03/17/2026
Matt here!
As a cinephile, I’m going to take a moment to discuss some of my favorite, less popular, Irish movies. I mean, who doesn’t love “The Quiet Man,” “The Commitments,” or “Waking Ned Divine?”
- or “Banshees of Inisherin;” although I never need to see that again.
But allow me a mention a couple others.
#3 “The Boys, and Girl, from County Clare”
Two estranged brothers compete in an Irish cèilidh competition. Fraternal rivalries are squashed, young romance blossoms, a Corr, hippies . . . and who are the random well-dressed Africans?
- when I introduce new people to Irish movies, I start with this.
https://youtu.be/9JIDexBoWFc?si=Lcrm1krhUhrYz9Fz
#2 “Ondine”
A modern fairy tale. A fisherman pulls a woman up from the ocean in one of his fishing nets. Is she a selkie? Is she a woman with a past? Is she a selkie with a past . . . ?
- I remember the first time I watched it. I started and was thinking “what the hell is this?” By the end, I was ugly-girl crying and saying “I want redemption too!”
https://youtu.be/rs8DiJaLhlY?si=Q_mRUWlhmgZie5gP
#1 “The Guard”
An offbeat Irish cop “Gleason” has to partner with a by-the-boots American FBI agent (Cheadle) to track international drug traffickers. Brilliant dialogue, subtle humor, a four-mouthed Gaelic kid, philosophy, prostitutes, and Mark Strong!
- this is my very favorite Irish movies. It’s in my list of top 10 movies.
https://youtu.be/iJxBKglv2zw?si=G1UphLg5cYYC1e_Q
Sergeant Gerry Boyle (Gleeson IN BRUGES) is a small-town Irish cop with a confrontational personality, a subversive sense of humour, a dying mother, a fondne...
