Check out these classic Irish movies and shows on St. Patrick’s Day
Check out these classic Irish movies and shows on St. Patrick’s Day
From classic dramas to historical epics to musicals to rom-coms, there are tons of great Irish movies to help celebrate St. Paddy’s Day
When Irish eyes are smiling, sure, ‘tis like a morn’ in spring, and on this St. Patrick’s Day, there is no better way to get Irish eyes to smile than with some of the best movies set in Ireland and about Irish people. So, if you come back from work (or the pub) still wearing your “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” t-shirt and you want to sit on the couch, drink a Shamrock Shake, and get in touch with your Irish roots, I’ve rounded up some of the best films related to the Irish island.
Of course, this list is by no means exhaustive, but I have tried to include samples of the most entertaining dramas, comedies, historical epics, music films, rom-coms, and more. And, if you scroll down below the movie list, I’ve also included a handful of very Irish TV shows and one — potentially offensive — Irish-tangential horror franchise for you to check out as well.
Irish movies to watch on St. Patrick’s Day
-
The Quiet Man
July 21, 1952An American man returns to the village of his birth in Ireland, where he finds love and conflict.
-
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
June 24, 1959A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.
-
Into the West
October 23, 1992Accused of a crime they didn’t commit, two city kids and a magical horse are about to become the coolest outlaws ever to ride Into The West.
-
Michael Collins
October 25, 1996Michael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republic.
-
Dancing at Lughnasa
September 4, 1998Five unmarried sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in the 1930s.
-
Waking Ned
November 20, 1998When a lottery winner dies of shock, his fellow townsfolk attempt to claim the money.
-
Angela's Ashes
December 25, 1999An Irish Catholic family returns to 1930s Limerick after a child’s death in America. The unemployed I.R.A. veteran father struggles with poverty, prejudice, and alcoholism as the family endures harsh slum conditions.
-
Once
March 23, 2007A vacuum repairman moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant, who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.
-
The Secret of Kells
February 9, 2009Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden’s book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?
-
Leap Year
January 8, 2010When yet another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Anna decides to take action. Aware of a Celtic tradition that allows women to pop the question on Feb. 29, she plans to follow her lover to Dublin and ask him to marry her. Fate has other plans, however, and Anna winds up on the other side of the Emerald Isle with handsome, but surly, Declan — an Irishman who may just lead Anna down the road to true love.
-
Calvary
April 11, 2014After being threatened during a confession, a good-natured priest must battle the dark forces closing in around him.
-
Brooklyn
October 20, 2015In 1950s Ireland and New York, young Eilis Lacey has to choose between two men and two countries.
-
Sing Street
March 11, 2016A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.
-
As Luck Would Have It
April 10, 2021When Lindsey travels to Ireland to acquire land that is perfect for a resort, she decides to enter the town’s matchmaking festival to prove her investment—and win over a handsome local.
-
Belfast
November 12, 2021Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a momentous choice: hope the conflict will pass or leave everything they know behind for a new life.
-
The Banshees of Inisherin
October 20, 2022Colm and Pádraic are lifelong friends, or so Pádraic thought. When Colm suddenly freezes him out, the old drinking buddies find each other at odds. Starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, this crowd-pleaser features side-splitting comedy, moments of heartbreak, and an unforgettable rivalry.
Martin McDonagh wrote and directed this film. The whole cast is great, including Kerry Condon as Pádraic’s sister and Barry Keoghan as the local nuisance.
“The Banshees of Inisherin” won 3 Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Best Actor – Musical or Comedy (Farrell), and Best Screenplay. It was also selected as the best film of 2022 by RogerEbert.com.
-
The Wonder
November 2, 2022Haunted by her past, a nurse travels from England to a remote Irish village in 1862 to investigate a young girl’s supposedly miraculous fast.
-
Flora and Son
September 21, 2023Single mom Flora is at a loss about what to do with her rebellious teenage son, Max. Her efforts to keep him out of trouble lead to a beat-up acoustic guitar, a washed-up LA musician, and harmony for this frayed Dublin family.
-
Irish Wish
March 14, 2024Maddie’s dream guy is days away from marrying her best friend when a wish for true love made on an ancient stone in Ireland magically alters her fate.
-
Kneecap
August 2, 2024When fate brings Belfast teacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise and Liam Óg, the needle drops on a hip-hop act like no other. Rapping in their native Irish, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.
Irish TV shows to watch on St. Patrick’s Day
-
Moone Boy
September 14, 2012Martin Moone is a young boy who relies on the help of his imaginary friend Sean to deal with the quandaries of life in a wacky small-town Irish family in the 1980’s.
-
Derry Girls
January 4, 2018Amidst the political conflict of Northern Ireland in the 1990s, five secondary school students square off with the universal challenges of being a teenager.
-
Normal People
April 26, 2020Marianne and Connell weave in and out of each other’s lives in this exploration of sex, power and the desire to love and be loved.
-
Bad Sisters
August 19, 2022The tight-knit Garvey sisters have always looked out for one another. But when the toxic brother-in-law they all wanted dead actually dies, it turns their lives upside down and tests their bond like nothing before.
-
Say Nothing
November 14, 2024Through the eyes of various Irish Republican Army (IRA) members, explore the extremes some people will go to in the name of their beliefs, the way a deeply divided society can suddenly tip over into armed conflict, the long shadow of radical violence for both victims and perpetrators, and the emotional and psychological costs of a code of silence.
-
House of Guinness
September 25, 2025Dublin, 1868. The Guinness family patriarch is dead, and his four children — each with dark secrets to hide — hold the brewery’s fate in their hands.
-
Irish Blood
August 11, 2025Hot-shot Los Angeles divorce lawyer Fiona Fox receives a letter from her estranged father and sets out to uncover the mystery of his disappearance.
-
How to Get to Heaven from Belfast
February 12, 2026Three lifelong pals embark on a chaotic quest to solve the mystery of their old friend’s suspicious death and keep their own dark secret under wraps.
Irish horror franchise to watch on St. Patrick’s Day
Leprechaun Movies
An American comedic horror film series centered around a malevolent and murderous leprechaun, who, when his gold is taken from him, resorts to any means necessary to reclaim it.