"They seem to like the place," says Sir John Nugent modestly. He is speaking of the film crew which is to make a period drama in his home - Ballinlough Castle, Co Westmeath, a fairy-tale of a place, all turrets on a grassy hill, its long drawing-room windows looking out over twin lakes towards a wood just touched by the first russet hues of early autumn.
So striking is the setting that the film is to break the "40-mile rule": a company doesn't travel more then 40 miles from Dublin in search of a location.
Ballinlough is just outside the "pale" at 41 miles from O'Connell Bridge, but its romantic setting is ideally suited to the period drama to be shot there. It is a tale of second sons who, failing to inherit, kidnap wealthy young women to propose marriage to them.
The use of the castle for filming for a fortnight next month is a useful fillip to the business of making the building pay for its upkeep.
"You never stop working on it," says Sir John, with a nod towards the turrets, slate valleys, gutters and the old stone of the roof. "When it leaks, and it does, it really leaks." The house dates from 1600; an earlier castle stood on the site in 1415 and while "the two big rooms " were added in 1790 and a kitchen in 1940 the castle is still small enough to function as a family home.
Ballinlough remains a private home, although the gardens were opened to the public in 1998, and when The Irish Times called a party of Americans had arrived for a pre-booked lunch.
Sir John doesn't know how long the house can pay for itself on this basis, and Americans who want to make films are quite welcome.
"Farming won't keep the roof on this place, it is difficult to keep in good order," says Sir John. "We got rid of the sheep, the truth is there is more return in renting the land out as a golf club." Like a textbook lesson in off-farm diversification, Sir John began restoring the old, walled gardens in 1994. They cover 1.2 hectares and are divided into four walled sections.
On view are herbaceous borders, a grass tennis court, a lily pond, a herb and soft fruit garden and a well-stocked orchard.
There are lakeside walks, a water garden, a rustic summer house and dramatic views of the demesne.
After four years of restoration, with the aid of FAS and the Great Gardens of Ireland scheme, they were opened by the Minister for Tourism, Dr McDaid, in May 1998.
The Garden Show on RTE has twice used the location for their programme and a third show from Ballinlough will be screened in February. A seven-part series on traditional music was also recorded there, the orchestra sitting comfortably in the drawing-room.
While the movie business is new, Ballinlough is not unused to adapting to suit the times.
A previous generation built the second lake to provide employment during the Famine; another may find even more avenues with which the castle can keep its roof.