Fáilte Ireland intervened over filming permission for b The Traitors

Two stone edged burial mounds at Knowth a Neolithic or New Stone Age burial site in County Meath that contains one of the three great Irish passage tombs of the Bru Na Boinne complex in eastern Ireland About 5000 years old
Two stone edged burial mounds at Knowth in Co Meath
It said they planned a crew of 39 at Dowth, including a sound recordist, seven camera operators, a drone, production designers, and a health and safety officer.

The application said: “For filming purposes, this space will be dressed temporarily to suggest a [redacted] atmosphere using lightweight, freestanding props only.

“There will be no physical alteration to the site, no ground disturbance, and no attachment to any archaeological fabric.”

The OPW was, however, sceptical of the proposal with some confusion over whether the show wanted to use Knowth or Dowth, or both.

A separate email said because Knowth formed part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, officials should not give the go-ahead for filming as proposed.

It said sand martin birds began nesting at the mound in Knowth in mid-March, around the time filming would take place.

The message said: “This goes beyond low-impact heritage filming and moves into staged entertainment infrastructure within a highly sensitive archaeological landscape.”

At Dowth, it said a large filming crew could not be permitted inside an archaeological henge but that there were other OPW-managed sites that might be suitable in County Meath.

The email acknowledged the Traitors had already been extremely valuable in showcasing Ireland and that other sites might be available for use.

Another message said Bective Abbey – which was used for Braveheart and the Last Duel – could be an option along with Newtown Abbey or St Patrick’s Cathedral in Trim.

The OPW also sought advice from the Department of Heritage, whose officials shared concerns over how the plans “would contribute to the appreciation and understanding” of the historic site.

‘Incredible opportunity’ to promote Ireland’s Ancient East
Fáilte Ireland then became involved saying they were working closely with both RTÉ and the producers to “showcase” the region.

A message from one of the tourism promotion body’s staff said the first season had been a “massive success” reaching an audience of 2.1 million people and generating nearly 4.7 million streams.

The programme had also been picked up by the BBC, creating an “incredible opportunity” to promote Ireland’s Ancient East brand internationally.

It said the majority of the show would again be shot at Slane Castle, but that Fáilte Ireland had “negotiated” for the semi-final to be filmed elsewhere.

A senior official wrote: “I’m only coming to this late and I fully understand OPW’s concerns over staging elements and associated crew levels not being appropriate.

“However, I was wondering if perhaps RTÉ and [the producers] never understood in the first instance what would be required and therefore developed an inappropriate proposal.”