When we think of a fun activity to do on St. Patrick’s Day, most of what comes to mind includes lots of merriment. Though that is indeed a holiday tradition and can be seen as an homage to Irish customs, it’s not the only thing we can do on the special day. Because, let’s be honest, after a full week of work, some of us won’t really have the energy to dress in green and go partying. Instead, why not celebrate Irish culture with a cozy night in?
Whether you’re looking to watch a TV show or a movie, there are so many standout Irish masterpieces to stream, from heartwarming romances and hilarious shows to thought-provoking dramas. While not all of these picks have gotten the global recognition they deserve, this year’s Banshees of Inisherin made a splash in America with so much buzzy acclaim. The movie, which follows the torn friendship of two longtime friends Pádraic and Colm (Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson), was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Farrell.
The same goes for Hulu’s Normal People, a 2020 series starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal which essentially put the two stars on the map. The show, adapted from Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name, garnered massive attention worldwide and was even nominated for four Primetime Emmys and two Golden Globes.
Though Banshees and Normal People should definitely join your Friday must-watch list, check out some other Irish TV shows and movies to honor the holiday.
‘The Banshees of Inisherin’
Image Credit: Jonathan Hession / © Searchlight Pictures / Courtesy Everett Collection Winner of Golden Globes’ Best Picture this year, The Banshees of Inisherin follows the aftermath of one friend (Brendan Gleeson) saying he no longer wants to see his longtime friend (Colin Farrell). That decision comes with some intense — and very gruesome! — consequences.
Rent or Buy on Prime Video$3.99
Buy now‘Belfast’
Image Credit: Rob Youngson / © Focus Features / Courtesy Everett Collection Written and directed by actor Kenneth Branagh, Belfast tells the story of a young boy from a working-class family in 1960s Northern Ireland. The 2021 Oscar-winning movie stars Outlander’s Caitríona Balfe, Jamie Dornan, and Judi Dench.
Stream on HBO Max$9.99/month
Buy now‘Sing Street’
Image Credit: ©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Coll / Everett Collection Start a band, escape 1980s Dublin, and impress a girl – the three things Sing Street‘s protagonist Conor (Ferdia Walsh-Peelo) wants to do. Oh, and did we mention Sing Street is a musical too?
Stream on Freevee$free
Buy now‘Once’
Image Credit: ©Fox Searchlight/Courtesy Everett Collection In Once, viewers follow a man and a woman (Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová) as they write, rehearse, and record songs together throughout the week. The movie went on to win Best Original Song at the 2008 Oscars for the tune “Falling Slowly.”
Rent or Buy on Prime Video$3.99
Buy now‘The Commitments’
Image Credit: ©20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection The 1991 movie The Commitments follows Jimmy Rabbitte (Robert Arkins), an unemployed young man from Dublin, who decides to create a soul/R&B band made up entirely of the Irish working class musicians.
Stream on AppleTV+$6.99/month
Buy now‘The Snapper’
Image Credit: ©Miramax/courtesy Everett / Everett Collection The Snapper, starring Ruth McCabe, Colm Meaney, and Tina Kellegher, tells the story of 20-year-old Sharon (Kellegher), who she gets pregnant from a fun night out. When the news spreads all around town, she’s adamant about keeping the baby daddy’s identity a secret. A true comedy!
Rent or Buy on Prime Video$3.99
Buy now‘In Bruges’
Image Credit: ©Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection Much like Banshees, In Bruges also stars Brendan Gleeson and Colin Farrell and is directed by Martin McDonagh. In this action/comedy movie, hitman Ray (Farrell) and his partner Ken (Gleeson) need to complete another less than pleasant task from their boss.
Rent or Buy on Prime Video$3.99
Buy now‘Brooklyn’
Image Credit: Kerry Brown/TM and ©Copyright Fox Searchlight Pictures. All rights reserved./Courtesy Everett Collection After moving across the pond to Brooklyn, New York in the 1950s, Ireland native Ellis (Saoirse Ronan) develops a new love with a local. But, with another love interest back in Ireland, she’s torn between who to choose — and where she should call home.
Stream on AppleTV+$6.99/month
Buy now‘Philomena’
Image Credit: Alex Bailey/©Weinstein Company/Courtesy Everett Collection Philomena, starring Judi Dench and Steve Coogan, will have you in tears by the end. The touching Oscar-nominated movie follows Martin (Coogan), an investigative journalist, in his efforts to help Philomena (Dench), in her search to find her long-lost son who was taken from her at his birth.
Stream on Netflix$9.99/month
Buy now‘Bad Sisters’
Image Credit: Natalie Seery /©Apple TV+ / Courtesy Everett Collection In Bad Sisters, creator and star Sharon Horgan plays Eva Garvey, one of the tight-knit Garvey sisters who gets investigated by life insurers after their brother-in-law dies. The shows also stars Eve Hewson, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle and Sarah Greene.
Stream on AppleTV+$6.99/month
Buy now‘Normal People’
Image Credit: Enda Bowe / ©Hulu / Courtesy Everett Collection From high school to life after college, Normal People follows Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal), an unlikely couple with an undeniable spark. Through the years, despite the splits and heartbreak, they always seem to find their way back to one another.
Stream on Hulu$7.99/month
Buy now‘Conversations With Friends’
Image Credit: Enda Bowe /©Hulu / Courtesy Everett Collection Also adapted from a Sally Rooney novel, Conversations With Friends tells the story of what happened when two college students (Sasha Lane and Alison Oliver) spark an unlikely and steamy connection with a married couple (Jemima Kirke and Joe Alwyn).
Stream on Hulu$7.99/month
Buy now‘Derry Girls’
Image Credit: ©Netflix/Sky TV / Courtesy Everett Collection Set in Northern Ireland in the 1990s, Derry Girls follows five teenagers and best friends (Jamie-Lee O’Donnell, Louisa Harland, Nicola Coughlan, Dylan Llewellyn, and Saoirse-Monica Jackson) as they navigate the ups and downs of being a young.
Stream on Netflix$6.99/month
Buy now‘The Fall’
Image Credit: ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection In The Fall, acting icon Gillian Anderson plays Detective Stella Gibson while her number one target, serial killer Paul Spector, is played by Jamie Dornan.
Stream on Peacock$4.99/month
Buy now‘Moone Boy’
Image Credit: Patrick Redmond/©Hulu/courtesy Everett If you’ve ever had an imaginary friend of your own, this is the show for you. In Moone Boy, a lone 12-year-old boy Martin (David Rawle) relies on his imaginary friend Sean (Chris O’Dowd) to get through his teenage struggles.
Stream on Hulu$7.99/month
Buy now
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