merrion street

Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Jimmy Deenihan TD today, Thursday 24 May, met with the cast and crew of the major BBC crime series RIPPER STREET. Made with the participation of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) this eight part TV series is currently filming on location in Clancy Barracks Dublin. On set with the Minister were Irish director Colm McCarthy and lead cast from the series Matthew Macfadyen (Spooks, Pride and Prejudice) and Jerome Flynn (Game of Thrones).

Commenting on the benefits of having such a major TV series filming on location in Dublin the Minister said: "I'm delighted to visit the set of RIPPER STREET, which is investing over €8 million in the Irish economy on local goods and services, as well as creating over 250 jobs for Irish cast and crew. The film and television industry continues to deliver employment, creating opportunities for Irish creative talent.  Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) played a major role in bringing this series to Ireland as the production decided to shoot in Dublin following a UK television industry visit to Ireland organised by the IFB last year.”

Andrew Lowe, Element Pictures commented:  “We are delighted to be working with Tiger Aspect, Lookout Point and BBC America on this exciting project.  It was the combination of great Irish creative talent in front of and behind the camera, a generous tax incentive and crucial support from the IFB that brought this production to Ireland.”

James Hickey, Chief Executive Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board commented:  “We are delighted that RIPPER STREET is filming on location in Ireland. It comes in the wake of the trade mission of UK producers and broadcasters organised by the Irish Film Board last September and the reopening of the Irish Film Board’s International Production Fund which was re-launched last autumn to kick start production of this and other film and TV series in the first and second quarter of 2012. The Section 481 tax incentive played a vital role in bringing the production to Ireland. We very much welcome the opportunity this major drama series will give to Irish creative talent working on the series”.

Created by Richard Warlow (Mistresses, Waking The Dead) the series is being produced by Tiger Aspect for the BBC with Element Pictures in Ireland.  Currently being directed by Irish director Colm McCarthy (Injustice, The Tudors, Single Handed, Murphy’s Law) RIPPER STREET is set in and around Whitechapel in London’s East End during the aftermath of the ‘Ripper’ murders.  The production is using Clancy Barracks in Dublin where the Georgian architecture has been augmented with constructed film sets created by the Irish production designer Mark Geraghty to recreate the 1880’s London’s East End.  Clancy Barracks is a popular film location having previously been used in IFB-funded productions such as Titanic: Blood & Steel, The Old Curiosity Shop and Shadow Dancer.

The filming of RIPPER STREET will continue until late July and the series is scheduled for an autumn transmission.  It is set to be distributed globally by BBC Worldwide ensuring that images of Ireland will be broadcast to millions of viewers all over the world.