What Are the Best Irish Movies?
Ireland is a country rich in culture, history, and natural beauty, and it has inspired countless filmmakers to tell stories set against its breathtaking backdrop.
When I studied abroad there in college, I found it to be such a welcoming place. And I did some of my best writing while sitting in pubs there. And met some of the best people.
From stirring dramas to charming comedies and everything in between, Ireland has served as the setting for some of the most memorable films ever made.
Whether you are a fan of historical epics, heartwarming comedies, or gripping dramas, there is sure to be a film on this list that captures your imagination and transports you to the stunning landscapes of Ireland.
So grab a pint of Guinness, settle in, and discover the best that Irish cinema has to offer.
Let's dive in.
'The Quiet Man'Credit: Republic Pictures
What Are the Best Movies Made In and About Ireland?
There have been many great movies made in and about Ireland. Here are some of the most highly regarded.
The Quiet Man (1952)
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- Director: John Ford
- Writer: Frank S. Nugent (based on a story by Maurice Walsh)
- Cast: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald
This is a classic film about an American boxer who returns to his ancestral home in Ireland and falls in love with a local woman. It has a great kiss in it and some really fun boxing scenes as well.
My Left Foot (1989)
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- Director: Jim Sheridan
- Writer: Shane Connaughton, Jim Sheridan (based on the book by Christy Brown)
- Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Ray McAnally
This biopic tells the story of Christy Brown, an Irishman with cerebral palsy who learned to write and paint with his left foot. It's so uplifting and beautiful. Daniel Day Lewis is incredible in this movie.
The Field (1990)
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- Director: Jim Sheridan
- Writer: Jim Sheridan (based on the play by John B. Keane)
- Cast: Richard Harris, John Hurt, Sean Bean
An intense drama where a farmer in the west of Ireland will stop at nothing to keep his land, which his family has worked for generations. It simmers under your skin.
The Commitments (1991)
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- Director: Alan Parker
- Writer: Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais, Roddy Doyle (based on the novel by Roddy Doyle)
- Cast: Robert Arkins, Colm Meaney, Andrew Strong
Such an uplifting movie! A group of working-class Dubliners forms a soul band, capturing the gritty yet hopeful spirit of the city. It rocks.
The Crying Game (1992)
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- Director: Neil Jordan
- Writer: Neil Jordan
- Cast: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker
The movie that's famous for its plot twist, but it's so much more than that. A British soldier is kidnapped by the IRA and becomes involved with one of his captors when he begs him to visit his girlfriend with his dying breath.
In the Name of the Father (1993)
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- Director: Jim Sheridan
- Writer: Terry George, Jim Sheridan (based on the autobiography of Gerry Conlon)
- Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emma Thompson, Pete Postlethwaite
Based on the true story of the Guildford Four, who were wrongly convicted of a terrorist bombing in England. It's about the resilience of the human soul.
The Snapper (1993)
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- Director: Stephen Frears
- Writer: Roddy Doyle (based on his novel)
- Cast: Colm Meaney, Tina Kellegher, Ruth McCabe
One of my favorite hidden gems. It follows a young woman in a working-class Dublin family becomes pregnant and must deal with the fallout in this heartwarming comedy-drama.
Michael Collins (1996)
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- Director: Neil Jordan
- Writer: Neil Jordan
- Cast: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts
People rememebri ti for a bad Julia roberts accent, but the movie is the story of Irish revolutionary leader Michael Collins and his fight for Irish independence from Britain.
The Boxer (1997)
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- Director: Jim Sheridan
- Writer: Terry George, Jim Sheridan
- Cast: Daniel Day-Lewis, Emily Watson, Brian Cox
A dark an interesting thriller where we follow a former IRA member tries to rebuild his life and boxing career after being released from prison.
Waking Ned Devine (1998)
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- Director: Kirk Jones
- Writer: Kirk Jones
- Cast: Ian Bannen, David Kelly, Fionnula Flanagan
One of my all time favorite movies ever. In a small Irish village, the residents hatch a scheme to claim the lottery winnings of a neighbor who died from the shock of winning. It just has so much soul.
Angela's Ashes (1999)
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- Director: Alan Parker
- Writer: Laura Jones, Alan Parker (based on the memoir by Frank McCourt)
- Cast: Emily Watson, Robert Carlyle, Joe Breen
Adapted from the memoir by Frank McCourt, this film tells the story of a poor Irish family in Limerick in the 1930s and 40s. It's pretty brutal.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
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- Director: Peter Mullan
- Writer: Peter Mullan
- Cast: Anne-Marie Duff, Nora-Jane Noone, Dorothy Duffy
This is a really hard watch, but a good one. Set in 1960s Ireland, this film tells the story of three young women sent to a Magdalene laundry, a Catholic institution for "fallen" women.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2006)
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- Director: Ken Loach
- Writer: Paul Laverty
- Cast: Cillian Murphy, Padraic Delaney, Liam Cunningham
Another all time good movie. Unflinching and violent. Set during the Irish War of Independence and the Civil War, this film follows two brothers who join the IRA.
Once (2007)
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- Director: John Carney
- Writer: John Carney
- Cast: Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová
One of the best romance movies of all time. We follow a street musician and a Czech immigrant collaborate on music in this Oscar-winning romantic musical.
Hunger (2008)
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- Director: Steve McQueen
- Writer: Enda Walsh, Steve McQueen
- Cast: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham
The true story of IRA member Bobby Sands, who led a hunger strike while imprisoned in Northern Ireland. It has this amazing oner in the middle that is breathtaking.
The Secret of Kells (2009)
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- Director: Tomm Moore, Nora Twomey
- Writer: Fabrice Ziolkowski
- Cast: Evan McGuire, Brendan Gleeson, Mick Lally
An animated movie about a young boy in medieval Ireland who helps to complete the Book of Kells. It has all sorts of magic and one of theb est soundtracks ever.
The Guard (2011)
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- Director: John Michael McDonagh
- Writer: John Michael McDonagh
- Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Don Cheadle, Liam Cunningham
A quirky Irish policeman teams up with an uptight FBI agent to solve a drug-smuggling case in Galway. There are some huge laughs in this one.
Philomena (2013)
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- Director: Stephen Frears
- Writer: Steve Coogan, Jeff Pope (based on the book by Martin Sixsmith)
- Cast: Judi Dench, Steve Coogan
The true story of an Irish woman searching for the son she was forced to give up for adoption decades earlier. The acting in this movie is impeccable. And it has a big heart.
Song of the Sea (2014)
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- Director: Tomm Moore
- Writer: Will Collins
- Cast: David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan
Another animated classic. A young boy and his sister, a "selkie," embark on an adventure to free fairies and save the spirit world.
Calvary (2014)
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- Director: John Michael McDonagh
- Writer: John Michael McDonagh
- Cast: Brendan Gleeson, Chris O'Dowd, Kelly Reilly
this thriller builds from the opening scene. We follow a good-hearted priest in a small Irish town is threatened with murder by one of his parishioners.
Brooklyn (2015)
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- Director: John Crowley
- Writer: Nick Hornby (based on the novel by Colm Tóibín)
- Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen
A young Irish woman emigrates to New York in the 1950s and finds herself torn between two worlds and two lovers. It's really a delicate portrait of life and love.
Sing Street (2016)
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- Director: John Carney
- Writer: John Carney
- Cast: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Jack Reynor
Do you love coming of age movies and music? An uplifting musical about a Dublin teenager who forms a rock band in the 1980s to impress a girl.
Black '47 (2018)
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- Director: Lance Daly
- Writer: PJ Dillon, Pierce Ryan, Eugene O'Brien, Lance Daly
- Cast: James Frecheville, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea
A dark movie about mistreatment and war. Set during the Great Famine, an Irish Ranger returns from the British Army to seek revenge for his family.
Wolfwalkers (2020)
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- Director: Tomm Moore, Ross Stewart
- Writer: Will Collins
- Cast: Honor Kneafsey, Eva Whittaker, Sean Bean
A young apprentice hunter and her father journey to Ireland to help wipe out the last wolf pack, leading to an unexpected friendship. This movie is fun and gorgeous to watch.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
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- Director: Martin McDonagh
- Writer: Martin McDonagh
- Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon
A dark comedy exploration of friendship and isolation on a remote island off the coast of Ireland. What happens when your whole world gets turned upside down and no one wants to be your friend anymore?
The Quiet Girl (An Cailín Ciúin) (2022)
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- Director: Colm Bairéad
- Writer: Colm Bairéad (based on "Foster" by Claire Keegan)
- Cast: Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley, Andrew Bennett
A withdrawn nine-year-old girl experiences a loving home for the first time when she spends the summer on a farm in rural Ireland.
In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023)
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- Director: Robert Lorenz
- Writer: Mark Michael McNally, Terry Loane
- Cast: Liam Neeson, Kerry Condon, Ciarán Hinds, Jack Gleeson
A thriller set in a remote Irish village in the 1970s where a retired hitman seeking redemption finds himself drawn into a lethal game of cat-and-mouse with a trio of vengeful terrorists.
That They May Face the Rising Sun (2023)
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- Director: Pat Collins
- Writer: Pat Collins, Éamon Little (based on the novel by John McGahern)
- Cast: Barry Ward, Anna Bederke, Lalor Roddy, Ruth McCabe
A beautifully meditative adaptation of John McGahern’s final novel, capturing a year in the life of a close-knit lakeside community in rural Ireland during the late 1970s.
Small Things Like These (2024)
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- Director: Tim Mielants
- Writer: Enda Walsh (based on the novel by Claire Keegan)
- Cast: Cillian Murphy, Eileen Walsh, Emily Watson, Michelle Fairley
In 1985, a devoted father and coal merchant discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent, forcing him to confront the complicit silence of a town controlled by the Church. It's a gutting movie.
Kneecap (2024)
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- Director: Rich Peppiatt
- Writer: Rich Peppiatt
- Cast: Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Michael Fassbender
Ireland is the land of rebels. And this is a movie for them. A riotous, semi-fictionalized biopic of the Belfast rap trio Kneecap, who became unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save the Irish language.
Oddity (2024)
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- Director: Damian McCarthy
- Writer: Damian McCarthy
- Cast: Gwilym Lee, Carolyn Bracken, Tadhg Murphy
A blind medium uncovers the terrifying truth behind her sister's death with the help of a creepy wooden mannequin in this highly acclaimed supernatural folk-horror.
Summing It All Up
You can also check out the Oscar-winning short film, An Irish Goodbye, made by the Irish filmmaking duo Tom Berkeley and Ross White.
These are just a few examples of the many great movies made in and about Ireland.
Let me know your favorites in the comments.
Discussion in the ATmosphere