Star Wars: The Irish Connection Our Coverage Sponsored by Martin's Tavern of Georgetown Est. 1933
Established in 1933, Martin's Tavern is one of Washington DC’s most historic family-owned enterprises. For 80 years, Martin’s Tavern has been a renowned fixture in the mid-Atlantic and a must-visit establishment in historic Georgetown. In the late 1890's, William S. Martin traveled from Galway, Ireland to America. Forty years later, he and his son, William G. Martin, the current Billy's grandfather, opened Martin’s Tavern on the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and N Street NW which is run today by our friend, William A. Martin Jr. You can call him Billy! From sitting Presidents and media icons, to city residents and worldly travelers, Martin’s Tavern is a welcoming home to the many who have long embraced its warm atmosphere. Its quintessentially classic American fare has delighted discriminating palates for decades from the Oakwood Atlantic Smoked Salmon to the Filet Mignon to whatever your little heart desires from the convincing menu. Every President from Truman to George W. Bush has happily dined at Martin's Tavern, and you can see the delicious culinary choices preferred by each in our review: Martin's Tavern is Highly Recommended by Whom You Know:
The President’s favorite booths, The Proposal Booth of Jack and Jackie Kennedy, Mickey Mantle in The Dugout Room, George W. Bush and family at Table 12 are just a few of the iconic stories. Fourth generation owner Billy Martin, Jr. continues the tradition of Washington’s oldest family owned restaurant and Georgetown landmark.
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In a galaxy not so far away… Ireland feels 'The Force'
An island off Ireland's south west coast is wowing audiences at screenings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Unveiled in the film's closing minutes, this closely guarded secret ending to Episode 7 was filmed in September 2014 on Skellig Michael Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Since 1977, the record-breaking movie franchise has travelled through many galaxies, and this time, director JJ Abrams along with cast and crew jetted into a little village called Portmagee, County Kerry, on Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way. From here, they travelled eight miles (12 Km) by sea to a dream film location, Skellig Michael.
Locals were told a documentary was being filmed but were amazed when they realised that Star Wars was being filmed in their community. Gerard Kennedy of 'The Bridge Bar and Moorings Guesthouse' in Portmagee, said:
"It's been so hard to keep this secret! It was such a weird and wonderful experience for our small village to be part of the Star Wars story. We enjoyed evenings of music and dance in our bar with the cast and crew. Mark Hamill even learned how to pull a pint with our barman, Ciaran Kelly!"
More background and stories about Star Wars filming on Skellig Michael are available here: www.ireland.com/starwars
TV and Film are recognised as strong influencers on travellers, with up to 35% of people being impacted in their choice of destination by what they see on screen. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, comments:
"Star Wars filming in Ireland will bring the magnificent scenery of Skellig Michael to the attention of millions of people around the world. It's a really effective way to reach audiences, helping to significantly boost awareness of the Skelligs, the South West and Ireland in general, whetting peoples' appetites to come and visit."
Skellig Michael is accessible only by boat. Today it's inhabited solely by birds, but monks settled here over a millennium ago and the beehive huts that they lived in are restored and can be visited from May to September each year, but advance booking is essential.
Kerry, is aptly also one of only three Gold Tier International Dark Sky reserves in the world. The beautiful band of the Milky Way, the Andromeda Galaxy, star clusters and nebulas are just some of the naked eye wonders to see without the aid of any astronomical equipment or filters.
