AFTER TAKING six awards in the Irish Film and Television Awards 'The Tudors' has finally run out of perishable wives and must draw a curtain on King Henry's reign in Bray.

Shot on location in Ardmore Studios and County Wicklow, The HBO hit starring Cork-born Jonathan Rhys Meyers was the most successful drama to be made in these parts since ' Ballykissangel'. The programme has been a bolster to the Irish industry for the last number of years,

The gap left when 'The Tudors' ceases will be a gaping wound.

'It has been a regular gig for a large chunk of people working in the film industry in Wicklow,' agreed Vibeke Delahunt of the County Wicklow Film Commission.

Hope is mounting, however, that the American channel responsible for 'The Sopranos' will return to the Garden County soon with another similar production called 'Camelot' – same county, different king.

With a wealth of eminently camera-friendly locations however, from Sally Gap and Powerscourt to the Bray Head Hotel or Harbour Bar and Russborough House, Killruddery, and Glendalough, can Wicklow continue to attract film and TV productions?

The answer from the business is a resounding 'we certainly hope so.' This year so far has seen 'Raw', series two, made by RTE, as well as feature film 'Leap Year' shot in the Roundwood area. ITV sci-fi drama 'Primeval' is confirmed to be on the way to our area, which Kevin Moriarty of Ardmore Studios hopes to see dealt with on his turf.

There is also a feature film in the pipeline by a Dublin company called Element Pictures, about which those in the know are remaining tight-lipped until the parties sign on the dotted line. However , nothing on the scale of the massive production about to finish in Bray is confirmed.

' The Tudors brought €80 million into Wicklow over the last four years,' said Vibeke. 'The making of a similar programme would be great news for the county.'

The period drama is not the first major money-spinner to grace the area, however. Many readers have fond memories of a very gracious and friendly Mel Gibson galloping all over Glendalough on horseback during the making of 'Braveheart', and who can forget Christie Brown's triumphant goal on a 'Dublin' street – the scene from 'My Left Foot' was actually shot in Bray. The star of that particular film, Daniel Day Lewis, was this year granted the freedom of Wicklow by the County Council.

Wicklow Courthouse was one of the featured locations in 2006 for 'Becoming Jane', a charming tale of the life of author Jane Austen starring Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy, while the popular 'PS I Love You' was shot in Blessington the same year.

The list goes on. 'Lassie', 'Breakfast on Pluto', 'The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse', 'King Arthur' and 'Laws of Attraction'.

The wonderful Angela Lansbury has even worked in the area for the TV Movie version of 'Murder She Wrote' shot in Rathdrum.

An improved tax incentive may continue to bring film-makers to the east coast, however, it remains to be seen if the bigbudget days of 'Excalibur' or 'Reign of Fire' will return.

Stanley Kubrick first got a Wicklow welcome back in 1975 for Barry Lyndon, we're not sure if anyone of that calibre will ever return, but no matter – we'll always have 'Fair City'.

- Mary FOGARTY