16 Notable Movies That Take Place In Ireland

Green hills, stone walls, narrow streets, and that particular coastal light have a way of making a movie feel instantly alive.

Stories set in Ireland often carry a strong sense of place, whether the plot leans romantic, funny, tense, or quietly heartbreaking. Sometimes the landscape does the heavy lifting. The setting simply shapes the characters, the pacing, and even the humor.

Plenty of films use Irish locations as more than pretty background. Town squares become gathering points. Countryside roads turn into turning points. Pubs, kitchens, and small villages create the kind of everyday texture that helps a story feel real.

This list pulls together notable films that take place in Ireland, mixing well-known favorites with titles that deserve a little more attention.

1. In the Name of the Father

Raw emotion drives this 1993 powerhouse based on the true story of the Guildford Four.

Daniel Day-Lewis delivers a career-defining performance as Gerry Conlon, wrongfully imprisoned for a crime he never committed.

What makes this film unforgettable is the father-son relationship at its core. Watching Conlon and his father navigate injustice together will absolutely wreck you in the best way possible.

Jim Sheridan’s direction cuts through political complexity to reveal the human cost of prejudice and rushed justice.

2. The Wind That Shakes the Barley

Ken Loach doesn’t sugarcoat anything in this 2006 Palme d’Or winner.

Set during the Irish War of Independence and subsequent Civil War, the film follows two brothers torn apart by conflicting loyalties.

Cillian Murphy anchors the story with quiet intensity as a medical student who abandons his career to fight for freedom. The Irish countryside becomes a character itself, beautiful yet stained by violence.

However controversial its political stance, the film’s emotional honesty about war’s brutality remains undeniable.

3. Once

Sometimes magic happens with almost no budget. This 2007 musical romance was shot guerrilla-style on Dublin streets for under $200,000, yet it won an Oscar for Best Original Song.

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová play unnamed musicians who connect through their shared passion for music.

Their chemistry feels so genuine because, well, they weren’t really acting – both were actual musicians playing themselves.

Dublin’s everyday beauty shines through every frame, proving you don’t need castles to capture Ireland’s soul.

4. The Quiet Man

John Ford’s 1952 masterpiece remains the gold standard for romanticized Irish cinema.

Set in the breathtaking village of Cong in County Mayo, this film follows an American boxer who returns to his birthplace seeking peace.

The chemistry between John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara practically leaps off the screen.

Their tumultuous romance unfolds against lush green landscapes that look almost too perfect to be real, yet somehow are.

Though critics sometimes debate its idealized portrayal of rural life, nobody can deny its lasting impact on how the world views Ireland.

5. Brooklyn

Though Saoirse Ronan’s character spends much of this 2015 film in New York, her heart remains tethered to Ireland.

The opening scenes in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, establish an emotional anchor that pulls throughout the story.

Immigration’s bittersweet reality rarely gets portrayed with such tenderness.

Ronan embodies the conflict between opportunity abroad and the magnetic pull of home with devastating authenticity.

When she returns to Ireland, the green landscapes feel like a warm hug, making her ultimate choice even more gut-wrenching.

6. Michael Collins

Neil Jordan’s 1996 historical epic tackles one of Ireland’s most controversial figures with cinematic grandeur.

Liam Neeson brings gravitas to the revolutionary leader who helped free Ireland from British rule, only to pass away in the ensuing Civil War.

The film doesn’t shy away from moral complexity, showing Collins as both hero and pragmatist.

Dublin’s historic locations ground the story in authenticity, even when Hollywood drama takes over.

7. Calvary

Brendan Gleeson commands the screen in this 2014 darkly comic meditation on faith and morality.

Playing a good-hearted priest in a small Irish coastal village, he receives a threat during confession and has one week to prepare.

The stunning County Sligo landscapes mirror the film’s emotional terrain – beautiful yet unforgiving. Each encounter with his parishioners peels back layers of hurt, hypocrisy, and hidden kindness.

Writer-director John Michael McDonagh crafts something rare: a film about religion that respects both faith and doubt equally.

8. The Banshees of Inisherin

A 2022 film from Martin McDonagh plays like an especially Irish breakup story.

Set on a fictional island off the west coast during the 1920s Civil War, it follows two lifelong friends whose relationship suddenly implodes.

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson deliver career-best performances as men grappling with loneliness and meaning. The barren island landscape becomes a metaphor for emotional isolation, yet it’s stunningly gorgeous.

Though the premise sounds simple, the film unpacks profound questions about art, friendship, and what we leave behind.

9. Intermission

Manic energy drives John Crowley’s 2003 ensemble comedy, weaving multiple storylines across modern Dublin into one lively tangle.

Colin Farrell plays a hot-tempered detective with a magnificent mustache, because of course he does.

The film captures contemporary urban Ireland in all its messy, profane glory. From supermarkets to pubs to suburban homes, it presents Dublin as a city where everyone’s lives accidentally collide.

While the plot gets delightfully convoluted, the sharp dialogue and committed performances keep everything grounded in recognizable human chaos.

10. The Snapper

In 1993, Stephen Frears adapted another Roddy Doyle novel, shifting the focus to a working-class Dublin family navigating an unexpected pregnancy.

Colm Meaney shines as the father trying to support his daughter while navigating neighborhood gossip.

What could have been a preachy drama instead celebrates family resilience with warmth and humor. The suburban Dublin setting feels utterly authentic, down to the wallpaper patterns.

Doyle’s gift for dialogue transforms ordinary conversations into comedy gold, proving that everyday Irish life needs no embellishment.

11. Sing Street

John Carney returned to Dublin in 2016 with this joyful coming-of-age story set during the economically bleak 1980s.

A teenager forms a band to impress a mysterious girl, discovering himself through music along the way.

The original songs absolutely pop with ’80s new wave energy, perfectly capturing youthful ambition and romantic confusion.

Dublin’s north inner city provides a gritty yet affectionate backdrop.

Though nostalgia fuels the film, it never feels saccharine – just genuinely sweet about the transformative power of creative expression.

12. Hunger

Unflinching and often difficult to sit through, the 2008 directorial debut ultimately stands as essential viewing despite its emotional weight.

Michael Fassbender undergoes shocking physical transformation to portray Bobby Sands during the 1981 hunger strike in Northern Ireland’s Maze Prison.

The film’s centerpiece is a 17-minute unbroken conversation that’s absolutely mesmerizing.

McQueen’s artistic background shows in every carefully composed frame, turning brutal reality into something approaching terrible beauty.

13. Angela’s Ashes

In 1999, Alan Parker adapted Frank McCourt’s beloved memoir, vividly recreating 1930s and 1940s Limerick in all its rain-soaked hardship.

Young Frankie McCourt endures poverty, loss, and his father’s destructive relationship with the bottle.

The film doesn’t romanticize hardship – Limerick appears genuinely grim, with constant rain matching the family’s perpetual struggles. Yet moments of humor and resilience shine through the darkness.

Emily Watson delivers a powerhouse performance as Angela, embodying maternal strength stretched to its absolute breaking point.

14. The Guard

Brendan Gleeson’s unconventional country cop steals every scene in this 2011 darkly comic crime film.

Set in rural County Galway, the story follows a politically incorrect sergeant who teams up with an FBI agent to stop drug smugglers.

The west of Ireland looks both beautiful and slightly menacing, matching the film’s tonal balancing act. Gleeson plays his character with such deadpan brilliance that you’re never quite sure what he’ll do next.

Writer-director John Michael McDonagh proves that Irish crime comedies can be smart, subversive, and wildly entertaining.

15. Waking Ned Devine

This 1998 comedy proves that Irish charm can absolutely win over audiences worldwide.

When a lottery winner passes away from shock in a tiny village, his neighbors hatch a scheme to claim his prize.

Filmed on the Isle of Man standing in for Ireland, the village setting feels authentically cozy and community-minded. The ensemble cast brings warmth to what could have been a cynical premise.

Though the humor occasionally veers into broad territory, the film’s good-natured spirit and gorgeous landscapes make it pure comfort viewing.