The final moments of Star Wars: The Force Awakens promised many things to fans. We know that Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) will return, we know that his relationship with Rey (Daisy Ridley) will slowly, but surely, become more understood and we know that the beautiful landscape of his secluded hideout will soon play a much larger role in the Star Wars mythos. Fans have become entranced by the Irish countryside doubling as the galaxy far, far away, and the Star Wars: Episode VIII production crew knows that they had something truly breathtaking on their hands. With filming recently coming to a conclusion in the picturesque part of the world, the cast and crew decided to do something incredibly kind for the locals.
To express gratitude for the cooperation and commitment of the Irish locals, the production of Star Wars: Episode VIII took out an ad in the Irish Examiner pitching a new slogan for West Cork-based Star Wars fans. It reads:
The tireless commitment of our Irish crew, the enthusiasm and support of all the people of West Cork have made our Irish adventure one we will always treasure. Go mbeidh an fórsa leat! — May the force be with you!
We have to admit, that’s a pretty cool gesture for the people of West Cork to receive. It’s not often that an iconic quote from the Star Wars mythos receives a personalized update, and it’s even more rare that such an update is in a beautiful and exotic language. It might not seem like much, but the Irish Examiner emphasizes that the Irish really do love it when outsiders address them in their traditional Gaelic.
The gratitude makes quite a bit of sense too. Just take a look at this behind-the-scenes video for Star Wars: Episode VIII, and it’s clear that the production lucked out by getting to shoot in such a gorgeous location.
Despite the kind gesture on behalf of the Star Wars production crew, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows over in Ireland. Over the last week, we reported that a certain degree of friction had developed between those involved with the filming of Star Wars: Episode VIII and the Irish locals who have had to adapt to the production. The high-profile film has brought a large amount of attention and buzz to the area, but the film itself remains incredibly insulated, so the neighboring towns have reportedly not reaped much of a benefit from the increased population of the area.
So while some folks in Ireland didn’t love having the Star Wars production there, it’s safe to say that they ended on some fairly amicable terms. We will keep you posted regarding any updates related to Star Wars: Episode VIII as they become available to us. May the force be with you, and if you’re from West Cork: Go mbeidh an fórsa leat!
