Star Wars legend dines out in Northern Ireland

George Lucas with the staff of Holywood's Noble

The Force continues to be strong in Ireland after Star Wars director George Lucas dined at a top Belfast restaurant on Thursday night. 

Lucas, who directed the first Star Wars film and three prequels in the late nineties and early 2000s, dropped into Noble, an award-winning restaurant in Holywood, Co Down. 

Delighted staff tweeted, "Holywood not Hollywood" but Saul McConnell, owner of Noble, was coy about the film producer's visit. "We were told it was a VIP but not who it was," he told the Belfast Telegraph.

When the movie mogul George Lucas comes to dine in your restaurant #HolywoodNotHollywood #TeamNOBLE pic.twitter.com/SkRnz3gOeM

— N O B L E. (@nobleholywood) November 16, 2017

He added: "He and his party had a lovely bite to eat, they enjoyed themselves and he was very obliging to have his picture taken with some of the staff. There was a great buzz.

"We have been bound to confidentially, but like all our customers we want them to enjoy their meal in private and we hope Mr Lucas had a good time and felt at home in Holywood.

"We've been very lucky, what with Game of Thrones, to have a few celebrities drop in and we just work to make sure they enjoy themselves."

The new Star Wars franchise has had a strong relationship with Ireland. Key scenes for Star Wars: The Force Awakens and the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi were filmed on Sceilig Mhichíl and the movie has also shot in locations around Malin Head.  

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in cinemas on December 15.