We often tell ourselves that Ireland is the most beautiful place on earth when the sun is shining. But we’re not the only ones who think so. Many celebrities have made the Emerald Isle their second home, and not just when the weather is nice.
From Oscar-winning actors to the people behind some of TV’s most famous characters, several famous faces flee to Ireland to relax, unwind – and sip a pint of Guinness.
Seeing Matt Damon in Dalkey became a great source of entertainment for many during lockdown as the American actor made Dublin’s seaside village his home for several months. Now there’s another famous face in town.
Owned by former Formula 1 Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine, Damon’s favorite property consists of a plunge pool, hot tub, sauna and five bedrooms.
The stunning home spans 5,000 square feet and has been the perfect place for Damon and his family during lockdown.
“There are trees and forests and forests and oceans, I can’t think of any other place you’d rather be within a mile radius,” the actor said .
Following Matt Damon’s famous stay in Dalkey, actor and filmmaker Russell Crowe has now taken up residence in the same mansion, according to the .
Crowe is set to stay at Dalkey’s house while he films his latest movie. .
The house where Matt Damon and his family stayed in 2020. Image: AirBnB
Star Sarah Jessica Parker often flees New York City with her family to her vacation home outside of Kilcar, Co. Donegal.
Renovated in 2018, the home was purchased by her husband Matthew Broderick’s family over four decades ago. The village of Donegal even has a GAA tournament for minors called the Broderick Cup tournament, named after Broderick’s parents who were often supportive of the local club.
Earlier this week SJP, Broderick and their children arrived in Co Donegal for another visit and took part in the GAA tournament. Locals are known to rarely disturb the stars as they go about mundane chores like shopping at the local Supervalu.
The family regularly spent Christmas at the cottage, with SJP describing Donegal as a “beautiful place” to spend the holidays.
Sarah Jessica Parker and her husband Matthew Broderick spent Christmas at their Donegal home, which was renovated in 2018. Image: Tara Rice
West Cork is the home of English Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons. Irons and his wife, Irish actress Sinéad Cusack, began the restoration of Kilcoe Castle between Skibbereen and Ballydehob in 1998. The renovation of the 15th-century castle took six years, and Irons and Cusack finally completed the work in 2004.
“Jeremy can’t stand waste,” his wife Sinéad Cusack said in an interview with in 2017. “I think he saw this castle as a beautiful ruin that needed saving.”
“There’s something about the castle that creates the most extraordinary energy,” Irons said of the distinctive terracotta-colored castle in the same interview.
“Everyone stays up until three, four in the morning – talking, listening to music, drinking. You just want to keep going, keep going. It takes some getting used to, this place. Because it kind of creates an energy.”
Kilcoe Castle is the home of Jeremy Irons and Sinéad Cusack on the shores of Roaringwater Bay between Skibbereen and Ballydehob on the Wild Atlantic Way in West Cork. Image: Dan Linehan
Another West Cork fan, American supermodel and actress Emily Ratajkowski is believed to be hiding out in the Bantry area at the moment.
The 31-year-old’s parents have had a home in the area for many years and have close ties to the community, with Ratajkowski making headlines when she sponsored Bantry Basketball Club last summer.
Both of Ratajkowski’s grandmothers are Irish and during her childhood her family visited Bantry for most summers and continues to do so. Ratajkowski often refers to the city of West Cork as her second home.
After sharing a series of pictures with her father and their one-year-old son at their West Cork home, some believe the supermodel is back in the area this summer following her split from husband Sebastian Bear-McClard.
Emily Ratajkowski enjoys a pint in Ireland.
Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is also known for making Ireland his second home. That The actor has a home near the village of Annamoe, Co. Wicklow where he lives with his wife Rebecca Miller and their children.
Day-Lewis has described Wicklow as the place he returns to to recover and has lived there for many years. The Hollywood star is known for stopping by local pubs for a pint of Guinness, but likes to keep to himself. At his local Roundwood Inn, Steven Spielberg convinced him to take on the role for which he would later win an Oscar.
When he was made a Freeman of Wicklow in 2009, Day-Lewis commented that he doesn’t feel the pressure of fame in the county because he “gets to live”.
“I notice it elsewhere,” he added.
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