The Greatest Irish Movies Of All Time And Where To Watch Them

It’s no wonder, then, that Irish movies have been so successful over the years because they’ve always been gifted storytellers and have a sense of humor. Sometimes it’s nice to see films with smaller budgets, fewer stakes, and more human scale than superhero films.

How can a movie become great instead of just watchable? When you watch a movie over and over again, what makes it stick in your mind? We’ve compiled a list of the top Irish movies you’ll want to add to Netflix, Amazon, or whatever streaming service you use. So here we have it, The 8 Greatest Irish Movies Of All Time And Where To Watch Them

 Here folks are our picks of the “8 Greatest Irish Movies Of All Time!”

8. Hunger (2008)

This is McQueen’s first directorial effort, and he and Irish playwright Enda Walsh also co-wrote the story. During the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, Hunger won the Caméra d’Or award.

In an attempt to restore the political status of republican prisoners, Bobby Sands, a former IRA member and MP, led the second IRA hunger strike at Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. Michael Fassbender appears emaciated in the role, losing over 40 pounds for the part. Not for the faint of heart, the film is shocking, violent, and disturbing.

Available here on Netflix

7. Brooklyn (2015)

Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan and based on Colm Tobin’s novel of the same name, is about an Irish immigrant in 1950’s New York City who must choose between her new life in Brooklyn and her old one back home. (Not for those who miss the Emerald Isle and feel homesick)

In addition to being one of the best period dramas to come out of Ireland in recent years, the film was filmed in Wexford, Dublin, Coney Island, and New York. Brooklyn was nominated for three Academy Awards, for Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Adapted Screenplay, following its premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival.

Available here on Prime Video

6. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2006)

It will be of interest to you if you are interested in learning more about Ireland’s history. During the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War, Ken Loach’s film takes place. A young doctor (Cillian Murphy) joins the IRA after his friend is executed by the Black and Tans, until the Anglo-Irish Treaty separates them.

Many of the Irish rebellion leaders were executed in Kilmainham Jail in Dublin, where the execution scene was shot. However, the film was mainly shot in County Cork. The 2006 Cannes Film Festival awarded the film the Palme d’Or. At the time, The Wind That Shakes the Barley was the highest-grossing independently produced film in Ireland.

Available here on Prime Video

5. The Commitments (1991)

While Roddy Doyle’s Snapper and The Van are more well-known, it is impossible to ignore the impact Alan Parker’s vibrant Dublin musical had on a city on the brink of unprecedented cultural upheavals.

The movie is based on the 1998 Roddy Doyle novel of the same name, and it tells the story of an up-and-coming Dublin soul band. Characters from the show were featured on a postage stamp in Ireland, and cast members went on to form bands like The Corrs and The Frames.

The film gained cult status and enduring fame after its release.

Available here on Youtube

4. The Magdalene Sisters (2002) 

In this very heavy drama, we follow the lives of different women sent to live at the abusive Magdalene Asylums in the 1960s. This film rewards the viewer for sticking with it:

Four women – rape survivor Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff), actress Nora-Jane Noone, unmarried mother Rose (Dorothy Duffy) and intellectually disabled Crispina (Eileen Walsh) – are involuntarily committed to a Magdalene asylum in the early 1960s. A deeply moving historical drama.

Rotten Tomatoes gives the movie a 90% rating and it is definitely worth seeing.

Available here on Prime Video

3. Once (2007)

A great soundtrack is often the difference between a great film and a great one, and Once is no exception.

A boy meets girl story with a twist starring Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. The Oscar-winning soundtrack makes this a great movie.

Carney’s ambulatory musical was conceived as a low-budget distraction between larger projects, and it became a phenomenon for the ages. The song won an Oscar. Developed a hit theatre production. Sing Street and Begin Again were further successes for Carney.

One of the most memorable lines from the romantic drama is, “Take this sinking boat and point it home; we still have time.”.

Available here on Apple TV

2. The Quiet Man (1952)

Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne star in this classic film. John Ford’s romantic drama tells the story of Sean Thornton, a retired American boxer who returns to his ancestral home in Ireland to reclaim his family’s farm. Mary Kate Danaher, a local girl, captures his heart here. Despite knowing the importance of her dowry, Sean makes a serious mistake. “He should have seen it coming.”

The film is both an American and Irish favorite, despite its outdated portrayal of Ireland.

Available here On Youtube

1. My Left Foot (1989)

Featuring the life story of Dublin writer and painter Christy Brown, who was born with cerebral palsy. In Jim Sheridan’s 1989 production, Daniel Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker brought Brown’s story to life.

Based on a true story of an Irish painter, poet, and writer who overcame his disability. The book chronicles Christy Brown’s extraordinary life as a working-class Irishman with crippling cerebral palsy. His only functional limb is his left foot, which he uses to write and draw.

I believe that My Left Foot is one of the best Irish movies ever made. As it turned out, both Fricker and Day-Lewis won Oscars for best actor in their respective categories

Available here on Apple TV

So there you have it folks our top 8, do you agree or disagree? what’s missing? Comment below and make sure to follow us over on Facebook & Instagram for more movie news and content.

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