Images of Ireland were beamed into the homes of around 1.5 million people across Sweden, last week. A TV crew visited counties Cavan, Louth and Meath during the summer, as guests of Tourism Ireland and Bord Bia. They were filming for an episode of one of Sweden’s most popular dating TV shows, Bonde söker fru (meaning ‘Farmer Searches for a Wife’).
Bonde söker fru features single farmers meeting a number of potential partners during the show; then, the farmer and his ‘favourite’ partner go on a dream date to a foreign location – in this case, to Ireland. It is one of the top reality TV shows in Sweden, attracting around 1.5 million viewers each week – with many more fans chatting online about the programme.
The episode filmed here saw the farmer, Per Solberg, and his potential wife, Sofie Helmer Öhman, on their ‘romantic break’ in Ireland, visiting Cabra Castle Hotel, Carlingford Lough, and Dún na Rí Forest Park. They also enjoyed oyster-tasting at PJ O’Hare’s Restaurant in Carlingford and clay pigeon shooting at Rathe House Activity & Adventure Centre near Kells.
Above are farmer Per Solberg (centre) and his potential wife Sofie Helmer Öhman (third left), with William McGrath, Bord Bia (second left) and the TV crew Rasmus Wedim (sound), Emma Reinholdz (assistant), Gosia Stehman (producer) and Ola Magnestam (cameraman), during filming for Bonde Söker Fru in the grounds of Cabra Castle Hotel.
Julie McLaughlin, Tourism Ireland’s Manager for the Nordic Region, said: “This was a fun and different way to showcase Ireland and some of the many things to see and do here to a huge audience of potential Swedish holidaymakers. Bonde söker fru is hugely popular in Sweden, so we were delighted that the show’s producers chose Ireland as its dream date location.
“TV and film are recognised as strong influencers for prospective holidaymakers and Tourism Ireland regularly works with overseas TV and production companies to facilities the making of travel and lifestyle programmes, to get positive exposure for the island of Ireland around the world.”
