip to the sites where the hugely popular show was filmed. Castles, caves, Tollymore Forest and whatnot. Admit it now - envy is coming...

What do Game of Thrones, drinking chocolate and air conditioning all have in common? Well, more than you might think at first glance. What links all three of these things is their ties to the little island of Northern Ireland. Irish inventor Sir Samuel Cleland Davidson - born in County Down in 1846 - is said to have invented and developed the earliest air conditioning systems. Proud County Down native Sir Hans Sloane is said to have given birth to the first recipe for drinking chocolate after mixing cacao with milk. And of course, for all you Thronies out there, you'll know that Northern Ireland also played host to some of the most epic scenes from Game of Thrones. Home to more locations from the Seven Kingdoms than anywhere else in the world, Northern Ireland truly is Game of Thrones territory. During a recent trip to the country, I was taken on a grand tour of some of the most famous - and infamous - spots from Westeros. From the very cave where Melisandre gave birth to the shadow baby, to the discovery of the dire wolf cubs by the Starks.
These vast, mysterious, yet natural location settings have been the driving force behind the mystical world of the Game of Thrones' success. Here's a snapshot of my visit.
Where Tollymore Forest in the Mournes, County Down
What episode? Season 1 Episode 1 - Winter Is Coming
Standout scene Tollymore Forest was one of my favourite locations on the tour. A place of natural awe and beauty, it also played host to many standout scenes from the show.
Perhaps one of the most defining moments was when Ned Stark, and his sons Robb, Bran and Jon along with Theon Greyjoy stumbled across a dead female direwolf - an animal noted as the symbol of House Stark. But what they also found beneath its corpse was the direwolf pups. Finding as many pups as there are Stark children, they took the pups back to Winterfell - one each for Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon, and Jon Snow. Here, I've photographed the very rock on which they were discovered.
Where: Tollymore Forest in the Mournes, County Down
What episode? Season 1 Episode 1 - Winter Is Coming
Standout scene Though six seasons of GoT have now passed, one of my most memorable moments from the show was the opening scene from the very first episode. You know the one; when the deserter from the Night's Watch rides through the Haunted Forest. That moment when he drags his body up from the snow and makes a grisly discovery of dismembered Wilding bodies was a powerful moment for viewers. And the scene is just the same in real life - minus the snow of course (I visited in Spring). I found myself matching the trees and big rock (on the left) to the harrowing scene from the show. It was eerie, surreal but pretty fascinating to see.
- kelly@khaleejtimes. com
Where: Castle Ward, County Down
What episode? Season 2 Episode 4 - Winterfell
Standout scene This here is another scene untouched by CGI. The tree is instantly recognisable to fans as the very tree where the hanging corpses of three tavern girls were discovered by Brienne of Tarth. As she is escorting Jamie Lannister from the camp, Brienne is enraged by the dishonourable killings of the women and is determined to give them a decent burial. As she attempts to cut them down, she is approached by the three Northern soldiers who killed the women - and so a fight ensues. Needless to say, she reigned victorious. During our visit to the tree, our guide informed us that a man walking up ahead with his family was actually one of the assistant directors on the show in its early seasons. Sadly, he escaped before we managed a chat.
Where Cushendun Caves, Ballymena
What episode? Season 2 Episode 4 - The Garden of Bones
Standout scene They say the birth of a baby is a beautiful thing, but that's not the case when Game of Thrones has its say. This 400 million-year-old cave lay witness to Melisandre - the red priestess - giving birth to the shadow creature. Following a parley between brothers Stannis and Renly Baratheon, Stannis orders Davos Seaworth to smuggle Melisandre ashore to a cove situated below Renly's camp. There, Davos watches in horror as she gives birth to the shadow creature, which ultimately kills Renly. Another location setting untouched by CGI, the dark, dank, damp cave was the perfect spot for a not-so-perfect welcome to the world.
Where: The Dark Hedges on the Kingsroad, Ballymoney
What episode? Season 2 Episode 1 - The North Remembers
Standout scene When I found out I was going on this tour, these trees were the first image to pop into my head. They have become synonymous with Game of Thrones and the Dark Hedges have since become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.These made their debut during the filming of season two. Arya Stark is seen travelling on the Kingsroad in the back of a cart. In the scene she is disguised as a boy and although most of the set is natural, there has been a little CGI used to make the road look a little more travelled. These trees are impressive both in size and stature, and in true Thronie style (although I'm only two seasons in), I donned a GoT cloak, sword and shield and posed for pictures along the avenue. Alas, I'm still waiting for my cast call for season 7.

Want to discover more about Northern Ireland? Check out
www.discovernorthernireland.com/gameofthrones/
- kelly@khaleejtimes.com
Kelly covers Education and other important stuff. She finds it endearing when people call her Kel