Luke Skywalker walks into a Kerry pub…

The Bridge Bar in Portmagee, County Kerry, found ‘the force awakening’ recently when some of the stellar cast of the new Star Wars movie (which was being shot on nearby Skellig Michael) dropped in on the night before the final day’s filming of ‘The Force Awakens’, the eighth film in the Star Wars series.

Amongst them, no less than Luke Skywalker aka actor Mark Hamill who busied himself pulling pints for customers, taking pictures and signing autographs despite finishing filming late in the day.

The whole affair brought into the Portmagee area up to 150 people at one point with a hard core of around 70 or 80 hanging out there for nearly a month during filming.

Nearby houses and B&Bs were booked out as crew-members from the film’s props, security and makeup departments were accommodated.

To this could be added caterers while the Bridge Bar itself handled the film crew’s night-time dining requirements.

Bar owner Ger Kennedy tells us that the producers and directors had already paid a visit to the bar earlier in the year while the bar held centre-stage for last year’s wrap-up party.

This year the stars themselves attended as the Bridge Bar had become the local ‘hangout’ spot for the crew.

“They were complete professionals,” says Ger of the entire operation.

 

The bar is normally busy up to the end of October but business would have doubled over the period of filming he reckons.

“It’s obviously going to create a lot of interest in the area too” he said, looking ahead, “especially when Star Wars 7 is released this December”.

 

 

 

 

Tourism in large numbers then… at The Bridge Bar, Portmagee… we will be expecting….