ROTTEN TOMATOES: Blarney! Ten Great Irish Movies

Blarney! Ten Great Irish Movies

by RT Staff | March 14, 2008

Summary

Today, Rotten Tomatoes digs deep and celebrates everyone's favorite fifth-century snake-banishing missionary with a list of some of Irish cinema's finest -- movies that capture the distinctive rhythms, as well as the struggles, of life in the country. Back to Article

(41-60 of 98 posts) | Reply

dermotjmc writes:
on Mar 16 2008 07:50 AM

Never heard of Boondock Saints until today, never mentioned in any Irish Media debates, newspaper articles etc.

Good Irish flicks mentioned before and must see are The Wind That Shakes The Barley, Michael Collins, The Snapper, My Left Foot, In The Name of The Father..

The Van, In America and Intermission are definately worth checkin' out aswell

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katej128 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 09:19 AM

I agree that Boondock Saints was a highly entertaining movie and should be on this list. I was also thinking that State of Grace would make it. That movie made me fall in love with Gary Oldman and get hooked on Irish mob movies.

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MattBaerFTW writes:
on Mar 16 2008 09:39 AM

In reply to this comment (#1635740)
why im not ****ing embarrased i love the boondoock saints...from the 1st time i've seen it to the like 15th time(have no idea how many times ive seen it over the years) maybe falls into its own category "so badass it's good" to each their own so **** off buddy

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mollyo89 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 09:56 AM

Another good Irish movie that I'm surprised wasn't mentioned is the 1935 movie, "The Informer" with Victor McLaglen. Check out a synopsis at http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0026529/

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aileen_22 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 12:10 PM

Waking Ned Divine should definitely be on that list!

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pmoorhoff writes:
on Mar 16 2008 12:11 PM

What about "Cal"? A great movie for understanding the "troubles" between Catholic and Protestant.. and great performances.

Being of Irish descent (Peggy Monaghan O'Malley Kelly - maiden name), I found "Waking Ned Devine" silly and stereotypical.

Then there is "Dancing at Lunasa", "Into the West", "...Roan Inish..." - my grandparents still remembered the legends and blended Catholicism with belief in fairy trees and little people - so PLEASE get rid of "Darby O'Gill" which offended me even as a child! If you actually know the true legends (oxymoronic unless you are Irish then you get it) - pots of gold and green-clad elves are totally Disney... the little people were tricksters mostly and sometimes helpers but never visible and never cute. In fact, their invisibility is what saved them from the Celts (brutes) when they invaded their land (look it up) -

I hate St> Patrick's Day - It is a saint's day and it falls during Lent so all this foolishness is for non-Irish.

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bigbrother writes:
on Mar 16 2008 01:36 PM

In reply to this comment (#1636622)
Wow, unless you're more than 2000 years old then they stories are very much part of your heritage. While in the original Celtic stories you're right Lugh the Long Hand (The original Celt who we draw the word Leprechaun from)and his Tuatha DeDanaan were not Small little people looking to hide gold that is what the stories evolved into. Much like Fairy tales from the Grimm Bros, Beowulf and Greek myths evolved thru time as their people changed. Its a legend that adapted as it's people adapted and they had become the stories we know today long before Walt Disney was even born and since most of these stories originated with the Celts I doubt they painted themeselves as "Brutes" it's more likey you are confusing the Celts with stories of The Formorii and the invasions of Saxons and Welsh from across the Isles. The Celts generally considered themselves the inheritors of the land from the Tuatha who were the original inhabitants of the Isles who as part of a natural progression were dying out and going into hiding becasue there was no place in the world for magic anymore. These are the stories I remember anyway from my grandmother and I've never heard or read anything that would disparage me from that and SERIOUSLY?!? Darby O'Gill offended you? and like I said unless you are somehow pre-christian Irish then St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and the vast majority of people in Ireland being Catholic would probably resent aspersions on their nationality because of their celebration of him.

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bigbrother writes:
on Mar 16 2008 01:49 PM

In reply to this comment (#1636622)
The more I think about it the more baffled I am by those statements. It's like saying Swede's aren't really Swedish unless they worship Odin and Heimdal or Muslims in Egypt aren't really Egyptians unless they worship Ra or Believe in Djinn. Please if you can explain to me what you were getting at?

Oh and for all the Boondock St's people once and for all even though I enjoy that movie too, Boston and New York are not in Ireland and as most Irish and Scots are more than happy to tell you being 3rd generation descendants of Irish and Scots does not make you Irish or Scottish you're still just Americans and should be proud of it. Though they welcome your tourist dollars :)

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bigbrother writes:
on Mar 16 2008 01:51 PM

In reply to this comment (#1636696)
Oh and just so I don't leave myself open to ridicule, I didn't mean to say Lugh the Long Hand was a Celt. I meant to say the original Celtic Mythic character who we draw the word Leprechaun from.

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Crusader07 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 02:08 PM

What about The Crying Game?! One of the best movies ever made!

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arendr writes:
on Mar 16 2008 02:48 PM

Nice to see some love for Darby O'Gill.

And The Boondock Saints has to be on my list of the 10 worst movies. I absolutely despise that film.

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pmoorhoff writes:
on Mar 16 2008 03:33 PM

I did go off on a rant - the St. Patrick's thing is more about the Americanization - green beer - cartoonish quality of the whole thing. In my family, it was a sacred holiday, not an excuse to get wasted. It was a day for family and gratitude during a holy time of year, Lent.

And yes, even as a young child I found "Darby O'Gill" offensive because I was surrounded by real Irish people (recent immigrants) who were dignified despite their poverty. Perhaps if you think of characters like Buckwheat as offensive you will see what I mean.

And to Big Brother - about the religious comments - Irish Catholicism combines many aspect of both Roman Catholicism and Pagan lore. Anyone who has lived with real Irish people knows what I am talking about. That is most likely true of Swedes, Italians, or any other group who bring part of their own culture and lure into all aspects of their lives. My grandmother prayed to St. Anthony and the little people for help when she lost something. She was a DEVOUT Catholic who also believed that fairies actually lived in certain trees (this belief still exists.)

Back to the movies - go see "In Bruges" - while not an Irish movie, it may remind us that Colin Farrell is actually an actor, not just a "star" -

(Reply to this)

pmoorhoff writes:
on Mar 16 2008 03:38 PM

I did go off on a rant - the St. Patrick's thing is more about the Americanization - green beer - cartoonish quality of the whole thing. In my family, it was a sacred holiday, not an excuse to get wasted. It was a day for family and gratitude during a holy time of year, Lent.

And yes, even as a young child I found "Darby O'Gill" offensive because I was surrounded by real Irish people (recent immigrants) who were dignified despite their poverty. Perhaps if you think of characters like Buckwheat as offensive you will see what I mean.

And to Big Brother - about the religious comments - Irish Catholicism combines many aspect of both Roman Catholicism and Pagan lore. Anyone who has lived with real Irish people knows what I am talking about. That is most likely true of Swedes, Italians, or any other group who bring part of their own culture and lure into all aspects of their lives. My grandmother prayed to St. Anthony and the little people for help when she lost something. She was a DEVOUT Catholic who also believed that fairies actually lived in certain trees (this belief still exists.)

Back to the movies - go see "In Bruges" - while not an Irish movie, it may remind us that Colin Farrell is actually an actor, not just a "star" -

Oh, I almost forgot, the Celts were seen as violent brutes by the Greeks long before they ever got to Ireland. While they "inherited" the land from the Tuatha it was not an easy transition. The clay in the hair, the plaid sash over nothing, as they ran into battle - all made for a fierce foe. (NOT BRAVEHEART)

You want a real quandry? Try to research the Picts...

(Reply to this)

pmoorhoff writes:
on Mar 16 2008 04:11 PM

why was I posted twice? I give up!

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walkingdead09 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 07:30 PM

boondock saints is over rated, a shoot em up movie up, with very cliche' scenes and dialogue. That movie reminds of me of an awful segal movie with an irish theme.

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mattpietro527 writes:
on Mar 16 2008 10:59 PM

breakfast on pluto?

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bigbrother writes:
on Mar 16 2008 11:54 PM

In reply to this comment (#1636820)
Ahhhh, Fair enough then.

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bat-fink writes:
on Mar 17 2008 03:26 AM

FATHER TED, RULES THEM ALL!!!!!!
rip, Ted Crilly.

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bethehero7404 writes:
on Mar 17 2008 05:01 AM

JCRAIG66...I agree. Boondock Saints should be on there. What a great film. Very Tarantino-esque. Very good dialogue and a huge fan favorite amongst anyone I talk to, bordering on cult classic. I know it was direct to video but still...this is my favorite Irish film.

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BrockSamson writes:
on Mar 17 2008 06:29 AM

I loved the Commitments, but it should have had subtitles.

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