Movie 7: The General

The General is an Irish crime film directed by John Boorman about Dublin crime boss Martin Cahill, who pulled off several daring heists in the early 1980s, and attracted the attention of the Garda Síochána, IRA, and Ulster Volunteer Force. The film was shot in 1997 and released in 1998. Brendan Gleeson plays Cahill, Adrian Dunbar plays his friend Noel Curley, and Jon Voight plays Inspector Ned Kenny. 

South Lotts

South Lotts is a small area to the South of the Liffey in Dublin 4, developed after the embankment of the Liffey in 1711. It is home to Google’s European headquarters, as well as an apartment complex in an area called The Gasworks. The area also hosts greyhound racing on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday nights at the Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium. Aside from The General, other films such as In The Name Of The Father and Educating Rita were filmed in the area, as well as commercials for Eircom and Vodafone.

Ranelagh

Ranelagh is a residential area located in Dublin 6, and played a part in the Irish Confederate wars, including the Battle of Rathmines in 1649. It is the home of some of Irelands leading politicians, such as Garret FitzGerald, Michael McDowell, Mary Robinson, Robert Briscoe, Michael Mulcahy, and Eamon Ryan. Other notable individuals from the area include Maureen O’Hara (actress), Maeve Brennan (author/journalist), Ken Doherty (former world snooker champion), Eamon Morrissey (actor), John Mulholland (editor of The Observer), Brendan O’Reilly (Olympian, RTE commentator, journalist, singer, songwriter, actor, author), and Eamon Dunphy (Irish media personality, broadcaster, author, sports pundit, former pro footballer). Aside from the General, part of Lenny Abrhamson’s 2013 film Frank, was shot on Cowper Gardens and Park Drive. 

Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park is one the largest walled city parks in Europe, covering 1,750 acres. It is home to Áras an Uachtaráin, Dublin Zoo, the Papal Cross, the Deerfield Residence, Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle, the People's Gardens, Magazine Fort, and monuments which include, the Wellington Monument which is the largest obelisk in Europe, and the Phoenix Column, a Corinthian column located on Chesterfield Avenue. Other places of note in the park are the Furry Glen, Farmleigh (the State guest house), the headquarters of An Garda Síochána, the National Ambulance Service College (formerly the Hibernian Military School), Ordnance Survey Ireland in Mountjoy House, Irish Defence Forces Dick McKee Barracks, Ratra House (former home of Civil Defence Ireland from 1950 until 2006), Grangegorman Military Cemetery, and grounds for football, hurling, soccer, cricket and polo. The park is home to a variety of flora and fauna, including 351 species of trees, 400-

450 fallow deer and 72 species of bird, as well as holding several streams and tributaries of the Liffey. Phoenix Park hosts a number of events annually, motor racing, the Great Ireland Run and various concerts, amongst others. It also features in James Joyce’s ‘Finnegans Wake’ and ‘Ulysses’.