Game of Thrones coming to Downpatrick

Game of Thrones coming to Downpatrick

By Joanne Fleming

A WOODEN pontoon has been created at the Quoile River for the latest <I>Game of Thrones<$> scenes to be filmed in Down.
The pontoon, its posts snaked with mythical creatures, will be used in filming for the third season of HBO's hit medieval fantasy series.
Security was tight this week at the pontoon, which fans believe will be used to accompany scenes of House Tully, one of great houses on the continent of Westeros, and Riverrun, the ancestral seat of House Tully.
Previously the crew have shot at stunning local backs including Inch Abbey, which doubled as a rebel camp and Castle Ward, which catered for the external Winterfell castle courtyard scenes. Other local areas providing the landscapes for this epic, fictional world have included Tollymore Forest, Audley's Tower in Strangford and the Mourne Mountains.
By the end of series three they will have shot in every county in Northern Ireland, which is used as the main location for the series, backed up with filming in Iceland, Morocco and Croatia.
Local MLA, Chris Hazzard, said he had been in contact with the Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) to see if the wooden pier could be maintained for future use by local anglers.
"This platform would provide a much needed service, especially for those disabled anglers who find it almost impossible to fish safely in and around the Quoile river," he said.
"In recent months work has continued along the Quoile to reduce water pollution and improve the natural habitat of the estuary.
"In keeping with this much needed programme, a perfectly located angling platform, with the ability to facilitate those with special requirements, would be a fantastic facility for the local area."
Series Three of <I>Game of Thrones<$> will be shown on Sky Atlantic from the end of next March.