Craggy Island


Craggy Island is a fictional island off the west coast of Ireland which serves as the primary setting for the Channel 4 sitcom Father Ted. Craggy Island Parochial House is located on the island, which is the home of three Catholic priests - Father Ted Crilly, Father Dougal McGuire and Father Jack Hackett - as well as their housekeeper Mrs Doyle. Craggy Island is an isolated locality, populated by a number of locals, a small Chinese community and one Māori. It is mentioned the Irish state have given the British government permission to use the island's coast as a dumping ground for nuclear waste.

Development

, in the province of Munster, Ireland, was chosen as the filming location for Father Ted in 1993. Location manager Joe Mardis was at a pub in the village of Kilfenora when he decided that mainland Ireland, specifically northern County Clare, could easily be portrayed as an island. Due to the deceleration of development in the Irish Republic, and the phenomenon of mass emigration, the population of Ireland only reached its historical peak in the 1840s. Mardis looked at a number of older houses in Clare, photographed them and brought them for writers Graham Linehan and Arthur Mathews. Glenquin House was chosen for the exterior shots of the parochial house.

Locations

Craggy Island Parochial House

The parochial house is a Georgian style period property, and the main location for the series, situated in isolation on Craggy Island. The three priests ended up there as punishments for different reasons.

Points of interest

Rugged Island is the home of Father Dick Byrne, Father Cyril MacDuff and Father Jim Johnson. The three inhabitant priests are warped versions of Ted, Dougal and Jack, and the two islands are constantly competing against each other.

"The real Craggy Island"

A dispute between the three constituent Aran Islands in Galway Bay, off the west coast of Ireland, began in early 2007. Inishmore, Inishmaan and Inisheer engaged in a battle, aiming to be labelled as 'the real Craggy Island'. The battle for tourist revenues and a quest for authenticity has been pursued by fans through Father Ted film clips since. A three-day Father Ted festival, staged on Inishmore, prompted inhabitants of the island to claim kinship with the genuine Craggy Island. The event, known as Ted Fest, or The Friends of Father Ted Festival, has since taken place on the island every year since, and events include Priest’s Dance Off, The Lovely Girls competition and Ted’s Got Talent.