‘The Last Duel’ Film Set at Bective County Meath
Bective Abbey
We enjoyed a delightful walk with the kids last August, exploring the grounds of Bective Abbey, one of the many heritage sites along the Boyne Valley Drive. The ruins have been beautifully preserved and are surrounded by lush green pastures, sloping down to the River Boyne. We were completely oblivious at the time that it was used as a film set, for Mel Gibson’s movie Braveheart.
The cameras are now rolling once again this October at Bective Bridge, which is right by the spectacular ruins of the Abbey. This time it’s Matt Damon and Ben Afleck, who have turned the lush green fields by Bective Bridge into a Medieval village, for the movie The Last Duel.
The movie is an epic period feature film and also stars Adam Driver and Jodie Comer. It’s being directed by Ridley Scot and is based on the book ‘The Last Duel’ by Eric Jager, which was set in Medieval France. It’s based on a true story from 1386, about the last officially recognised judicial duel in France. It’s due for release in 2021 and we can’t wait to see how Bective and all the other locations in Ireland are depicted in the movie.
Meath Tourism are hoping that it will boost visitor numbers to the region, as Trim Castle is still a major attraction for tourists, since it was featured in the famous battle scene in Braveheart. It’s due for release in 2021 and we can’t wait to see how Bective, and all the other locations in Ireland are depicted in the movie.
Plenty of space for kids to play!
Bective Abbey was founded by the Cistercian Order in 1147, although the ruins we see today date from the 13th and 15th centuries. They consist of a church, chapter house and cloister. It was the second Cistercian Abbey to be built in Ireland, the other being nearby Mellifont Abbey. Both offer lots of space for kids to explore and play hide and seek in the passageways and towers!
To find out more, Discover Boyne Valley have an audio guide of the heritage sites along the Boyne Valley Drive, make sure to download it before you set off or use one of the maps in Connell’s House & Barn.