Moonflower Murders: Dublin and Howth locations

What was filmed here

Moonflower Murders uses Dublin and its surroundings for parts of the English story. Howth Castle is the key named visitor connection: published location reporting identifies it as Branlow Hall, the hotel at the centre of Susan Ryeland’s investigation, and production supplier BANK also names the castle among the Irish filming locations. The television hotel is a fictional establishment created through location work and production design. A visit to Howth Castle is therefore a visit to a historic estate, not a chance to check into Branlow Hall. The castle currently offers public tours on selected dates, with interiors and gardens accessed through the authorised tour programme. Pair a booked visit with the harbour for a practical day outside central Dublin.

About the place

Howth grew around a coastal setting on the peninsula north-east of Dublin. Its castle’s history reaches back to the medieval lords of Howth, while the present estate contains layers of later building and landscape work. The venue’s own history connects it with the St Lawrence family and distinguishes documented history from the legends told on tours. Below the estate, the harbour remains the strongest introduction to Howth’s maritime identity, with fishing activity, boats, restaurants and public promenades. This combination makes the area more than a screen-location stop: a castle visit and a harbour walk offer quite different experiences in the same day. On television, dressing and framing turn the house into a hotel world; on foot, the wider coastal community gives it a very different context. Expect a real historic property with access rules, rather than a fully preserved television set waiting behind every door.

Getting there

Take the DART to Howth from a suitable Dublin station and check that your service is on the Howth branch. Howth Junction is not the final village station. The castle’s website also lists Dublin bus options including the H3 and 6; confirm current routing with TFI for your date. From the village, follow the venue’s instructions to the estate entrance and allow time before a booked tour. Drivers approach the peninsula by the Howth Road from the Sutton area, reached from the wider Dublin road network. Weekend coastal traffic can be slow. Use the castle’s current visitor parking instructions for a tour, or signed public parking for a harbour visit; do not leave a vehicle in an estate entrance or residential gateway.

A short self-guided walk

Allow half a day for a booked castle visit, harbour walk and meal. The outdoor harbour section alone can be shortened to about an hour; tour duration and estate access depend on the booking.

1. Start at Howth station and check your return train information. If you have a castle tour, head there first so lunch does not make you late.
2. Follow the public approach to the castle estate and the entrance specified by your booking. Stay on the routes open that day.
3. Join an authorised castle tour if booked. Ask the guide about filming, but remember that rooms may be presented for the house’s history rather than dressed as Branlow Hall.
4. Return towards the village and walk the harbour frontage. The boats and working quays provide a welcome contrast to the estate.
5. Explore the public part of the West Pier, keeping clear of working areas, and choose a seafood stop if you wish.
6. Finish with the promenade towards the East Pier or return directly to the station, depending on weather and energy.

Eat and drink nearby

These businesses have current menus, booking pages or visitor listings. Check the venue pages before visiting. Seasonal opening and private events can change your plans.

• Octopussy’s — a seafood and tapas restaurant on the West Pier with a current menu and booking details.
• Beshoffs The Market — a West Pier seafood business with restaurant and seafood-bar options.
• King Sitric — a seafood bar and accommodation business by the East Pier, useful for finishing the harbour walk.

Where to stay

• Howth — stay close to the harbour for an unhurried evening after the castle visit.
• Sutton — a nearby coastal base with rail access, useful if Howth accommodation is limited.
• Dublin city centre — the broadest choice for restaurants, hotels and a DART day trip.
• Malahide — another coastal town to consider for a longer north-Dublin break, with a separate transfer to Howth.

Nearby

Howth harbour and the permitted estate walks are the easiest additions. The peninsula’s longer cliff walks are a different undertaking, requiring suitable footwear, weather and enough daylight; they are not necessary for this filming visit. Sutton gives another coastal stop nearby. Central Dublin is a longer rail excursion rather than something to squeeze into the same short walk, and Wicklow locations mentioned in regional production reporting should not be treated as being just around the corner. For the other half of Moonflower’s visual world, see Agios Nikolaos and Elounda in Crete.

Best time to visit and accessibility

Book the castle first and shape the day around the tour slot. The venue permits estate exploration between dawn and dusk, but the gardens require a guided tour and interiors are not freely open. Coastal wind and rain can make an exposed pier unpleasant even when the village is comfortable. The castle warns that its historic fabric and grounds can be challenging for visitors with limited mobility; contact it about your requirements before booking. A shorter harbour route may be the better option for some visitors.

Visiting respectfully

Follow castle and harbour signs, keeping private rooms and working quays out of your route. Ask before photographing inside the castle or including other visitors in close-up pictures.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Branlow Hall in real life?

Howth Castle in County Dublin was used for Branlow Hall in Moonflower Murders.

Can you stay at Branlow Hall?

Branlow Hall is fictional. A castle visit should be booked through Howth Castle’s visitor programme, not as a television-hotel stay.

Is Howth Castle open to the public?

Public interior tours operate on selected dates. The castle says its gardens are accessible on guided tours and its estate can be explored between dawn and dusk.

Can I get there without a car?

Yes. Howth has a DART station, and bus options can be checked through Transport for Ireland.

In pictures