It’s lights, camera, action for the highly anticipated Dublin Fields movie studio, a state-of-the-art film and television production facility in South Dublin set to create 2,800 on-site jobs and thousands more indirectly. With South Dublin County Council granting a 10-year planning permission to Lens Media Ltd, this groundbreaking development will more than double Ireland’s soundstage capacity and position the country as a global leader in screen production.
A Bold Vision for Irish Filmmaking
Spanning 56 acres in the Grange Castle Business Park, the Dublin Fields project includes 20 individual structures totaling over 796,000 square feet (74,000 square meters) of gross floor space. The centerpiece of the facility is six sound stage buildings, featuring 11 cutting-edge internal stages, complemented by ancillary offices and infrastructure designed to rival global leaders like Pinewood Studios and the newly opened Shinfield Studios in the UK.
“This planned facility will be unique on the island of Ireland in terms of its scale, spec, and location,” said a spokeswoman for Lens Media. “It will act as a catalyst for the indigenous screen industry and cater to growing, unmet production needs.”
A Boost for Ireland’s Economy and Global Appeal
The project is set to deliver far-reaching benefits for Ireland’s film industry. Once operational, the studio will directly support 2,800 jobs and an additional 2,100 roles indirectly. South Dublin County Council has emphasized the project’s significance, requiring a $9.4 million (€8.85 million) contribution from Lens Media toward public infrastructure as part of the planning agreement.
“This project represents a unifying step in making Ireland a new hub for the movie and TV industry,” noted Tom Phillips + Associates in the planning report. The consultancy highlighted that no other film studio in Ireland matches the proposed scale of Dublin Fields.
Meeting Global Content Demand
The rise of streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime has fueled unprecedented demand for premium content, and Ireland is poised to meet this challenge. Dublin Fields will feature studios ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 square feet, capable of hosting live shows with audiences of up to 600 people, making it a versatile asset for productions of all types.
“No other facility in Ireland comes close to offering the scale and sophistication of this development,” said the Lens Media spokeswoman. “This is a pivotal moment for Ireland’s screen industry.”
From Vision to Reality
The journey to realizing Dublin Fields has spanned years. Lens Media initially purchased 48 acres in May 2020 for $27.9 million (€26.4 million), acquiring an additional eight acres in 2021 for $1.2 million (€1.1 million). While legal challenges briefly delayed progress, a resolution was reached in 2022, and a new shareholder agreement was finalized in May 2023.
Lens Media’s team brings unparalleled expertise to the venture. Co-founded by Irish producer Alan Moloney (Siege of Jadotville, Brooklyn) and Oscar-nominated American producer Gary Levinsohn (Saving Private Ryan), the firm also includes New York-based physician and filmmaker David Cooper, LA-based producer Christopher Carlin, and Cillian Murphy, who co-founded Big Things Films with Moloney in 2022.
A Catalyst for Ireland’s Film Future
With no objections lodged against the project and strong support from local authorities, Dublin Fields is set to redefine Ireland’s place in the global screen industry. As Tom Phillips + Associates put it, the development represents “an unparalleled opportunity to expand the capacity of film and TV production in Ireland in line with national interests in the sector.”
From the production of Netflix’s Steve to positioning Ireland as a leader in high-quality, large-scale content creation, Dublin Fields is more than a studio—it’s a game-changer for the industry and a cornerstone of Ireland’s creative future.
