Fans of the hit Nickelodeon animation Winx Club are in for a treat as the magical Otherworld – filmed on location in County Wicklow – has been brought to life with Netflix’s new live-action adaptation, Fate: The Winx Saga, now available on the streaming platform.
The series follows Bloom (Abigail Cowen) as she adjusts to life in a magical boarding school in the Otherworld, where she must learn to control her dangerous magical powers.
The series was shot on location in Killruddery House, which doubles as the boarding school, and Powerscourt in County Wicklow, two must-see attractions in Ireland’s Ancient East which Winx Club fans can visit, when the time is right.
Dating back to the eighteenth century, the Powerscourt Gardens stretch over 47 acres that feature Italian and Japanese gardens, waterfalls, tree-lined arbors, fine statuary, ornamental lakes and over 200 variations of trees and shrubs. Set at the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains, this beautiful location was ranked in Lonely Planet’s top 10 houses in the world, while the gardens were rated number three in the world in National Geographic’s top 10 gardens list.
Killruddery House is home to formal seventeenth century gardens but also has a bio-diverse working farm, flowering woodland, long ponds and a walled garden. Killruddery House recently played host to a memorable music event, Other Voices: Courage, which was live streamed during lockdown and featured performances from some of Ireland’s most exciting contemporary musicians, including alternative folk singer James Vincent McMorrow and choice prize nominated singer-songwriter Maija Sofia.
Ireland’s Ancient East is a region that lies between the River Shannon and the Irish Sea. Carpeted by lush landscapes and idyllic tows, visitors can explore 5,000 years of history, with icons that include a sixth century monastic settlement at Glendalough, County Wicklow and the 5,200-year-old passage tomb of Newgrange located in the Boyne Valley, County Meath. For those who enjoy the great outdoors, the Waterford Greenway runs for 46km in Ireland’s oldest city, Waterford and is the longest off-road walking and cycling experience in the country.
All six episodes of Fate: The Winx Saga are available on Netflix.
