Game of Thrones was one of the most elaborately produced shows in television history, meaning it had a lot of really big, really impressive sets. Winterfell, King’s Landing, Meereen…this show took us to some spectacular places, and the crew deserves plaudits for their fine work.
It must be hard for some of those crew members to watch their work get torched. But according to the Belfast Telegraph, that’s what happened earlier this week. Per the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, it was a “controlled burn,” meaning this wasn’t a grease fire that got out of hand or anything; they meant to do this, although we’re not sure entirely why. They may just be getting rid of a set that’s no longer needed in the area, or it could be part of another production; there are other movies and TV shows that might need a burning castle.
Game of Thrones attractions in Northern Ireland
This particular Winterfell was built in Moneyglass, Northern Ireland for the later episodes of the show, particularly the season 8 episode “The Long Night,” when it played host to a brutal battle between the living and the dead. It’s sad to see go — at one point there was talking of making it a tourist attraction — but you can only do so much with a fake castle designed for a limited purpose.
And in any case, a wholly different Game of Thrones attraction opened up nearby in Corbet-Banbridge: the Game of Thrones Studio Tour houses props, costumes and sets from the show. It officially opens to the public today.
You can see a video of the Winterfell set on fire at Love Ballymena. Meanwhile, we’ll see a whole bunch of new Game of Thrones-y sets when the prequel series House of the Dragon premieres on HBO later this year.
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