Film production in Ireland
Ireland is covered here with 4 locations. Between the longest and shortest day, usable light swings by up to 9h 26min depending on where you shoot — planning across the country is not planning one single kind of day.
Locations at a glance
The table shows June and December daylight for each location — the two numbers a schedule hinges on across the year.
| Location | Daylight June | Daylight December | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dublin | 16h 58min | 7h 32min | 9h 26min |
| Galway | 16h 57min | 7h 33min | 9h 24min |
| Limerick | 16h 50min | 7h 40min | 9h 10min |
| Cork | 16h 41min | 7h 48min | 8h 53min |
What that means for planning
Dublin has the widest swing at 9h 26min, Cork the narrowest at 8h 53min. The wider the spread, the more a schedule has to differ between summer and winter — same setup count, different hours to fit it in.
Concretely: in December, the sun in Dublin sets at 16:07, with golden hour starting as early as 15:00. Put the exterior at the end of the day and you shoot it in the dark, or not at all.
TillyGen folds each location's sun position straight into the schedule. An exterior that no longer fits before sunset in December is flagged in the plan, not discovered on the day. The same calculation sits behind every location page for this country.
Film incentives and rebates
Ireland grants a 32 % tax credit on eligible Irish production expenditure. Ireland pairs Section 481 with an English-speaking crew base, Ardmore/Troy Studios and coastal looks; the regional uplift rewards shooting outside Dublin.
What that means in practice depends on the qualifying share: on a €1m budget with 70 % qualifying spend, the 32 % rate returns roughly €224,000. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
As of: 2025-01 · Source: screenireland.ie / revenue.ie
Permits and local requirements
Filming permits are granted locally almost everywhere, not nationally: the city or district you shoot in is the responsible body, and processing times differ considerably within the same country. Public space, traffic areas and drone flights each run through separate procedures.
File early enough that a refusal still leaves room for a cover location — not so late that the permit becomes the condition for the only possible shoot day. Only the responsible local authority gives binding information.
Frequently asked
How many locations in Ireland are covered here?
4. Locations are included when there is an evidenced production landscape — not every town in the country.
Which location in Ireland has the longest shooting days?
In June, Dublin with 16h 58min of daylight. In December that drops to 7h 32min.
When is the best time to shoot in Ireland?
On daylight length alone, June. Whether that also means the steadiest weather depends on the location — the individual location pages carry rain days and sunshine hours per month.
Do I need a separate permit for every location?
As a rule yes, as soon as public ground is involved. Private locations run through the owner; traffic areas and drones add further procedures. The local authority is always the binding source.