Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with one of these classic Irish films. From family films and comedies to political dramas, there's something here for every fan of Irish film.
Once
Guy (Glen Hansard) is a struggling musician who serenades passersby on the streets of Dublin. One day he meets Girl (Markéta Irglová), and sets in motion one of the most charming movie romances you will ever see. Hansard and Irglová wrote and perform all of the songs in the film; the ballad "Falling Slowly" won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Into the West
When two young brothers receive the gift of a magical horse from their grandfather, the adventure of a lifetime begins. On the surface, Into the West is a whimsical chase movie, but underneath are deeper concerns about heritage and tradition.
Waking Ned Devine
In the sleepy Irish town of Tullymore, a man named Ned Devine holds a winning lottery ticket. There's just one problem: he's dead. This off-kilter comedy follows the wacky attempts of the townsfolk to claim Ned's prize for themselves.
The Secret of Roan Inish
The Secret of Roan Inish is a gentle fable that's perfect for kids. Based on the Irish folkloric creatures called "Selkies," who can change from humans to seals and back again, the story follows a young girl's attempts to find her long-lost brother -- who just may have been a Selkie himself.
Circle of Friends
The film that introduced Minnie Driver to the world at large is a sweet, tenderhearted romantic comedy containing valuable lessons about life and love. Set at an Irish college in the 1950s, Circle of Friends follows the travails of two friends who face difficult, unexpected romantic choices.
The Commitments
A group of downtrodden friends form a soul band in Dublin, and find that life at the top isn't as easy as they thought. The Commitments is based on the novel of the same name by Irish scribe Roddy Doyle.
My Left Foot
Based on a true story, My Left Foot is the tale of Christy Brown, an Irishman who developed cerebral palsy as a baby and grew up able to move and communicate only through his left foot. Daniel Day-Lewis won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Brown.
Bloody Sunday
Director Paul Greengrass's hard-hitting docudrama recounts the events of January 30, 1972, when British troops opened fire on a protest march and killed 13 people. Greengrass's stark, yet evenhanded, portrayal of the day earned plaudits from critics around the world.
In the Name of the Father
Irish citizen Gerry Conlon was wrongly convicted -- along with three others -- of bombing a Guildford, England pub in 1974. In the Name of the Father tells the story of the imprisonment and subsequent exoneration of the "Guildford Four."
