Since opening in 1958, Ardmore Studios in Bray has been the hub of much of the film production activity, not only in Wicklow but in Ireland as a whole.

Over 100 films have been hosted by the studios in the years since then, including Oscar winning productions such as 'Braveheart', 'My Left Foot' and 'The Lion in Winter'. It has also proved to be a winner with TV series producers, welcoming the cast of 'Raw' and 'Penny Dreadful' among others. One of the most successful series hosted by Ardmore was 'The Tudors', which saw hundreds of cast and crew members descend on the Wicklow studios from 2006 until 2010 for approximately six months each time. The surrounding areas of Wicklow, Killruddery and Powerscourt were also used to portray the meadows of Tudor England, London city in the 16th century and Vatican city.

Siún Ní Raghallaigh, CEO of Ardmore Studios, believes that several aspects of Ardmore Studios have made it attractive to film producers throughout the years.

'Ardmore Studio is uniquely placed in the Irish film and TV landscape - it is the only full service studio offering in Ireland. It has seven sound stages and all the ancillary production and post-production services required for film and television as well as access to crews and other film service providers - all on the one site in the one location a short distance from the capital city,' she said.

'It has a 50 year track record of world acclaimed film and television productions, has brand recognition throughout the world and, most importantly, is widely respected as a location in the key decision making markets where film locations are decided.'

The studios have a selection of hair, make-up, prop and costume facilities on site, making it a one-stop shop for producers. Lighting and camera equipment and production services are also available, while the on-screen extras company Movie Extras is based on site, offering a pool of film extras to anyone filming in the area.

These service providers, coupled with Ardmore itself, employ in excess of 50 people. However, according to Siún, when a large scale production is on site, it can create employment for an additional few hundred people who are part of the cast and crew.

'We know for example that over its three years filming at Ardmore and in Wicklow, 'Penny Dreadful' contributed some €65m to the local economy and provided employment for some 500 people whilst it was in production here,' she said, explaining that it is hard to put a firm estimate on the benefit that Ardmore provides to the local economy.

Although the pace at Ardmore has remained consistent, Siún said that they must remain aware of their competition elsewhere in Ireland and internationally.

'The business pipeline is steady - but we can never be complacent. There has always been competition from competing countries but none so close as the North of Ireland where significant proactive planning and cross stakeholder co-operation has resulted in a premium film and television location product being available,' she said.

Most recently, the studios upped their game by redeveloping and enhancing the existing facilities. The addition of the Film Factory provides an additional 30,000 sq ft of studio space and 11,000 sq ft of office space to the Bray studio.

'The Film Factory was the next step in expanding our footprint and creating additional studio capacity for potential productions whilst complementing the Herbert Road facilities,' said Siún.

At present, activity at Ardmore includes the filming of television series for AMC 'Into the Badlands' along with feature film 'The Professor and The Madman'. They are also involved with various productions around the county.

Bray People