Neil Jordan’s historical biopic of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, the man who led a guerrilla war against the UK, helped negotiate the creation of the Irish Free State, and led the National Army during the Irish Civil War.

Despite containing several brutal scenes of violence, the film was given a very lenient ‘PG’ rating in Ireland mainly because of its historical context. The censor issued a press statement defending his decision claiming the film was a landmark in Irish cinema and that he believed “because of the subject matter, parents should have the option of making their own decision as to whether their children should see the film or not”. The film subsequently became the second most successful movie ever released in Ireland.  Tom Cruise was offered the ‘Jonathan Rhys-Meyers’ cameo of the Assassin.  The film was originally going to be a Kevin Coster feature.

On location in Ireland, the making of Michael Collins was a major news event in the summer of 1995.  Posters went up on lampposts all over Dublin for unpaid extras to volunteer for the big crowd scenes.  The response was tremendous with thousands of people turning up to relive the history of their country.  In the town of Rathdrum nearly everybody became involved in the film in one way or another.  The scene where Michael Collins addressed a large crowd took place in the square in front of The Railway Bar.  This scene simulated an actual public meeting of nationalists who listened to a public appeal by The Big Man in favour of a war-ending treaty with Great Britain in Granard in 1922.

Upstairs in the pub ‘The Woolpack’ the love scene between Liam Neeson and Julia Roberts was shot.  Rathdrum’s Market Square was carefully transformed by filmmakers to suit the period while hundreds of Wicklow men dressed in attire of the 1920s.  The ambush in which Michael Collins was fatally wounded, which originally took place in Beal na Bláth in West Cork, was re-enacted in the Hollywood Valley.

The iconic 1990’s Girl Band record the video for their single ‘Stop’ in the village of Rathdrum

In 1998 the village of Rathdrum, along with Stoneybatter in Dublin, was the setting for the filming of the music video for the Spice Girls hit song ‘Stop’.  It showed the band members interacting with local children in various activities, such as running around the streets dancing, skipping rope and playing hopscotch.