10 Must-See Irish Films
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
A film about Ireland being occupied by the British during the Irish War for Independence and two brothers joining the IRA.
Once (2007)
A wonderful film debut, this flick is about a busker (street musician) in Dublin who meets an immigrant flower seller. They record music together, one of which is entitled “Falling Slowly.” The song won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
The Quiet Man (1952)
A drama starring John Wayne based on a short story from the Saturday Evening Post. Parts of the film were shot in Cong, County Mayo.
Bloody Sunday (2002)
A made-for-TV movie that premiered at the Sundance Festival and made its way to the big screen. The film is based on the Bloody Sunday shootings in Derry, Northern Ireland.
In Bruges (2008)
A Golden Globe winner, In Bruges was written by Martin McDonagh and stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, who play hit men sent to hide out in Bruges, Belgium. One hates the city while the other enjoys it; the two are criminals dealing with their past, the present, and each other.
In the Name of the Father (1993)
Based on a true story, this film follows the life of a wrongly convicted Irishman thought to have bombed a pub in England.
The Snapper (1993)
A TV movie based on the novel (1990) by Roddy Doyle of the same name, The Snapper is a look at the Curley family and how they become the talk of the town when their twenty-year-old daughter gets pregnant and refuses to name the father.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
Based on events that took place in the Magdalene Asylums, which housed “fallen women,” the story follows the lives of teenage girls forced to work as inmates under oppressive conditions.
The Molly Maguires (1970)
This Irish-American film set in Pennsylvania depicts the true story of Irish Americans working the mines and fighting for social justice.
The Departed (2006)
The winner of four Oscars (2007), The Departed is another Irish-American film noted as a violent crime thriller focusing on police officers attempting to work as double agents under an Irish mob boss.
