The owner of Slane Castle has revealed how the historic County Meath estate became the setting for The Traitors Ireland – while confirming that the famous venue will host Fontaines D.C. for a major concert next summer.
Alex Conyngham, who now runs the castle and its businesses, said he personally approached the production company after hearing that it was searching for a location for the Irish version of the hit reality series.
The second series began on RTÉ One on Sunday, August 30, with 23 contestants arriving at Slane Castle to take part in the deception-based competition hosted by Siobhán McSweeney.
“I cold-called them because I heard they were looking at different locations and they were surprised that Slane was even available,” Mr Conyngham said.
The castle was later unveiled as the home of the programme, providing the backdrop for its secret alliances, missions and round-table eliminations. Mr Conyngham said the building had become more than a location.
“In some ways the castle as a character in the show has had a big role to play,” he said.
Filming the series is part of a wider effort to keep the estate financially sustainable, alongside Slane whiskey, an organic farm, weddings, events, a glamping site and its long-established concert business.
“You have to be entrepreneurial when you run a place like this,” Mr Conyngham said. “Diversifying your income and looking at different things is collectively what makes the place work, so we’re always looking for new ways to do that.”
Slane Castle’s next musical chapter
The latest announcement from the estate is that Fontaines D.C. will headline Slane Castle on Saturday, June 26, 2027, subject to licensing. The Dublin band will be supported by Hayley Williams, Damien Dempsey and Madra Salach.
Fontaines D.C. will become only the third Irish act to headline the venue, following U2 and Thin Lizzy. The band’s appearance comes as it prepares to release its fifth studio album, Dopamine Chamber, on October 16.
The 80,000-capacity venue has previously hosted artists including Queen, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Madonna, Oasis and Bruce Springsteen.
For Mr Conyngham, the connection between Slane and live music began in childhood. He was 11 when he watched Queen perform at the castle in 1986, with Freddie Mercury commanding an audience of tens of thousands.
“He was the first one to really open my eyes to the power and magic of live music,” he said. “The energy he brought that day, he lifted everybody.”
That experience helped shape his decision to return to Slane and take on responsibility for the family estate. His father, Lord Henry Mountcharles, died in June 2025, leaving Mr Conyngham to oversee a business built around the castle’s heritage and its role as a cultural venue.
He said his father’s advice about perseverance remained a source of guidance during difficult periods.
“Sometimes there are happier times and sometimes there are the sad ones but the important thing to remember is that it will pass,” he said.
Life behind the scenes of The Traitors Ireland
Mr Conyngham and his wife, Carina, live at Slane with their three children. He said the family had become accustomed to working around film crews, cables and cameras during production of The Traitors Ireland.
“We were living in the middle of a film set, which was a great adventure for the whole family, including the dogs,” he said.
There were strict rules about contact with contestants. If a family member crossed paths with a player, they were expected to avoid any interaction that might reveal information about the game.
“There are absolutely no interactions at all,” Mr Conyngham said. “That’s very important, there’s time for that when it’s all over.”
He said the family had also been raised to protect the secrecy surrounding Slane’s entertainment business, where headline acts are traditionally kept under wraps until announcements are made.
“We’re very used to keeping secrets in this family,” he said. “We never reveal who the artist is for the gigs, and we were taught that from a very young age.”
The decision to bring The Traitors Ireland to Slane reflects the estate’s long history of reinvention. Mr Conyngham said the castle’s atmosphere had been shaped by generations of family life, concerts and visitors.
“Buildings are almost like living things, they nurture you if you nurture them and they carry energy and memories,” he said. “I feel they do have a personality and a character and that needs to be respected and appreciated.”
He said international versions of The Traitors had also shown interest in filming at Slane, although he claimed restrictions surrounding Ireland’s tax relief for television production had prevented further deals.
For now, the focus is on balancing the demands of television, music, tourism and family life while preserving the estate for the future.
“We ideally want to try and improve the place, the landscape, the ecology and the architectural heritage,” Mr Conyngham said. “If Carina and I leave the place and it’s a little bit better than when we arrived, then we’ve fulfilled our role as custodians.”
The Traitors Ireland series two continues on RTÉ One at 9.30pm on Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, and on the RTÉ Player.
