Matt Damon adopted by village in ‘fairytale’ Irish lockdown
Hollywood A-lister describes his love affair with Dalkey after calling in to local radio station
Matt Damon has described his delight at being adopted by the people of a “fairytale” Irish village after taking up residence during the coronavirus lockdown.
The Hollywood actor has “gone native” in Dalkey, a seaside resort southeast of Dublin, after arriving in March with his wife and their three youngest children to film historical thriller The Last Duel, directed by Ridley Scott, says The Guardian.
Locals have taken Damon under their wing after he decided to stay despite production being suspended, rallying against outsiders asking questions about their A-list guest and dubbing him “Matt O’Damon”, adds The New York Times.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In fact, most residents have pretended not to recognise the Oscar winner. “I think it’s an Irish thing,” local novelist Denise Deegan told the US newspaper. “We don’t want anyone who is a celebrity to think that we are in any way sycophantic.”
But Damon has been less shy, phoning in to a Dublin radio station this week after hearing presenters Graham O'Toole and Nathan O’Reilly appealing for him to join them on air, says the BBC.
Describing his new Irish life to the Spin 1038 DJs, Damon says: “It feels like a fairytale. When I first came in, people were saying: ‘Well, Bono lives over there, Enya lives over there.’ It’s been incredible. This is one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been.”
The actor - reportedly living in Formula 1 star Eddie Irvine’s house - added that he had been having FaceTime chats with Bono, who lives nearby, and that the U2 frontman had mentioned the radio station’s interview plea.
Damon also told the DJs that he was a “little worried” about returning to the US because “we don’t have adequate [Covid-19] testing”.
“Obviously what’s going on in the world is horrible, but I’ve got my whole family, I’m with my kids and we have teachers with us because we were planning on missing school for about eight weeks,” he continued.
Damon said that he and his wife, Argentinian-born Luciana Barroso, felt “guilty” after having “what nobody else has, which is live human beings teaching our kids... We’ve got this set-up in this incredible place. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
“Even in the 2km lockdown, we’ve got trees and woods and ocean. I can’t think of any place you’d rather be in a 2km radius of.”
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Today's political cartoons - December 22, 2024
Cartoons Sunday's cartoons - the long and short of it, trigger finger, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 hilariously spirited cartoons about the spirit of Christmas
Cartoons Artists take on excuses, pardons, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Inside the house of Assad
The Explainer Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez, ruled Syria for more than half a century but how did one family achieve and maintain power?
By The Week UK Published
-
A not-so-quiet place: Why is no one using headphones in public anymore?
Under the Radar People are increasingly comfortable with both speakerphone and watching videos (very) out loud
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Gas masks and loo rolls: why 'preppers' are on the rise
Under The Radar Doomsday community has expanded from 'Rambo wannabes' to 'Tesco regulars'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
St Patrick's Day: indulge in Irish delights
The Week Recommends Discover delicious recipes inspired by Ireland to celebrate the country's patron saint's day
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Breathtaking: the Covid drama that may make you scream
The Week Recommends ITV three-parter is a 'tour de force' that exposes 'political complacency'
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The lasting changes of the post-pandemic dining era
The Explainer The newest of new normals
By Scott Hocker, The Week US Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Shane MacGowan: the unruly former punk with a literary soul
In the Spotlight The Pogues frontman died aged 65
By The Week UK Published
-
Connemara: a slice of heaven in the far west of Ireland
The Week Recommends The region boasts blue mountains, 'colossal' skies and wide empty beaches
By The Week UK Published