Just a Bunch of Irish Movies to Watch on St. Patrick’s Day That Beat Going to the Bar
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Sure, St. Patrick's Day is a great opportunity to show off your fave green ’fit and debut some cute shamrock nail art, but wouldn’t you rather spend March 17 cuddled up on your couch with a warm Irish coffee instead of fighting for a spot at the bar? While smearing on green eye shadow and drinking too much beer might be your idea of a good time, not everyone is suuuper into St. Patrick’s Day festivities. If you’re looking to stay inside and cozy this year, then we’ve got all the best Irish movies ya need for the perfect St. Patrick’s Day movie marathon.
Just do me one favor, if you do go out please don't do the green beer thing. You *should* be chasing "Sláinte" with a dark pint of Guinness only. And repeat after me: it's Paddy, not Patty!!!! (This isn't St. Patricia's Day, after all.) See? You can celebrate all things Erin go bragh without wading through the posers.
From Ireland-set rom-coms to epic period dramas that will teach you some Irish history, to a sci-fi horror comedy that involves a town getting wasted in order to evade an alien attack (yes, seriously), these Irish flicks are sure to get you in the St. Paddy’s Day mood...and you don’t even need to change out of your sweatpants to enjoy ’em. For a healthy dose of rolling green hills, Irish brogues, and all the Michael Fassbender, Barry Keoghan, Jamie Dornan you could wish for, here are all the best St. Patrick’s Day movies to stream right now—and JSYK, they’re best enjoyed with a side of whiskey, Bailey’s, and/or Guinness.
Flora & Son (2023)
This is director John Carney's third feature film about music and Ireland. It takes place in Dublin and follows Eve Hewson as Flora, who tries to connect with her son.
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Barry Lyndon (1975)
What better way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with the tale of fictional Irishman Barry Lyndon, who stumbled into good times, bad times, and multiple duels. Stanley Kubrick's film is epic and funny and gorgeous to look at. Not for nothing but Barry is also the subject of one of the best fan edits of all time IMHO.
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Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)
Based on the play by Irish playwright Brian Friel, this film stars Meryl Streep as one of five unmarried sisters in a rural county. Their lives are upended when their brother moves back. If it's too cold outside, spend a summer with them indoors.
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The Wonder (2022)
Florence Pugh stars in this psychological drama as an English nurse tasked with observing a young Irish girl whose family claims she hasn't eaten in four months. What's the truth? Will anyone listen? The film is set in the aftermath of the Great Famine, so if you like a history lesson served with your dramatic twists and turns I highly recommend it.
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As Luck Would Have It (2021)
There's a St. Patrick's Day Hallmark movie?? Where have you been all my life? Joanna Garcia Swisher plays a woman who enters a matchmaking festival on a business trip. Of course, those are silly and nobody would fall in love with a handsome man played by Downton Abbey's Allan Leech... just kidding! That is exactly what happens.
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The Bachelor Weekend (2013)
If you're still in your Andrew Scott phase, add this movie (a.k.a. The Stag) to your list for the holiday! The Irish actor plays the BFF in charge of a bachelor party that gets upended by the groom's hyper-masculine future brother-in-law. Just dudes being dudes in a 2010s indie comedy...
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Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959)
This Disney movie has so many Irish stereotypes and legends that it feels like it must be offensive, but seems generally well-liked. And Sean Connery (famously not Irish) sings in it.
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The Quiet Man (1952)
It doesn't get much more classic than John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara. This romantic comedy, about an Irish immigrant in America who goes back home and falls in love with a local woman, was directed by John Ford. You may recognize one scene from ET. Ford was Steven Spielberg's childhood hero and included it in his film.
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Ryan's Daughter (1970)
This epic film about a British soldier and a married Irish woman who fall in love and have an affair is based on Madame Bovary and was scaaaandalous at the time because of nudity (and the aforementioned extramarital affair).
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The Field (1990)
While this movie is not streaming, it stars Richard Harris, Sean Bean, John Hurt and Brenden Gleeson. If that's not worth poking around the library or used DVD store, what is?
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The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Martin McDonagh's dark comedy, set on a tiny and more or less isolated Irish island, was one of the best films of 2022. It also, of couse, features Ayo Edebiri as the donkey.
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Into the West (1992)
One of the most famous Irish '90s films, directed by Patrick Doyle, Into the West is about Irish travelers who tell Irish folk tales. It stars an absolutely swoon-worthy Gabriel Byrne.
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Extra Ordinary (2019)
How about an Irish horror comedy? Will Forte appears in this movie about a paranormal driving instructor who gets involved with some ghost-related dilemmas around town.
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Miss Julie (2014)
It's a film adaptation of an August Strindberg play starring Jessica Chastain, Colin Farrell, and Samantha Morton and set on an Irish manor. Buckle up and gather your best cheese and wine, because this is going to be a high-brow St. Patrick's Day watch.
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Wolfwalkers (2020)
Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation studio, and you could easily have a St. Patrick's Day marathon by pairing this movie, about the friendship between and English girl and an Irish girl who transform into wolves at night, with The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea. All three form an "Irish Folklore" trilogy.
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Michael Collins (1996)
This biopic about an Irish freedom fighter is chock full of movie stars. Liam Neeson plays the title character, and the rest of the cast includes Julia Roberts, Alan Rickman, Brendan Gleeson, Charles Dance, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers to name a few!
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The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)
There are many good Irish movies about the legendary selkie, a magical seal that can transform into a human, but this one is my favorite. It's about a young orphaned girl who goes to live in the country with her grandparents and discovers her family history while fixing up some old houses for fun. If you like stories like The Secret Garden and A Little Princess, check it out!
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The Last Right (2019)
This is a road trip comedy about a New Yorker who goes to Ireland to bury his mother and gets involved in local shenanigans with his estranged family members. It stars Michiel Huisman, who you may remember from a show called Game of Thrones (or, if you're a real one, from Orphan Black and The Haunting of Hill House.)
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Frank (2014)
Michael Fassbender and Domhnall Gleeson star in this dark, weird indie film about a band whose lead singer wears a paper-maché mask.
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Angela's Ashes (1999)
This film, based on the classic memoir by Frank McCourt, is the story of an Irish immigrant told after she dies and her family decides to return the titular ashes to Ireland.
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Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)
This v romantic Irish dramedy stars Emily Blunt as a farmer who has a secret crush on her handsome neighbor (Jamie Dornan), although he doesn’t seem to know it...and he also seems to have inherited his family’s bad luck. It also has one of the wildest twists known to man, so fave fun with that!
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Belfast (2021)
In the mood for some more Jamie Dornan? He also stars in this semi-autobiographical flick, which chronicles the life of a working class family trying to make ends meet during the tumultuous late 1960s in Belfast.
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Here Are the Young Men (2021)
Starring Anya Taylor-Joy, this drama tells the story of three recent high school grads from Dublin who decide to celebrate their newfound freedom by going on an epic bender...but as you can probs guess, things don’t exactly go according to plan.
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Cherrybomb (2009)
Speaking of teens behaving badly! Cherrybomb is all about two teenage best friends from Northern Ireland who compete in a series of increasingly dangerous tasks in order to win the affections of the alluring new girl in town, and we guarantee you’ve never seen Rupert Grint like this.
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The Shadow of Violence (2020)
Set in rural Ireland, this crime thriller follows a former boxer-turned-enforcer for a notorious drug-dealing family who must balance his responsibilities with being a good father to his 5-year-old son.
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Leap Year (2010)
Amy Adams plays a woman who travels to Ireland to propose to her boyfriend (Adam Scott) on a leap day because—as the story goes—a man can’t turn a woman down on that particular day of the year. However, she encounters some unexpected distractions along the way, including a hot Irish innkeeper (Matthew Goode).
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Once (2007)
This romantic musical follows a busker and pianist who meet on the streets of Dublin and start writing songs together. It stars Glen Hansard, the lead singer of an Irish rock band called the Frames, and Marketa Irglova, a Czech pianist, and damn, is it good.
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Animals (2019)
In this dramedy, two party-loving friends living in Dublin (Holliday Grainger and Alia Shawkat) find their freewheeling lives upended after one of them gets engaged and decides she’s finally ready to settle down.
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Brooklyn (2015)
Set in 1951, this romantic drama follows a young woman (Saoirse Ronan) who moves from Ireland to Brooklyn in pursuit of a brighter future. There she falls in love with an Italian American named Tony, but when a death in her family brings her back to Ireland, she must decide whether she ever wants to return to Brooklyn—and the man she left behind.
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P.S. I Love You (2007)
A good chunk of this classic rom-com—which follows a young woman (Hilary Swank) reminiscing about her late husband (Gerard Butler) in a series of letters he wrote before his death—is set in Ireland, and the stunningly romantic locations will make you wanna pack your bags ASAP.
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Black ’47 (2018)
In the mood for a lil history lesson? Set in Ireland during the Great Famine, this epic period drama is all about an Irish mercenary fighting for the British army who decides to abandon his post in order to reunite with his family back home...and also seek revenge along the way.
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Ondine (2009)
Some more romance for ya! Colin Farrell stars in this one as an Irish fisherman who hauls in a v unexpected catch: a mysterious woman who starts to bring him good luck...and who may actually be a mythological selkie.
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Sing Street (2016)
Set in the 1980s, this musical coming-of-age story follows a Dublin teen who starts a band to win over his crush (Lucy Boynton). The band plays original music, but you can also expect covers of The Cure, The Clash, and Hall & Oates, among many others.
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The Luck of the Irish (2001)
This Disney Channel Original Movie needs no introduction. Everyone knows the story of Kyle the jock who discovers that he’s half leprechaun...and if you don’t, you need to watch it immediately.
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Laws of Attraction (2004)
Full disclosure: This movie isn’t great. But it follows two rival divorce lawyers representing celebrity exes who are feuding over an Irish castle, so it’s the perfect St. Patrick’s Day flick. Plus, the cast is pretty stacked, as it includes Julianne Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Michael Sheen, and Parker Posey.
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Grabbers (2013)
The premise of this absolutely bonkers movie: Sea-dwelling aliens invade Ireland, and the only thing people can do to protect themselves is to have a high enough blood alcohol level so the aliens don’t attack. Therefore, everyone must get drunk. Classic Ireland.
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Handsome Devil (2017)
In this Irish dramedy, a teen gets sent to a rugby-obsessed boarding school, which is a bit of a buzzkill because he literally DGAF about rugby. Buzzkill number two? He gets stuck sharing a room with the school’s top athlete, Conor. But what seems to be an unlikely pairing turns into ~*way more*~.
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Life's a Breeze (2013)
When a slacker cleans out his aging mother’s house without her permission only to later realize he accidentally discarded something of v great value, he and his family must go on an epic journey through the streets of Dublin to get it back.
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Jimmy’s Hall (2014)
Set in 1930s Ireland, Jimmy’s Hall recounts the true story of Jimmy Gralton, who decided to open a dance hall for young people in rural Leitrim at a time when Ireland was on the brink of Civil War, leading to a whole lot of backlash from the Church.
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The Secret Scripture (2017)
Starring Rooney Mara, The Secret Scripture is basically an Irish version of The Notebook, as it toggles between the past and current-day events of a woman’s life as she looks back on her diary with a psychologist. P.S. Eric Bana plays the psychologist and has an Irish accent in this, which is reason enough to watch immediately.
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Intermission (2004)
Intermission tells a wild story of the escapades of newly single Dublin resident John (Cillian Murphy), who is determined to win back his girlfriend while being tangled up in a revenge scheme orchestrated by a local thief, Lehiff (Colin Farrell).
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The Lodgers (2018)
In this T-R-U-L-Y terrifying Irish gothic horror flick, a pair of orphaned twins are confined to their rural estate by a family curse, where they must abide by a strict set of rules—or suffer the consequences.
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Philomena (2013)
Starring the legendary Judi Dench (who received an Oscar nom for her performance), Philomena tells the story of an Irish woman who—50 years after having her child taken away from her and put up for adoption—teams up with an English journalist in order to find her son.
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Calvary (2014)
While def not a feel-good movie, this drama is certainly worth the watch. In it, a good-hearted Catholic priest (Brendan Gleeson) faces a moral dilemma after he receives a death threat from an anonymous parishioner, and the cinematography is just *chef’s kiss*.
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Hunger (2008)
Steve McQueen directed this historical drama about the men of the Provisional Irish Republican Army who starved themselves in prison to protest the fact that the British government revoked their political status. Again, not a feel-good flick but an important watch.
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An Everlasting Piece (2000)
Set in Northern Ireland during the 1980s, this comedy revolves around two barbers—one Catholic and one Protestant—who form an unlikely friendship while attempting to corner the toupee market in Belfast. Promise it’s a lot funnier than it sounds.
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Dare to Be Wild (2015)
Dare to Be Wild is the true story of landscape designer Mary Reynolds as she attempts to win the elite Chelsea Flower Show as an outsider. Even if you’re not suuuuper into landscaping and floral arrangements, this film might just change your mind.
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The Guard (2011)
If you’re looking for a good laugh this St. Patrick’s Day, then this dark cop comedy film is exactly what you need. A crass Irish officer (Brendan Gleeson) is partnered with an uptight American FBI detective (Don Cheadle) to investigate an international drug-trafficking ring, and it’s a v good time.
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Shadow Dancer (2012)
Set in 1990s Belfast toward the end of the Northern Ireland conflict, Shadow Dancer tells the story of a single mother and IRA member who is caught by a British agent and then given an impossible ultimatum: spy on her comrades or go to prison.
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Waking Ned Devine (1998)
What happens when you realize that your recently deceased friend holds a winning lottery ticket? You pretend he’s still alive ofc, and that’s what happens in this kooky comedy, which is like an Irish version of Weekend at Bernie’s.
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Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Set in the 1970s and starring Cillian Murphy, Breakfast on Pluto is about the life of a trans woman and the journey she embarks on after leaving Ireland to look for her mother in London.
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Far and Away (1992)
Hi, remember when Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were a thing? The actors were newlyweds themselves when they starred in this love story about a newly married couple who flees Ireland for America in the 1890s, hoping to start a better life.
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The Wind That Shakes the Barley (2007)
Set during the Irish War of Independence in the early 1920s, this war drama revolves around an Irish medical student (Cillian Murphy) who—just before he’s about to leave Ireland to complete his training in London—decides instead to join the IRA with his brother to fight for Irish independence.
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The Boxer (1997)
If you love a good sports drama, then you’ve gotta check out The Boxer, which follows a rising boxing star (Daniel Day-Lewis) who—after spending 14 years in prison for his involvement with the IRA—returns home to Belfast and attempts to put his life back together.
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