St Patrick’s Day Film Recommendations

Happy St Patrick’s Day! March 17th marks as a university student one of my favourite holidays of the year and whilst most people will be sure to be found in a crowded pub on the day pretending that they actually do enjoy the taste of Guinness, at EIUFF we are using the holiday to celebrate some of our favourite Irish movies. Here’s our comprehensive guide to the best films to watch this week if you are looking to commemorate the day in a movie night with friends.

Photo by Diogo Palhais on Unsplash

Sing Street

Carney’s Sing Street follows the life of 16 year old Connor in 1980s Dublin: the family broke, struggles to fit in at his new catholic school and a desperate attempt to impress cool-girl Raphina this film is exactly the fun you should be looking for this holiday. Sing Street is in my opinion one of the greatest films to come from Irish directors in this century. Lucy Boyton and Ferdia Walsh-Peelo are both joys to watch bringing this coming of age film to life, and is the perfect film to watch with friends, family or loved ones as a guaranteed enjoyment.

Photo by Sophie Popplewell on Unsplash

The Banshees of Inisherin

Arguably the most famous Irish film of the 21st century, The Banshees of Inisherin gained commemoration across the globe leading the 2023 awards season in all categories. The darkly comedic film focuses on the abrupt friendship breakup between Colm and Pádraic, played by Colin Farrel and Brendad Gleeson, set in the early 20th century on a remote western isle. Kerry Condon and Barry Keoghan both also gained recognition for their performances winning them both BAFTA awards. Most importantly, the film features scoping shots of Irish land and rich rural countryside showcasing the impressive landscapes the country boasts.

Photo by Sophie Popplewell on Unsplash

P.S. I love you

Okay, whilst admittedly this is not necessarily an Irish film and Gerard Butler’s accent maybe slightly misses the mark, this is such a comfort film to me and I think paints one of the most romanticised depictions of rural Irish landscape. The film which follows the love story between Holly and Gerry who fell in love during her travels around Ireland, features beautiful shots of Irish countryside and captures the camaraderie which I can vouch for after many visits to see family that can be found in local pubs. There’s truly no other movie that makes me want to hop on sky scanner and check out the cheapest flights to Dublin that day.

Flora and Son

Also from John Carney, who directed Sing Street, is Flora and Son starring Eve Hewson who plays a single mother desperately trying to keep her son from a juvenile detention centre by finding him a hobby and encouraging him to play the guitar. Whilst there are certainly obvious similarities between this and Carney’s work celebrating the ability music has to connect, the Irish director certainly doesn’t miss in this fun and heartfelt movie showcasing life in modern Dublin.