where was darby o'gill filmed

The movie Darby O’Gill and the Little People was not filmed in Ireland; it was shot entirely in California, USA.

Main filming locations

• Disney Studios, Burbank, California – Most of the film (including the village of Rathcullen and major sets like the leprechauns’ cavern) was built and filmed on the Walt Disney Studios backlot and Stage 4 in Burbank.

• Albertson Ranch, Triunfo, California – Used for exterior “Irish countryside” scenes.

• Rowland V. Lee Ranch, Canoga Park, Los Angeles – Additional outdoor and village-area exteriors.

• Other surrounding areas in Canoga Park/Triunfo, California were also used for landscape shots to stand in for rural Ireland.

Why it looks like Ireland

Although the story is set in the Irish village of Rathcullen, Disney’s art director Peter Ellenshaw used elaborate matte paintings and carefully designed sets to transform the California backlot into a romanticized version of Ireland, which is why many viewers assume it was filmed on location there.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.